Eliminating 191 Towns? More Tolls? Look At What NJ Could Do

Have you already been turned off by the acrimony you've seen in the state budget talks? Wait until you see what New Jersey lawmakers may have in store for the future.

More tolls and the merging of towns and school districts are among the items on a possible wish list put together by a panel convened by New Jersey lawmakers to study tax and fiscal policy (see list of towns that could be eliminated below).

Patch obtained a copy of the letter detailing the potentially dramatic policy changes proposed by the "Economic and Fiscal Policy Working Group" after it was initially published by nj.com. Here are some of the highlights:

• Require municipalities with less than 5,000 people to merge with adjacent municipalities (see list of communities that could be eliminated below)
• Merge all K-6 and K-8 school districts into K-12 regional districts, with option for county districts
• Install tolls on interstate highway "near the state line" to help stabilize the pension system.
• Install high-occupancy toll lanes (or HOT lane) on the New Jersey Turnpike, I-80, I-295, I-287, among others.
• Explicitly authorize county sheriffs or county police departments to assume local police responsibilities to encourage county-based policing
• Mandate countywide tax assessments that follow a consistent structure

Those towns that would be eliminated under the plan would include Point Pleasant Beach and 190 other communities. That idea hasn't made people happy.

Under the plan, 60 Jersey Shore communities would disappear. Read more: Get Rid Of Point Beach, Seaside Heights? NJ Has Plan To Do Just That

In Bergen County, 10 communities would be eliminated. Somerset County would lose 5. Camden County would also lose 14 towns, and Gloucester County would lose 9.

Here is the part of the memo that talks about eliminating towns:

The creation of the Economic and Fiscal Policy Working Group was announced in February by Senate President Steve Sweeney, who has been embroiled in a public dispute over the budget with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a fellow Democrat. The panel consists of economists, tax experts and those with extensive experience on fiscal policy from academia and the public and private sectors, according to lawmakers.

That state budget dispute, meanwhile, has centered around school funding and taxes, and could lead to a possible government shutdown by the end of the month.

Read more: NJ Gov. Phil Murphy Vows Veto of Budget, And Wants Tax Hikes

But Sweeney has pushed for more state reforms, even though his spokesman, Richard McGrath, spoke to Patch and acknowledged that the Economic and Fiscal Policy Working Group is still in the midst of its work. The possible wish list is merely a "draft document."

"We expect them to develop a wide range of ideas and recommendations to address the state's economic and fiscal challenges," he said in a statement. "We want to hear their ideas, but the committee is still working and has not reached the stage of actually making recommendations and we certainly haven't made any decisions on which suggestions will be used for potential policy proposals."

In February, Sweeney said he wanted a panel "to evaluate the impact of the federal tax law on New Jersey’s economy, jobs, housing values and revenue collections and to assess the broad array of issues that impact taxes and spending at all levels of government in New Jersey."

“We need to know how we can mitigate the negative impact of the federal tax plan and undertake a long-overdue examination of the adequacy, fairness and competitiveness of our tax structure," Sweeney said in February. "We want to make sure that government spending is efficient and effective so that we maximize the impact and minimize the costs.”

The panel was to work under the bipartisan leadership of Senate Budget Chair Paul Sarlo, D-Bergen, Sen. Steve Oroho, R-Sussex and Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald (D-Camden).

"Everything is going to be on the table," said Sarlo. "We're going to look at the property tax impact. We're going to look at what the feds are doing to us. We're going to look at education funding. And we're going to engage experts — independent experts."

Here are some other recommendations, most of them dealing with state employees:

• Increase Public Employee Retirement System retirement age to be consistent with Social Security
• Cap pensionable salary for most government employees
• Convert four state holidays to floating personal time off
• Cap sick leave payouts.
• Permit a gross income tax deduction for charitable donations to New Jersey-based charitable organizations
• Shift focus of tax-incentive programs toward small business
• Eliminate tax loopholes and reduce tax rates

Here are the communities that could be eliminated if the state Legislature followed through on the proposal to merge towns, and their populations:

