The Trenton Times published the following article on January 29, 2014. To read the full article, click here.
NJ Sen. President Stephen Sweeney to press plan to get towns to merge, share services
By Times of Trenton Staff Writers
on January 29, 2014 at 8:29 PM, updated January 30, 2014 at 2:43 AMTRENTON — Senate President Stephen Sweeney said today he plans to push for New Jersey’s property tax cap to be dropped to zero, essentially freezing municipal spending for several years, to create a budget crunch that would require town consolidations and broader use of shared services agreements to cut costs.
“Zero — that would force shared services,” Sweeney (D-Gloucester) said during a meeting with The Times of Trenton editorial board. “I think it would take three or four years. They’ll continue to find ways to be more efficient.”
Sweeney has previously lamented that he didn’t push for New Jersey’s current 2 percent property tax cap to be even lower when it was adopted in 2010. After his shared services bill languished without action in the state Assembly last session, Sweeney said he needs an alternative plan to address the property tax burden in the state, though he has not floated the property tax cap drop with Gov. Chris Christie.