WEST LONG BRANCH — The state’s three candidates for lieutenant governor, including two local residents, each touted shared services programs between state municipalities and school districts as a way to provide tax relief to New Jersey residents during a debate Oct. 8.
During the first and only debate for the candidates, held at Monmouth University’s Pollak Theatre in West Long Branch, Democratic candidate Sen. Loretta Weinberg, Republican candidate and Monmouth Beach resident Sheriff Kim Guadagno and independent candidate and Ocean Township resident Frank Esposito each expressed their support for the cost-saving measures as a way to help reduce taxes across the state.
“Shared services does work. You don’t have to lose the small-town character of home rule,” Guadagno said during the Oct. 8 debate, noting that several municipalities in Monmouth County have adopted shared services programs in an effort to cut costs.
The candidates addressed the issue of shared services and the tradition of home rule in New Jersey in response to a question posed by an audience member who called the practice of home rule “archaic and damaging.”
Home rule and shared services have become major issues as a result of municipalities’ efforts to combat escalating property taxes.
Under home rule, each of the state’s 566 municipalities has the power to selfgovern.
During the Oct. 8 debate, each candidate said they support the concept of shared services and would encourage towns to work together to try to reach such agreements.
Under a shared services agreement two or more towns share the cost of a specific service, for example garbage collection, animal control officers and police departments.
During the debate, Weinberg said if elected, she and her running mate Gov. Jon Corzine would “continue to look at … shared services among all our school districts, our municipalities, our various counties, maybe even under law enforcement with our sheriff’s officers and our county police and local police.
“Gov. Corzine actually moved, believe it or not, to do away with school districts … that didn’t run any schools,” Weinberg said, referring to the state’s ongoing study of eliminating nonoperating school districts or school districts that have a Board of Education but do not operate a school.
In addition to nonoperating districts, the study is also expected to look into the possibility of consolidating non-K-12 school districts with other districts in an effort to create more K-12 districts.
Area districts being considered in the study include the Ocean Township, Deal, Interlaken, Allenhurst and Asbury Park school districts, as well as the Eatontown, Tinton Falls and Monmouth Regional High School districts.
Other districts up for possible consolidation include the Shore Regional High School, West Long Branch, Oceanport, Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach school districts.
Like Guadagno and Weinberg, Esposito said he and his running mate, Chris Daggett, also support the spread of shared services programs across the state, however, the outright consolidation of municipalities may lead to higher taxes in the long run.
“It’s a major problem and has been historically in New Jersey,” said Esposito, former president of Kean University.
“We have several municipalities and school districts and municipalities, but I don’t think it’s an issue you can force,” Esposito said, adding, “I don’t think you can take two communities and say you must merge. I don’t think that’s going to work.”
Weinberg seconded Esposito’s comments on forced municipal mergers saying doing so would not work, but added that encouraging shared services through grants for impact studies is a favorable direction for the state to move in.
“The real reason for higher property taxes in New Jersey are the myriad number of school districts, municipalities, counties and law enforcement agencies that function in this state,” Weinberg said.
“And home rule is very close to our residents. It is something that … the residents of New Jersey believe in,” Weinberg added.
Guadagno said she and her running mate, Chris Christie, also favor a continued grant program for municipalities interested in participating in a shared services program, however, added that doing so would come with a caveat under a Christie-Guadagno administration.
“We are going to have to do something about shared services, and Chris’ plan is really quite simple,” Guadagno said.
Under Christie’s plan a town that accepts a grant to study the prospect of sharing services would have to agree to enact some of the recommendations put forth when the study is completed, Guadagno explained.
“If you don’t do it, then you are going to pay back the state and the people of New Jersey the money that you got from the grant. They are going to get their money back,” Guadagno said.
As proof of the success of shared services programs, Guadagno pointed to Monmouth County’s 911 communications system, which is being shared by several municipalities.
“Right here in Monmouth County they run a 911 communications center where we are inviting towns to join us. We just had Freehold Township join us, we just had Fair Haven join us, and we do it because we can … save them money,” Guadagno explained.
“Where they used to pay a dollar, they are now paying 25 cents on the dollar for us to share communication throughout the county,” she said.
“If does work, it can be done on a voluntary basis, and we can maintain the integrity of our small towns,” Guadagno said.W
hile each of the candidates agreed on the importance of shared services, Esposito went a step further calling for an end to locally negotiated labor contracts and instead said they should be handled at the state level.
“The real problem is that the locally negotiated contracts, which are in the state, are creating a situation where districts and municipalities continue to grant 4 and 5 percent wage increases to employees, and what that is doing is driving up the local property tax base,” Esposito said.
“There really needs to be a statewide uniform look at collective bargaining and looking at negotiations,” he added.
Esposito added the issue with locally negotiated labor contracts is that while the state may institute measures seeking to reduce state taxes, local governments may approve contract agreements that could increase local taxes, which would in turn offset any impact the state reductions could have.
The gubernatorial elections are scheduled to take place on Nov. 2.
Contact Daniel Howley at dhowley@
gmnews.com.