1-26-07 TRENTON UPDATE: A4 CORE Plan on Assembly Agenda Monday; A1 The 4% Tax Cap bill not yet introduced but still possible for Assembly agenda 1-29 also…

(Everything that happens in Trenton has an *asterisk next to it.)

KEEP LETTING TRENTON KNOW OF YOUR OPPOSITION TO THE 'SUPER' SUPERINTENDENT SECTIONS OF A4: The CORE PLAN bill remains on Monday's Assembly agenda; while Trenton has noted that the 'Super' Superintendent section of that bill is nearly "dead" it seems it isn't going to be 'over, until it's over'. The 4% TAX LEVY CAPS BILL may be introduced still, and could thus be on the Assembly board list on Monday also. Technically a bill can be introduced at the very last minute by effecting procedural latitude. Since the Assembly has left it's 'desk open' subsequent to its session yesterday, a bill (the Assembly tax cap bill is likely to be dubbed "A1") can be introduced according to procedure as long as the desk does not 'close.'

QUESTION TO STATEHOUSE LEADERSHIP: WHEN IS THE SPECIAL SESSION OVER? BILLS CONTINUE TO BE INTRODUCED AND BE PUT ON THE FLOOR FOR FINAL VOTE & PASSAGE WITHOUT ANY STANDING COMMITTEE REVIEW PROCESS. SPECIAL SESSION JOINT COMMITTEES MADE THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS NOVEMBER 15, 2006 AND ARE DISSOLVED; IT'S TIME TO RETURN TO REGULAR,OPEN LEGISLATIVE PROCESS AND WELCOME THE PUBLIC BACK TO THE 'PEOPLE'S HOUSE'.

1-25-07 GSCS: No School Aid = No Real Tax Relief...again
Testimony before the Assembly Education Committee Department of Education Costing Out Study: School Funding Formula Proposal

GIVEN: For the sake of quality education, stable school budgeting, and property taxpayers alike, a new school funding formula that is reasonable and workable for all communities needs to be put in place for FY 2007-08.

AN OVERALL CONCERN: The public deserves the opportunity to see, review and respond to the Administration’s formula proposal scheduled for Fiscal Year 2007-08. Regular operating districts have not received updated formula aid since 2001-02. Not funding the school formula, to the approximate cumulative amount of $2.2B in recent past, and $846M just this past year, is the root cause of New Jersey’s property tax problems {see Reock report: “Estimated Financial Impact of the “Freeze” of State Aid on New Jersey School Districts 2002-03 to 2005-06”}. New Jersey’s regular operating districts have been put on hold for the last five years, receiving no increases in formula aid. We need to take advantage of the opportunity to critique the new funding proposal to see if it’s viable enough to move through the legislative process now. CEIFA had numerous amendments to it prior to its becoming law. That is standard. Not to have the chance to take a good hard look at the proposal would set the process back several years. If the proposal does not appear to be viable, at least the process can move ahead this year rather than be stuck in a holding pattern which would serve no New Jerseyan well.

• While timelines have been abbreviated to date for full in-depth analyses, open discussion and understanding of the district-by-district impact that a new school funding formula requires, we are clearly near that point and must take advantage of this point in time to assess the reality of the proposed formula as it applies to each district in the state.

• We are at the pressure point now. Let’s see if we can work together in a productive and expeditious way that can result in a formula that works for all students; one which will also supply aid to all communities to address property tax burden on local taxpayers.

(FYI - A recent graph demonstrates that the burden of paying high property taxes is now falling on the low middle to upper middle income communities across our state. {See attached chart/ ‘2003 Average Equalized Net Tax Rate and 2003 Personal Income for Groups of Municipalities Ranked by 2003 Equalized Valuation per Capita.})
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1-24-07 Quinnipiac Poll & School Construction woes for Corzine
ON LINE Live from the Star Ledger, Wednesday January 24 2007- 'Poll: Corzine blamed for no tax reform' New Jersey voters are dubious about the prospect of property tax reform anytime soon, and it’s taking a toll on their feelings about the job Gov. Jon Corzine is doing.

'School Construction Corp. needs cash infusion' Without authorization for new funding on top of the $8.6 billion it was initially allocated six years ago, New Jersey will have to start closing down its ambitious school construction program in May or June, officials of the state agency in charge of the program said today.
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