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Corzine, Christie and Whitman to highlight nation's largest municipal conference

BY TOM HESTER SR.

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Property tax caps, affordable housing, civil service, binding arbitration, public employee pension contributions will be prime topics Nov. 17 to 20 when thousands of local, county and state officials travel to Atlantic City for the annual New Jersey State League of Municipalities Convention.

The gathering at the Convention Center will be highlighted on Nov. 19 when outgoing Gov. Jon Corzine will give one of the last major addresses of his political career, Governor-elect Chris Christie will appear, and former governor Christie Whitman will receive a distinguished public service award.

The convention is the largest gathering of public officials in the United States and, through no fault of League of Municipalities' organizers, has garnered unsought fame for corrupt political dealings and scandalous affairs that have occurred on the side. The gathering is also notable for the parties hosted by politicians, businesses and lobbyists that occur in nearby hotels.

"This is not only the nation's largest municipal conference, it is also the most informative and the most valuable,'' said Hope Mayor Tim McDonough, the League's outgoing president. "Our local officials come to Atlantic City for a week of learning that is not available anywhere else at any other time.''

William Dressel, the League's director, said he and McDonough have written Christie that local officials are ready to support his promise of property tax relief and frugal management.

The League and Christie may not agree on the bid by local officials to have a 4 percent tax cap levy eased. Christie said Wednesday that he may seek a tighter cap in an effort to cut property taxes.

"Though, on its service, the tax cap levy plus a limit on local taxation, this arbitrary number has forced municipalities to use their surplus and limit's the local flexibility necessary to meet the needs of the community,'' Dressel said. "There are mandated costs that rise but are not exempt from the 4 percent tax levy cap. Also, the constraints of the cap encourage municipalities to increase the levy to the maximum each year, never knowing the costs they will confront in subsequent years.''

Dressel said local officials are seeking what they see as affordable housing reform through reducing financial obligations state Council on Affordable Housing rules have placed on towns and coordinating housing development with other state land management plans.

Dressel said officials are also seeking changes in binding arbitration that since 2000 has forced local governments to usually provide 4 percent pay hikes annually to police and firefighters. He said the increases make it difficult for officials to justify 1 or 2 percent increases for other municipal employees.

The League wants changes in civil service rules that Dressel said increase personnel costs and hinder municipalities‘ ability to create shared services, an action Christie has said he wants to encourage.

Dressel said the League wants changes in local government pension contributions. "Currently, the municipality must contribute a percentage determined by the (state) Division of Pensions instead of negotiating the employer ‘match' by contract,'' he said.
"Though there will inevitably be issues on which we will disagree, over the coming four years, we sincerely hope that you will consider us your partners in the public's service,'' Dressel and McDonough wrote Christie. "For years, and through many administrations, we have offered our ideas for reform to limit local costs and to provide meaningful and consistent property tax relief."

McDonough said that on Nov. 18, panel of legislative leaders will discuss possible property tax reform in the year ahead and what action they may take in the lameduck session this month and next. At a luncheon on Nov. 18, four Corzine cabinet members will speak.

Officials may attend more than 100 information sessions on issues important to them and more than 900 companies that provide municipal services will have exhibits at the Convention Center.