Assemblyman Douglas H. Fisher Seeks to Ensure Property Tax Savings

FISHER SEEKS TO ENSURE PROPERTY TAX SAVINGS OF MUNICIPAL COURT SERVICE SHARING

(BRIDGETON) - Assemblyman Douglas H. Fisher today announced the introduction of legislation that would protect the ability of communities to achieve property tax savings by sharing municipal court administrative functions while appointing their own respective judges.

There are five such municipal court service sharing arrangements in New Jersey.  The largest of them - involving the communities of Hopewell, Greenwich, Stowe Creek, and Shiloh - is in Cumberland County and Fisher's legislative district.

"New Jersey has the most governmental units per square mile of any state in the nation and all efforts need to be taken to ensure that these municipalities can achieve savings by merging and sharing services," said Fisher (D-Cumberland).

His bill (A-4237) would clearly affirm in New Jersey statutes that municipalities have the express permission of the Legislature to share municipal court services in arrangements that allow each participating community to appoint their own municipal court judges.

Fisher crafted his bill in response to an October 26, 2006 state Superior Court decision affecting a proposed municipal court sharing arrangement between the Town of Harrison and East Newark Borough in Hudson County.
The court ruled that the state's Interlocal Services Act requires municipalities sharing court services to also share a judge.

Fisher said the ruling threatened to undermine long-established municipal court sharing operations in other areas of the state, most notably in Cumberland County.

"In this case, clarity is needed to ensuring that the state law governing municipal court sharing arrangements works to the maximum benefit of property taxpayers," Fisher said.

Joining Fisher in sponsoring the bill is Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Gloucester) who represents the Third Legislative District alongside Fisher and Senator Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester).

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