NJBIA on October 4 urged members of a joint legislative committee studying property tax reform to go beyond financial incentives that have been ineffective in the past and consider financial penalties or mandatory regionalization and consolidation to reduce the tremendous number of local government entities in New Jersey. Testifying before the Joint Legislative Committee on Consolidation and Shared Services, NJBIA Director Christopher Emigholz urged the committee to be bold in its attempts to reform New Jersey’s property tax system.

“NJBIA understands that this is a difficult undertaking and there is great opposition to changing how New Jersey’s governments are structured,” Emigholz said. “…but this special session is a historic opportunity to create lasting reforms that will improve New Jersey for generations to come. This State cannot let this opportunity pass it by. NJBIA encourages this Joint Committee to embrace the opportunity before you and make the reforms needed by New Jersey taxpayers.”

New Jersey has 566 municipalities, 616 school districts, 186 fire districts, and nearly 1,400 other local taxing districts. Past efforts to reduce the number of government entities have focused on providing them with financial incentives to voluntarily merge or share services, but those efforts have not produced significant results. Emigholz told the committee that NJBIA strongly supports two legislative initiatives that hold more promise in this area.

Specifically, NJBIA is backing bipartisan legislation, SJR-47 (Kyrillos, Sweeney)/AJR-69 (O’Toole, Beck), which would establish the Municipal Alignment Reorganization and Consolidation Commission to develop a plan to consolidate municipalities. The commission would present the list of recommended mergers to the Legislature, which would then vote up or down on all recommended mergers at once, with no amendments allowed. NJBIA also supports S-2244 (Smith), which proposes that several municipal government functions—property tax collection and assessment, animal control and public health—be consolidated under the county government. The proposal would then be put to county voters in the form of a binding referendum.

Since the beginning of the property tax debate, NJBIA has urged legislators to focus on the underlying cause of high property taxes—runaway government spending. Businesses pay approximately 30 percent of New Jersey’s property taxes, even though they own only 6 percent of the properties. Curtailing spending, not shifting the tax burden, is the best way to rein in property taxes that in recent years have increased an average of 7 percent annually. For more information, contact Chris Emigholz at ext. 201.

Corzine Kicks Off Overhaul of New Jersey’s Energy Master Plan—The Corzine Administration will undertake a comprehensive examination of how to meet New Jersey’s future energy needs under an energy master plan initiative that Governor Jon Corzine kicked off October 3. Corzine said the plan would address three areas: security, safety, price and reliability of energy supplies and services; the economic impact of energy production, transportation, and end use; and environmental impact associated with the production of energy.

The first energy master plan was created in 1991. It was supposed to be re-done every ten years and updated every three, but no changes have been made since 1995. The business community has a big stake in energy policy. Employers are the State’s largest ratepayers and the largest consumers of electricity. New Jersey’s industrial ratepayers pay the third highest electric rates in the country.

The business community has long been at the forefront of advancing technology, encouraging demand-side management, and undertaking energy efficiency. NJBIA advocates greater use of energy audits for business ratepayers to help lower energy costs through improved energy efficiency. The Association looks forward to being a key stakeholder in this process as it unfolds over the next twelve months.

Members of the public can comment on the master plan at four October public hearings. The hearings are scheduled for:

• October 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Board of Public Utilities, Newark;

• October 24 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the War Memorial, Trenton;

• October 25 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Delaware River Port Authority, Camden and;

• October 26 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Atlantic-Cape Community College, Atlantic City.

As the Energy Master Plan is created, documents will be posted at www.nj.gov/emp. For more information, contact Sara Bluhm at ext. 204.

NJBIA to Honor Nine Companies at Awards for Excellence Dinner, Tuesday, October 17—NJBIA will honor nine companies for their outstanding contributions to job growth, the environment, their employees and communities at NJBIA's 2006 Awards for Excellence Dinner on Tuesday, October 17, at the Hilton East Brunswick (just off exit 9 of the NJ Turnpike). The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will include a reception, dinner and the awards presentations. The price is $149 per person. Tables of ten are available. To register, call Stacy Wichner at 609-393-7707, ext. 213, or register online now. To be a dinner sponsor, call Sherry Esteves, ext. 219.

Learn How to Protect Yourself and Your Business at NJBIA’s Hot Legal Topics Seminar, October 25—This half-day seminar is a must for human resources managers. The State’s foremost HR attorneys will cover the latest developments in hiring and firing, discrimination, sexual harassment, immigration, and other legal issues confronting employers. The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 25, at the Holiday Inn in Tinton Falls. The cost per person is $109 for NJBIA members and $139 for nonmembers. Register online for this great event or contact Katie Wittkamp at 609-393-7707, ext. 239.

November 3 Seminar: Selling to the Top: Doing Business with Top NJ Companies and State Government—Find out how you can sell your goods or services to State government and top New Jersey companies at this half-day seminar. Get practical tips from purchasing agents. Government officials will tell you how to become a certified minority- or women-owned business; you will also be able to register as a qualified business on the spot. The event will be held from 8:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Newark Airport Hotel. The cost is $109 per person for NJBIA members and $139 for nonmembers. Register online now, or call Katie Wittkamp at 609-393-7707, ext. 239. To become a high-profile sponsor, call Sherry Esteves, ext. 219.

Mark Your Calendar for These Other NJBIA Events:
How to Comply with State Environmental Regulations, November 15...
NJBIA Public Policy Forum, December 12.

Raise Your Visibility. Become an Event Sponsor—The Awards for Excellence Dinner. NJBIA's Public Policy Forum. First-rate events like these offer your company an excellent opportunity to reach their target audiences and heighten their visibility as an event sponsor. Learn more about becoming an NJBIA sponsor by contacting Sherry Esteves at 609-393-7707, ext. 219.