News Flash

NJ Prepares for 2020 Census

We are now within 12 months of 2020 Census Day – April 1, 2020. The U.S Census Bureau has been staffing up for the count that will determine New Jersey’s representation in Congress, Congressional and State Legislative District boundari...

Tax Assessors Prohibited from Acting as Appraisal Experts

While municipal tax assessors are already prohibited through regulations from appearing as expert witnesses before county boards of taxation (see, N.J.A.C. 18:12A-1.9(l)), this prohibition had never before been applied to the tax court. 

Last week...

Reserve Your Place Now! NJLM Roundtables Discuss Affordable Housing & Cannabis

NJLM is presenting a Mayors’ Roundtable discussion series on the topics of Affordable Housing and Cannabis. With sessions in North, Central, and South Jersey, these topics will be the focus of moderated discussions involving your questions, presentations ...

Cannabis Vote in May?

We cannot tell you if or when the legislation to legalize recreational, adult use of marijuana may be scheduled again. On March 25, the State Legislature did not act on A4497/S2703, which would legalize adult use of recreational cannabis. The measure did ...

Bipartisan Effort to Advance Gateway Continues

In a letter sent on Monday to United States Secretary of Transportation Elain Chao, a bipartisan group of Congressional Representatives, led by New Jersey Congressman Tom Malinowski, called on the Department of Transportation (DOT) to finalize and publish...

State Budget Makers Focus on Revenue Forecasts

Early this week, the Assembly Budget Committee and the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee began a series of hearings on Governor Murphy’s proposed spending plan for the 2020 Fiscal Year. The process started with a focus on revenues, proj...

DCA's Main Street NJ Kicks Off with Regional Workshops

Earlier this week, Lt. Governor Oliver announced the restoration of the Main Street New Jersey Program (MSNJ) as a key, updated component of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs’ municipal planning and downtown revitalization portfolio...

Surviving Spouse Tax Exemption Ruling Reversed

Earlier this week the Appellate Division issued a published opinion dealing with the applicability of the disabled veterans’ property tax exemption to certain surviving spouses of qualified disabled veterans. Simply put, in Rosanna Pruent-Steven...

League Statement on Cannabis Legislation

Today the State Legislature did not act on A4497/S2703, which would legalize adult use of recreational cannabis. League President Colleen Mahr, Mayor of the Borough of Fanwood offered the following comments:

“While the League did not take a posit...

Final Vote on Marijuana Legalization Set for Monday, March 25

On Monday, the Assembly Appropriations Committee and the Senate Judiciary each amended and approved legislation that will legalize the adult use of recreational marijuana. The committees also approved legislation to expand the State’s medical ma...

Gov. Murphy Signs Stormwater Utlity Bill into Law

Earlier this week, Gov. Murphy signed into law S-1073, which clarifies local government authority to create stormwater utilities and to collect related fees and other charges.

Under the new law, a municipality, county, or authority can establish by resolut...

Governor's Proposed SFY 2020 Budget

Yesterday in Trenton, Governor Murphy presented his second budget proposal to the Legislature and the people of New Jersey. From our perspective, municipal property tax relief funding is of paramount importance.

We thank the Governor for an appropriate inc...

SCOTUS Rules 8th Amendment Applies to State & Local Governments

On Wednesday, in a unanimous decision the Supreme Court of the United States (“SCOTUS”) ruled that the Eighth Amendment’s ban on excessive fines applies to state and local governments. The case, Timbs v. Indiana, dealt with a...

NLC Launches Opportunity Zone Resources

The opportunity zone program, authored by N.J. U.S. Senator Cory Booker, was created under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to provide local and national investors with a tax incentive for investments made in economically distressed areas of the country.

Und...

USDA Extends Deadlines for Broadband Grant Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on February 6 that it would extend the application deadlines for its Rural eConnectivity Pilot Program (ReConnect) due to delays caused by the recent partial federal government shutdown. Initial applicat...

Federal Legislation Aims to Overturn FCC Preemption of Local ROW Control

Rep. Anna Eshoo from California introduced legislation (H.R.530) to overturn the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) September Order preempting local authority over small cell wireless infrastructure. The bill would not preclude fu...

Hopewell Scores Tax Court Win in Verizon Case

On Monday, January 28, Hopewell Borough scored a major win in an NJ Tax Court case, filed 10 years ago, by telecommunications giant, Verizon. The case, Verizon v. Hopewell, stemmed from a decision rendered by the Mercer County Board of Taxation, in which ...

Max Cap on Volunteer Fire Co. Municipal Appropriations Increases

P.L. 2015, c. 95 included a statutory adjustment, every two years, to the maximum appropriation a municipality may make to their volunteer fire company. For CY2019/ SFY2020 there is a 2.5% adjustment which brings the maximum annual contribution to $154,51...

Goods & Services Prompt Payment Law Guidance

Beginning February 1 all goods and services contracts awarded, regardless of dollar amount, will be subject to goods and services prompt payment law, P.L. 2018, c. 127. Unless otherwise specified in a contract, the payment for goods and services will be d...

Gov. Murphy's State of the State

Tuesday, January 15, in Trenton, Governor Murphy delivered his first State of the State message to the Legislature and the people of New Jersey. His central message was focused on progress made and prospect to create more opportunities for economic improv...

NJ Supreme Court Orders Municipal Court Dismissals

Yesterday, the State Supreme Court issued an Order dismissing certain older unresolved complaints on minor municipal court matters. This comes at the suggestion of a three-judge panel’s report that was issued after hearing public comments in the...

Bonding and Grants for Addressing Lead Hazards

League President Colleen Mahr, Mayor of Fanwood commented on the addressing of Lead Hazards saying, “Recent reports of the need to upgrade water infrastructure to address lead are unfortunately not unique. The League has, for years, worked to he...

Comptroller Report on State-Level Tax Incentives Released

On Wednesday, the Office of the State Comptroller released a critical report on the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s administration of programs, meant to increase employment opportunities that gave certain business entities state tax ...

116th Congress Convenes

As the partial shutdown of the Federal government grinds on, a new Congressional session begins. While Senators (and former Mayors) Bob Menendez and Cory Booker will continue to represent our State in the Upper House, a number of new Jersey voices will jo...

Gov. Signs Electronic Procurement Legislation

Yesterday, Governor Murphy signed into law as P.L. 2018, c. 156 legislation supported by the League, the New Jersey Association of Counties and the New Jersey School Boards Association. The legislation, passed as A-3112, authorizes local units of...

Division Extends CY 2019 Budget Deadlines

The Division of Local Government Services has issued Local Finance Notice 2018-28 regarding 2019 Calendar Year (CY) Budget Matters, including information on the Financial Automation Submission Tracking (FAST).  All CY 2019 budgets must be submitt...

Governor Outlines Strategy for Economic Development

On Oct. 1, 2018, Governor Murphy presented his outline to grow the New Jersey economy. In a speech in Nutley, the Governor presented a vision focused on investments in the state’s education system and workforce development programs so t...

Jake's Law for Inclusive Playgrounds Signed

Last week, Governor Murphy signed into law A-2187, otherwise known as “Jake’s Law.” The law incentives counties to build inclusive playgrounds for children and adults with disabilities by prioritizing Green Acres fund applica...