1. Pine Valley, Camden County 4
2. Walpack Township, Sussex County 6
3. Tavistock, Camden County 9
4. Teterboro, Bergen County 86
5. Loch Arbour, Monmouth County 202
6. Cape May Point, Cape May County 214
7. Mantoloking, Ocean County 276
8. Shiloh, Cumberland County 349
9. Harvey Cedars, Ocean County 430
10. Corbin City, Atlantic County 484
11. Allenhurst, Monmouth County 496
12. Millstone, Somerset County 498
13. West Wildwood, Cape May County 500
14. Barnegat Light, Ocean County 574
15. Rockleigh, Bergen County 588
16. Andover, Sussex County 598
17. Rocky Hill, Somerset County 618
18. Stockton, Hunterdon County 620
19. Fieldsboro, Burlington County 629
20. Deal, Monmouth County 708
21. Greenwich Township, Cumberland County 712
22. Roosevelt, Monmouth County 748
23. Wrightstown, Burlington County 764
24. Bloomsbury, Hunterdon County 774
25. Interlaken, Monmouth County 806
26. Washington Township, Burlington County 815
27. Branchville, Sussex County 846
28. Ship Bottom, Ocean County 880
29. Hi-Nella, Camden County 895
30. Stone Harbor, Cape May County 925
31. West Cape May, Cape May County 955
32. Stow Creek Township, Cumberland County 991
33. Far Hills, Somerset County 991
34. Audubon Park, Camden County 993
35. Port Republic, Atlantic County 1004
36. Longport, Atlantic County 1006
37. Beach Haven, Ocean County 1022
38. Bay Head, Ocean County 1054
39. Shrewsbury Township, Monmouth County 1066
40. Elsinboro Township, Salem County 1131
41. Surf City, Ocean County 1166
42. Downe Township, Cumberland County 1209
43. Hampton, Hunterdon County 1229
44. Milford, Hunterdon County 1271
45. Sea Bright, Monmouth County 1333
46. Califon, Hunterdon County 1340
47. Elmer, Salem County 1408
48. Frenchtown, Hunterdon County 1409
49. Avalon, Cape May County 1421
50. Woodland Township, Burlington County 1439
51. Lake Como, Monmouth County 1463
52. Bass River Township, Burlington County 1464
53. Farmingdale, Monmouth County 1479
54. Eagleswood Township, Ocean County 1483
55. Pemberton, Burlington County 1511
56. Alpine, Bergen County 1522
57. Winfield Township, Union County 1545
58. Hardwick Township, Warren County 1575
59. Chester, Morris County 1577
60. Island Heights, Ocean County 1613
61. Victory Gardens, Morris County 1623
62. Seaside Park, Ocean County 1635
63. Chesilhurst, Camden County 1639
64. Glen Gardner, Hunterdon County 1663
65. Newfield, Gloucester County 1668
66. Lebanon, Hunterdon County 1693
67. Sea Girt, Monmouth County 1697
68. Estell Manor, Atlantic County 1699
69. Mannington Township, Salem County 1775
70. Oldmans Township, Salem County 1830
71. Avon-by-the-Sea, Monmouth County 1846
72. Folsom, Atlantic County 1859
73. Lower Alloways Creek Township, Salem County 1868
74. Hope Township, Warren County 1870
75. Allentown, Monmouth County 1890
76. Hopewell, Mercer County 1904
77. Sea Isle City, Cape May County 1905
78. Sandyston Township, Sussex County 1929
79. Laurel Springs, Camden County 1950
80. Brooklawn, Camden County 1954
81. Sussex, Sussex County 1976
82. Lavallette, Ocean County 2026
83. Ocean Gate, Ocean County 2060
84. Gibbsboro, Camden County 2157
85. Wenonah, Gloucester County 2163
86. Essex Fells, Essex County 2164
87. Englishtown, Monmouth County 2189
88. Pine Beach, Ocean County 2211
89. Quinton Township, Salem County 2235
90. Alpha, Warren County 2249
91. Helmetta, Middlesex County 2314
92. Frelinghuysen Township, Warren County 2356
93. Lafayette Township, Sussex County 2386
94. Ogdensburg, Sussex County 2424
95. Oxford Township, Warren County 2522
96. Beverly, Burlington County 2538
97. Harmony Township, Warren County 2559
98. Pennington, Mercer County 2567
99. Peapack and Gladstone, Somerset County 2588
100. Swedesboro, Gloucester County 2606
