Q&A Friday

Please initiate a special legislative session to act on much needed property tax reform through a constitutional convention. No need to wait! Do it now... before July. With too many defeated school budgets and unhappy property owners, “It’s the right thing to do!”

Thank you.

Mayor Bob Patten

Hightstown Borough

I'm so glad to have a "celebrity" question this week - and one that seems to be on the minds of most 12th District constituents. Thanks to Mayor Patten for agreeing to take part in Q&A Friday.


For anyone who isn't aware, there are two methods that the state Legislature has discussed in recent years to address property taxes: a constitutional convention and a special session of the Legislature.

Last year, I voted in favor of Assembly bill 5269, which would authorize a constitutional convention to reform New Jersey’s property tax system. I also supported a measure that would allow the constitutional convention to address spending in addition to revenue sources. Unfortunately, this legislation was not considered by the State Senate, but I will continue to push for it in this session of the Legislature this session.

I prefer the option of convening a special session as it would provide quicker results than a constitutional convention. I sponsored ACR-108, which would bring this session together.

As you may know from previous Q&A Fridays, one of the topics I would like to see the Legislature consider in a special session is the consolidation of administrative services for schools. This could also be considered in relation to municipal services.

Earlier this week when I met with the Brookdale Dems, one of the students asked me why there is such a strong emphasis in New Jersey on "home rule", the concept that each municipality and school district needs to have its own services provided in-house, so to speak. "Is it because we're one of the oldest states and people are just set in their ways?" she asked.

I can't really answer that question with authority, but it occurred to me that perhaps that sense of wanting to have all our needs taken care of locally is a remnant of our colonial past, when community members really did depend on each other almost exclusively.

Whatever the reason, "home rule" is bleeding you and me dry, and the time has come to consolidate our services. I'm not, by any means, proposing that New Jersey consolidate entire towns or take away total control from local school boards, but there is no reason why we can't share services like attorneys, payroll services, trash collection and street cleaning.

New Jersey is changing, and we've got to change with it.