State Assemblywoman Joann Downey and Sen. Vin Gopal (both D-Monmouth) have introduced legislation to include Monmouth County in the state pilot program that makes it easier for municipalities in participating counties to enter into shared services agreements for certain professional employees.
If the bill is passed in the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy, the legislation will make Monmouth County the sixth county in the pilot program, according to a press release from the two legislators.
“While many towns and cities across the state have taken steps to cut costs through shared services, the Legislature provided additional tools under a pilot program enacted several years ago that included five counties. Making Monmouth County part of this program will ease the process for towns and cities that want to share professionals with others where it makes sense, and reduce taxpayer costs,” Gopal said.
In 2013, New Jersey implemented the “Common Sense Shared Services Pilot Program Act” with the purpose of removing impediments to the sharing of the services in order to provide more efficient and less costly local government services. Currently, five counties are designated as “pilot counties” under the law: Camden, Morris, Ocean, Sussex, and Warren counties, according to the press release.
The bill (S-1586) would add Monmouth County to the list of counties permitted to operate under the “Common Sense Shared Services Pilot Program Act.” The bill authorizes the sharing of services for a municipal clerk, a chief financial officer, an assessor, a tax collector, a municipal treasurer, or a municipal superintendent of public works without regard to the strictures of tenure rights that persons who hold those positions may have, according to the press release.
“This bill will provide Monmouth County’s municipalities with the flexibility they need to execute more shared service agreements with other towns,” Downey said. “Sharing services will help ease the burden on taxpayers and will give the municipalities another tool to offer property tax relief.”