AUTH AND CLIFTON LEGISLATION STREAMLINING OVERSIGHT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT APPROVED BY ASSEMBLY

WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 29, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Legislation sponsored by Assembly Republicans Robert Auth and Rob Clifton to consolidate oversight of local governments and discard unnecessary state mandates was approved by the General Assembly today.

“The rules governing the Division of Local Government are an unwieldy patchwork created over many decades,” said Auth, R — Bergen and Passaic. “Unhelpful mandates and legislative changes have been heaped on, making it impossible for the division to focus on its mission of improving local services at a lower cost to taxpayers. Hardworking families end up paying the highest property taxes in the nation because of some of those unnecessary layers and mandates.”

The bill, S-2454/A-3791, refocuses the role of the Division of Local Government Services and the Local Finance Board onto their primary purposes and eliminates several state mandates on towns. Among a long list changes, it transfers approval for changing regional school districts to the Department of Education and repeals the requirement that towns conduct an annual door to door survey of dogs.

“This bill makes it simpler and far less burdensome for the state to oversee local government so towns can operate more efficiently,” said Clifton, R — Monmouth, Middlesex, Ocean and Burlington. “By eliminating obligations that are inconsistent with intended role of these agencies, we are helping them better serve New Jersey taxpayers.”