Consolidation Commission

January 22, 2007 S-12

Contact: Michelle Peal

Senator Joseph Kyrillos (R-13)
(732) 671-3206

Kyrillos: Bill to Consolidate Municipalities Advances in Senate

Senator Joe Kyrillos, (R-13), issued the following statement today after the Senate approved his bill that would establish the Local Unit Alignment Reorganization and Consolidation Commission.

I had hoped a far more aggressive approach would be adopted that would require the Legislature to give an up or down vote on a package of recommendations to compel and enforce mergers, which is why despite voting yes, I opted not to remain the prime bill sponsor.

New Jersey has 566 municipalities, 616 school districts, and 186 fire districts each with its own layer of bureaucracy. This bureaucratic beast is among the many causes of the state’s property tax problem, and municipal consolidation must be a part of the solution.

That is why I introduced legislation to establish a commission modeled after the successful Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) created by the federal government. In my original proposal the commission’s recommendations could be vetoed by the Legislature, but if no action was taken, would be passed on to the towns for local voter approval. Municipalities that agreed to a recommended merger would be rewarded with state aid, and those that rejected a positive shared services attitude would be penalized.

Clinging to the idea of 19th century town borders is pricing seniors out of their homes and putting the dream of home ownership out of the reach of many young families. It is unfortunate, but this legislation in its present form is not nearly as aggressive as it needs to be.

BRAC STYLE COMMISSION NEEDS CHANGES

Senator Joe Kyrillos, (R-Monmouth/Middlesex), a member of the Joint Legislative Committee on Government Consolidation and Shared Services issued the following statement regarding changes to a bill that would mandate municipal consolidation.

"Somewhere along the way, the recommendations of this Committee went from ground-breaking to watered down, particularly in the case of my proposed Municipal Alignment, Reorganization and Consolidation Commission.

My original proposal was that this authority would be styled after the successful military base-closing commissions created by the federal government and would present their consolidation plan to the Legislature for an up-or-down vote to compel and enforce mergers. Now, the bill no longer resembles that initial plan.

In order to enact the changes needed to deliver sustainable reform, this legislation should be changed so that it broadens the criteria for member selection; allows the Governor to nominate all members; eliminates the secondary review by the Legislature; puts the recommendations out to a regional vote, rather than giving each affected town a veto; reevaluates the amount of money appropriated for staff resources; and addresses school consolidation.

Additionally, this bill now provides carrots for municipalities that enact shared service agreements. If this bill is going to allow for carrots, it should also allow for sticks for those who reject a positive shared services attitude.

No one should confuse activity with accomplishment. "

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