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'More tax reform measures on tap' Asbury Park Press on 01/23/07
'TAX REFORM CRAWLS' Senate clears one bill in package as others idle Star Ledger, January 23, 2007
'Democrats kill vote on pay-to-play'
Gannett State Bureau 01/23/07
More tax reform measures on tap
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 01/23/07
BY JONATHAN TAMARI
A plan to create an independent commission to recommend municipal mergers, similar to the panel used to close military bases, also won Senate approval.
The merger bill, aimed at eliminating inefficient local governments, is a key piece of lawmakers' property tax reform plans. Republicans said it was watered down when the majority Democrats eliminated a provision that would have penalized towns that rejected recommendations to combine.
Several other property tax reform plans were again delayed as Democrats tried to find compromises that could win the 21 necessary votes for approval.
While a raft of property tax reform bills have won approval in the Assembly, the most significant plans have largely stalled in the Senate, where Democrats hold a slim four-vote majority.
The latest hang-ups came as Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, skipped Monday's voting session to protest changes that he and several other lawmakers said have gutted sweeping proposals introduced in November. Also, Sen. Barbara Buono, D-Middlesex, refused to support a plan for a state comptroller, saying recent amendments had "emasculated" what was envisioned as a powerful monitor.
Other lawmakers protested handing increased oversight to county school superintendents.
Gov. Corzine, who has fought for the comptroller, said in an interview on New Jersey 101.5 FM radio he favors the bill with the recent changes, and he defended the reform effort.
"We won't get 100 percent, but we're going to get a lot more than people think, and there's a real change coming," Corzine said.
Senate President Richard J. Codey, D-Essex, expects to make another attempt Thursday to pass proposals to create a comptroller, impose additional checks on school spending and reform public officials' pensions.
The centerpiece of Democrats' reform plans, a proposal for 20 percent tax breaks to most homeowners and a cap on annual property tax hikes, is now scheduled for a vote Jan. 30.
"We're not moving at a thoroughbred pace," Codey said. "Maybe more like a Clydesdale."
Codey said the cap bill will leave exceptions for tax increases due to debt, capital projects, ratable growth and increases in school enrollment and special education costs. Local governments and schools could also apply for a cap waiver because of rising health care costs.
Critics of the property tax reform effort worry that allowing too many exceptions will render the caps meaningless, but mayors have said costs beyond their control make it nearly impossible to stay under a cap without cutting government services.
Under the corruption bill, public officials and employees would lose the pension tied to any public job they used to commit a crime. The workers could keep pensions from other public jobs, although a review board would make the final decision.
The penalties would only apply to crimes committed after the bill becomes law. The bill passed by a 38-0 vote. Sen. Nicholas Sacco, D-Hudson, did not vote on the measure.
"This vote represents our choice to stand up for taxpayers and against corruption," the plan's sponsor, Sen. John Adler, D-Camden, said in a statement.
The Assembly is expected to vote on the plan next week.
Under the municipal merger plan, voters would have the final say whether or not to merge.
Sen. Robert G. Smith, D-Middlesex, the proposal's sponsor, said he hopes the next state budget includes incentives to encourage mergers and reduce bureaucracies.
The Assembly has passed a similar bill, but the two versions will have to be reconciled to match.
The dispute over the comptroller was sparked by changes that bar the office from reviewing local land deals and restrict audits of municipal governments and schools to instances when existing audits, required by law, appear inadequate or identify problems needing further review. The comptroller could also start an audit after a referral from a state agency.
Senate Majority Leader Bernard Kenny Jr., D-Hudson, pointed to the proposed comptroller's power to review public contracts worth $10 million or more.
"The comptroller is taking on a vast authority that never existed in the inspector general," Kenny said, referring to the state's current watchdog office.
But when Buono balked at the plan, Kenny and Codey blamed Republicans for not supplying the last vote it needed.
"Is good government the responsibility of only the Democrats and not Republicans? Hello?" Codey said.
Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance, R-Hunterdon, said Republicans favored the "stronger" Assembly version of the bill, which passed with fewer restrictions.
With criticism mounting on the reform measures from lawmakers of both parties, Codey said voters will have the final say.
"Ultimately the public will judge months from now whether or not we did what we promised to do, and that's give property tax relief," Codey said, alluding to the November election. "Simple as that."
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Jonathan Tamari: jtamari@gannett.com
TAX REFORM CRAWLS
Senate clears one bill in package as others idle
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
BY DEBORAH HOWLETT AND DUNSTAN MCNICHOL
Star-Ledger Staff
The state Senate approved a bill yesterday to create a commis sion to study the merger of some towns, but at the end of the day, a political stalemate forced Democrats to defer action on other critical pieces of property tax reform that had been posted for votes.
"Another day of nothing gets done," Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R- Monmouth) complained as he left the Senate chamber.
Meanwhile, Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex) deferred his planned introduction of the centerpiece legislation of the property tax reform effort: a bill to give most
A summary of the bill Codey now plans to introduce later this week shows the credits would be applied only to the first $10,000 of the tax bill. That means the maxi mum credit would not exceed $2,000. Most homeowners with household incomes of $250,000 or less likely would receive a credit of between $800 and $1,100. There will be no credits for households with annual incomes greater than $250,000.
The limits on tax increases, or caps, will allow exceptions for some situations. The bill would force arbitrators in union contract disputes to take the caps into ac count, and would authorize local officials to require employees to chip in for the cost of their health benefits.
