News Flash

MIllioniares' Tax to Bolster State Budget

An agreement has been reached by Governor Phil Murphy and Legislative leaders on an income tax rate hike (from 8.97% to 10.75%) on earnings in excess of $1 million. The higher rate currently applies to income over $5 million. Announcing the agreement, Gov...

League Position on Governor's Budget Proposed Presented to Legislature

The League of Municipalities’ position on the Governor’s proposed FY 21 budget has been presented by League President Jim Perry and League Executive Director Mike Cerra to the members of both the Senate Budget and Appropriation Committ...

State Budget Deliberations Begin

Yesterday, both the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Assembly Budget Committee began their review of Governor Murphy’s proposed State Budget for FY ’21. That budget needs to be enacted by the end of this month, and it...

Proposed Budget Holds ETR/CMPTRA Level

Today, in Piscataway, Governor Murphy presented his revised budget proposal for State Fiscal Year 2021 (SFY ’21) to the Legislature and people of New Jersey. If adopted by the Legislature, as is, the budget would hold combined appropriations for...

DLGS Issues LFN on Enery Tax Receipt & CMPTRA Payment Program

The Division of Local Government Services issued Local Finance Notice 2020-17 summarizing the Energy Tax Receipt and CMPTRA payment program for CY 2020 and SFY 2020 extension budgets. The Energy Tax Receipt and CMPTRA August 1 installment payment was 45% ...

Interim State Budget Enacted

On Monday, the Legislature passed and the Governor signed the Supplemental Appropriations bill that will permit state spending to bridge the gap between the usual end of the Fiscal Year, on June 30, and this year’s final day, September 30.

This b...

Bridge Budget Bill Introduced

Because of the extension of the State’s current Fiscal Year for an additional three months, the Legislature must pass and the Governor sign a Supplemental Appropriations bill by midnight, June 30. On Thursday, June 24, Assemblywoman Eliana Pinto...

Share the Message: MunisAreEssential

The League has launched the MunisAreEssential campaign in response to budget shortfalls local governments are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and is encouraging local officials to contact their state and federal legislators to support ...

NJLM Delivers COVID_19 Requests to Congressional Delegation

On Wednesday, the New Jersey League of Municipalities delivered letters to Senators Menendez and Booker and all Members of New Jersey’s delegation in the House of Representatives. We thanked them for the steps they have already taken to address ...

Are You Ready for Police & Fire Contract Negotiations?

Could different contract provisions increase efficiency in your fire services? Is there a way to provide more effective policing, while lowering costs? And how much do your neighbors pay for police and fire protection? The answers to these questions can h...

Legislature Focuses on State Three-Month Budget Plan

Yesterday in Trenton, the Assembly Budget Committee heard testimony from the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services’ Budget and Finance Officer, Frank Haines, and State Treasurer, Elizabeth Maher Muoio, regarding Governor Murphy’s ...

DLGS Extends Deadlines

The Division of Local Government Services has issued Local Finance Notice 2020-13 outlining extensions to various fiscal, property tax and licensed officials deadlines that the Director extended by issuing a deadline extension order.

Included among the ex...

Gov. Signs Legislation Setting 2020 Tax Appeal Date

Yesterday Governor Murphy signed into law A-4157, which extends the statutory deadline to file a property tax appeal from May 1, 2020 to July 1, 2020 and provides the County Board of Taxation until September 30, 2020 to render a decision on a tax...

State Budget Update

Today State Treasurer Liz Muoio issued a report on the fiscal condition of the state budget. The report indicates that the State can expect an up-to $10 billion shortfall between now and June 2021. The data reflects a shortfall of $2.75 billion through th...

Your Action Needed on COVID-19 Bonding

On Thursday the Assembly passed by a vote of 57-20 A-3971 which authorizes the issuance of “coronavirus relief bonds” by municipalities and counties. Specifically, A-3971 permits municipalities to issue bonds for the loss of revenue an...

Senate Budget Committee Releases S-2387

Yesterday the Senate Budget Committee released S-2387, which extends the statutory deadline to file a property tax appeal from May 1 to July 1 and provides the County Board of Taxation until September 30 to render a decision on a tax appeal. The deadline ...

