Downey, Gopal Bill to Boost Shared Services

Monmouth legislators Assemblywoman Joann Downey and Senator Vin Gopal 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 professionals. The bill would make Monmouth County the sixth county in the program.

“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,” said Senator Gopal (D-Monmouth).

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.

The bill (S1586) 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.

This bill in the Assembly (A1100) was initially introduced last session and was released last Thursday by the Assembly State and Local Government Committee. Assemblywoman Joann Downey, also of the 11th Legislative District, is the sponsor of the Assembly bill.

“This bill will provide Monmouth County’s municipalities with the flexibility they need to execute more shared service agreements with other towns,” said Downey (D-Monmouth). “Sharing services will help ease the burden on taxpayers and will give the municipalities another tool to offer property tax relief.”

“Sharing services is a smart and effective way that local governments can work to save taxpayer dollars,” said Gopal. “Extending the pilot program to Monmouth County will provide local governments in our region with the flexibility to continue to deliver important services to the public, but to explore and implement methods to do so more efficiently and in a way that creates savings for residents.”