The bill also would allow local officials to seek a voter override of any budget increase denied by the state. Such an override would re quire a super-majority of 60 percent.
The Senate spent nearly as much time yesterday honoring the
Senators swiftly moved for ward on the bill to establish a commission to study which towns and school districts ought to merge to save money. It passed 35-2, after it was amended to, among other things, include regional representatives on the panel. The Assembly must agree with the Senate changes.
Kyrillos, an original sponsor of the bill (S12), said the intent was to create a panel modeled on the federal military base closure and realignment commission, that would have decision-making authority and could compel mergers. The amended bill only allows the panel to make recommendations.
"I have a lot of concern that we are allowing this special mo ment in time to do something dramatic -- yes, even revolutionary -- to pass," said Kyrillos, who voted for the measure in spite of the shortcomings. "We are not living up to that challenge."
A vote in the Senate on the bill to create an office of state comptroller was stymied when Democrats couldn't muster a majority of 21 votes from within their 22-member caucus.
Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D- Union) was absent and Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex), an original sponsor of the bill, has re fused to support the amended version. The changes have "emas culated" any real authority the original bill gave the comptroller, she said, adding that the new comptroller would have less authority than the current state inspector general.
"I just hope we don't squander an opportunity," Buono said. "I have a lot of respect for the governor and my colleagues, but this was watered down."
Codey said Democrats were not to blame for yesterday's delay because all 18 Republican senators refused to vote for the bill and allow it to move back to the Assembly for concurrence.
"All but one Democrat was willing to vote for the comptroller today," Codey said. "Are you going to blame the Democrats but not the Republicans? Is good government only the responsibility of the Democrats? Hello!"
Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon), the minority leader, said Republicans were not opposed to the comptroller bill, but wanted to keep Senate Democrats from watering down the stronger, Assembly-passed version.
The Senate also approved unanimously a bill that would strip public officials of at least part of their pensions if they are convicted of a crime involving their public service. It would apply to pension credit earned in the office where the violation took place, but any pensions from other government jobs would be left intact.
The bill (S14) also requires jail sentences for government workers convicted of corruption.
"This vote represents our choice to stand up for taxpayers and against corruption," said Sen. John Adler (D-Camden), a sponsor.
On another ethics bill, Republicans failed in a parliamentary maneuver to force the Senate to consider a measure to ban the practice known as pay-to-play at all levels of government. The bill failed to win enough votes to be released from committee, where it has been bottled up by the Democratic leadership.
The effort by Sen. Peter In verso (R-Mercer) to release the bill, which bans state contractors from contributing to political campaigns of state lawmakers, fell two votes short of a 21-vote majority when only Sen. Ellen Karcher (D-Monmouth) would join the 18 Republicans casting "yes" votes. The 20 other Democrats did not vote at all.
Meanwhile, Sen. Sharpe James (D-Essex) said he planned to reintroduce legislation that would ban lawmakers from holding two elected offices at one time.
James retired as mayor of
Democrats kill vote on pay-to-play
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 01/23/07
BY GREGORY J. VOLPE
Sen. Peter Inverso, R-Mercer, used a parliamentary procedure to bring a bill he sponsors to ban pay-to-play straight to the full Senate without a committee hearing. All 18 Republicans and Sen. Ellen Karcher, D-Monmouth, voted to bring the measure before the Senate, but the other 20 Democrats present for the voting session did not vote, leaving it two votes shy of eschewing the Senate State Government Committee.
The measure bans pay-to-play, the practice of rewarding campaign donors with lucrative government contracts, statewide and restricts wheeling donations among political organizations, a tactic used to skirt pay-to-play laws. Republican Minority Leader Leonard Lance, R-Hunterdon, said the legislation would address the two vexing problems in
"Pay-to-play is a poison on the property tax system," Lance said.
After being shot down, Inverso said he may try again — repeatedly — to bring the measure directly to the Senate.
"We'll keep trying," Inverso said. "Persistency will have its reward."
Senate Majority Leader Bernard Kenny Jr., D-Hudson, said Democrats have reformed pay-to-play by enacted state restrictions and enabling local governments to enact rules of their own but are waiting to see more counties and municipalities act before pursuing a statewide ban.
"We think we've made a lot of progress and we're dealing with these other bills," Kenny said. "We're looking to see more local municipalities adopt them, we think that's it a real gauge on pay-to-play."
Later, Kenny issued a statement saying few towns in Lance's district, which includes parts of Hunterdon and all of
"It seems like Senator Lance has some work to do in his own backyard before proceeding with a statewide mandate," Kenny said.
Sen. Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen, who had sponsored pay-to-play legislation in previous sessions as an assemblywoman, said she withheld her vote Monday because the legislation proffered was "clearly partisan."
"The Democrats will be addressing pay-to-play," Weinberg said. "I think it will be a Democratic endeavor."
Republicans hoped a vote would spur the Assembly, which has blocked a statewide ban in a previous session, and they have asked for Gov. Jon S. Corzine — who has called for a ban — to get his party's support.
Corzine spokesman Anthony Coley said the governor remains committed to a statewide ban.
"The governor has spoken with the legislative leaders about this priority, and he will continue working with them to bring about a more honest, open and transparent government," Coley said via e-mail.
Gregory J. Volpe: gvolpe@gannett.com