Property Tax Payment Grace Period Gets Executive Order

Governor Murphy has issued Executive Order 130, which permits a governing body to adopt a resolution extending the grace period for the May 1 property tax payment. The grace period cannot go later than June 1, 2020. A copy of the resolution must be filed ...

Upcoming 2nd Quarter Property Tax Payment

For the past several weeks we have been receiving numerous inquiries regarding the upcoming 2nd Quarter Property Tax payment. To date, there has been no administrative or legislative action to extend the May 1 property tax payment date. We have issued an ...

Pension Payment Reminder

The Division of Pensions and Benefits sent a reminder notice to all Certifying Officers reminding them that the annual pension contribution grace period for payment for both Public Employee’s Retirement System (PERS) and Police & Fire Retire...

League Officers Urge State Leaders to Remember Local Budgets

Yesterday, your League Officers – President Jim Perry, Committeeman, Hardwick; First Vice President Janice Kovach, Mayor, Clinton; Second Vice President Bill Chegwidden, Mayor, Wharton; and Third Vice President Sue Howard, Mayor, Monmouth Beach ...

Resolution & Options for Changing Delinquent Property Taxes Interest

As we approach the May 1 property tax deadline, we would like to advise you of options currently available to you to assist property owners facing fiscal challenges. 

N.J.S.A. 54:4-67 permits municipal governing bodies to establish the rate of int...

State Budget & Income Tax Deadline Extension

This morning, Governor Murphy, Senate President Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Coughlin issued the following joint statement, “The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused hardships, financial strain, and disruptions for many New Jerseyans and New Jer...

CARES Bill Follow-up

The $2 Trillion aid package passed last week in Washington will do a lot of good. But for the State of New Jersey and for New Jersey municipalities preparing their budget, at a time when all face almost certain revenue losses, more will need to be done. P...

Enhancing Liquidity in the Municipal Debt Market

Federal Reserve MMLF Expansion

The Federal Reserve has expanded the Money Market Mutual Liquidity Fund (MMLF) to include certain high quality municipal securities, specifically notes with less than 12 month maturities, as eligible collateral. This means th...

CY 2020/SFY2021 State Aid Remains Flat

The Division of Local Government Services has issued Local Finance Notice 2020-08 noting that no municipality will receive less total State formula aid in CY2020/FY2021 than it received last year. However, the Division does not that the proposed budget se...

State Freezes Spending

State Treasurer Muoio issued a new voluntary disclosure statement to bond holders providing detail on the potential impact COVID-19 may have on the State’s finances, including revenue collection and pension fund contributions. The disclosure sta...

Guidance on Budget Deadline Extension, Levy Cap Exemption, and Tax Bills

In response to COVID-19 the Division of Local Government Services issued Local Finance Notice 2020-07 providing emergency budget, levy cap exemption, tax bill and depositing fund guidance. Please see our blog post for information. We strongly rec...

FY 2021 State Budget-Municipal Interest

On Tuesday Governor Murphy proposed a $40.85 billion budget, to govern state spending through the State’s next (FY 2021) Fiscal Year. While we continue our analysis, we wanted to highlight the following areas of interest in the FY2021 Budget Bri...

Healthcare Levy Cap Exclusion 2020 Budget

In Local Finance Notice 2020-02, the Division of Local Government Services (DLGS) noted that when preparing the property tax levy cap workbook the healthcare levy cap exclusion cannot be used for increases in healthcare costs resulting from decreases in e...

Treasury Funding Release Reported

Politico has reported that the NJ Department of the Treasury will be releasing the balance of the $235 million that the Governor placed in reserve when he signed the State budget last June. His decision to hold off on the distribution of those funds, whic...

DLGSA Extends CY 2020 Budget Deadlines

The Division of Local Government Services has issued Local Finance Notice 2019-16 regarding 2020 Calendar Year (CY) Budget matters, including information on the Transitional Aid Application process, health benefits cap, municipal aid, and local examinatio...

State Releases $114M in Transitional Aid Funding

As you may recall, when signing the State’s FY 2020 spending plan back in June, uncertainty about meeting revenue targets prompted Governor Murphy to direct the State Treasurer to withhold funding for certain programs. The total held in abeyance equaled $...