101. Belvidere town, Warren County 2621
102. Lakehurst, Ocean County 2673
103. Clinton (town), Hunterdon County 2679
104. Woodbine, Cape May County 2690
105. East Newark, Hudson County 2717
106. South Hackensack Township, Bergen County 2724
107. Riverton, Burlington County 2736
108. Weymouth Township, Atlantic County 2752
109. Moonachie, Bergen County 2756
110. West Amwell Township, Hunterdon County 2783
111. Liberty Township, Warren County 2868
112. Seaside Heights, Ocean County 2881
113. Lawnside, Camden County 2923
114. Woodlynne, Camden County 2955
115. Spring Lake, Monmouth County 2973
116. Knowlton Township, Warren County 2977
117. National Park, Gloucester County 3012
118. Woodbury Heights, Gloucester County 3027
119. Long Beach Township, Ocean County 3051
120. Franklin Township, Warren County 3104
121. Deerfield Township, Cumberland County 3108
122. Hamburg, Sussex County 3194
123. South Harrison Township, Gloucester County 3203
124. Wildwood Crest, Cape May County 3210
125. Franklin Township, Hunterdon County 3231
126. Saddle River, Bergen County 3241
127. Lawrence Township, Cumberland County 3241
128. Netcong, Morris County 3248
129. Monmouth Beach, Monmouth County 3249
130. Pohatcong Township, Warren County 3254
131. Fredon Township, Sussex County 3266
132. Springfield Township, Burlington County 3363
133. Tuckerton, Ocean County 3367
134. Alloway Township, Salem County 3387
135. Upper Pittsgrove Township, Salem County 3428
136. Haworth, Bergen County 3446
137. Stanhope, Sussex County 3457
138. Green Township, Sussex County 3524
139. Cape May, Cape May County 3529
140. Woodstown, Salem County 3548
141. High Bridge, Hunterdon County 3564
142. Mine Hill Township, Morris County 3634
143. South Toms River, Ocean County 3731
144. Kingwood Township, Hunterdon County 3768
145. Merchantville, Camden County 3771
146. Montague Township, Sussex County 3778
147. Cranbury Township, Middlesex County 3803
148. Lambertville, Hunterdon County 3841
149. Bordentown, Burlington County 3874
150. Harding Township, Morris County 3881
151. Bethlehem Township, Hunterdon County 3917
152. East Amwell Township, Hunterdon County 3930
153. North Wildwood, Cape May County 3943
154. Oaklyn, Camden County 4000
155. Shrewsbury, Monmouth County 4000
156. Stillwater Township, Sussex County 4011
157. Medford Lakes, Burlington County 4081
158. Pilesgrove Township, Salem County 4098
159. Elk Township, Gloucester County 4134
160. Ho-Ho-Kus, Bergen County 4139
161. Riverdale, Morris County 4206
162. Westville, Gloucester County 4233
163. Egg Harbor City, Atlantic County 4243
164. Bradley Beach, Monmouth County 4272
165. Mountain Lakes, Morris County 4287
166. Garwood, Union County 4315
167. Atlantic Highlands, Monmouth County 4318
168. Magnolia, Camden County 4321
169. Boonton Township, Morris County 4346
170. Delaware Township, Hunterdon County 4506
171. Delanco Township, Burlington County 4513
172. Hopewell Township, Cumberland County 4518
173. Allamuchy Township, Warren County 4519
174. Buena, Atlantic County 4534
175. Point Pleasant Beach, Ocean County 4594
176. South Bound Brook, Somerset County 4613
177. Mount Ephraim, Camden County 4639
178. Spring Lake Heights, Monmouth County 4646
179. Flemington, Hunterdon County 4663
180. Brielle, Monmouth County 4745
181. Neptune, Monmouth County 4758
182. White Township, Warren County 4776
183. Harrington Park, Bergen County 4790
184. Northvale, Bergen County 4801
185. Alexandria Township, Hunterdon County 4826
186. Greenwich Township, Gloucester County 4870
187. Franklin, Sussex County 4888
188. Highlands, Monmouth County 4900
189. Clementon, Camden County 4924
190. Salem, Salem County 4931
191. Penns Grove, Salem County 4985

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