News Flash

SHBP Municipalities: Please Continue to Reach Out to Governor & Your Legislators

The New Year has come and the 379 municipalities participating in the State Health Benefits system, along with their employees, and ultimately their taxpayers, will still have to fund a 22% increase in health benefits costs, unless an immediate solution i...

FY2023 Federal Omnibus Budget Passed

In the final week of December, the House and Senate passed, and President Biden signed a $1.7 trillion FY2023 federal budget through September 30, 2023. For provisions of state and local interest, please read the League’s two blog posts, the fir...

SHBP Update: No Relief In New Year

Earlier today the Joint Budget Oversight Committee (JBOC) met to consider items including the transfer of Federal Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds. The transfers, which were already outlined in the State budget, included:

• $300 million for various ca...

White House Releases Inflation Reduction Act Clean Energy Guidebook

Last week, the White House released the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Guidebook of Clean Energy provisions in the law. This guidebook provides an overview of the clean energy, climate mitigation and resilience, agriculture, and conservation-relat...

Federal Budget Update

On Thursday, the Senate, by a vote of 68-29 passed the FY2023 federal budget. As of this writing on Friday morning, the House is expected to pass the budget bill. The $1.7 trillion document funds all governmental departments through September 202...

Division Issues Guidance on CY 2023 Budget Matters

The statutory deadlines for budget introduction and adoption have been revised. Municipal budgets must be introduced by March 31, instead of February 10, and adopted by April 28, instead of March 20. The Mayor/Council Faulkner Act budget transmission to g...

Unions and Local Government Management Submit Plan to Address Pending SHPB Increase

The League of Municipalities, the New Jersey Conference of Mayors, the New Jersey Urban Mayors Association, and New Jersey Association of Counties have been working with other interested stakeholders, including the major public sector union representative...

Local Finance Board Approves CY 2023 Budget Deadline Extensions

During the December 14 Local Finance Board Meeting, the Division of Local Government Services (DLGS) proposed revised schedule for 2023 Introduction and Adoption of Municipal Budget Deadlines. The motion carried and the revised 2023 Calendar Year municipa...

Bill Providing Appropriation Cap Relief Before Senate

On Monday the Senate will be considering S-3380, which would exempt gasoline and diesel fuel costs; solid waste and recycling collection and disposal costs, as well as disposal of yard waste; cyber insurance costs; liability insurance costs; work...

Financial Data Transparency Act of 2022: A Costly Unfunded Mandate for Municipalities

As Congress prepares to pass the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), municipalities should be aware of a provision that may have a negative impact on their operations through the imposition of a new unfunded mandate. Senators Mark Warner (D-...

State Health Benefits Commission Approves 2023 Rate Increase

Today, during the Annual Rate Renewal meeting of the State Health Benefits Commission (SHBC), the trustees voted to approve a nearly 23% local government health insurance rate increase and a 21% increase in state employee health insurance rates. The three...

State Health Benefits Program Plan Design Committee Meets

Yesterday, the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP) Plan Design Committee met, and the members were given an Overview of the Rate Setting Environment by AON, a risk management firm assisting the SHBP. AON’s overview offered a number of reasons f...

Energy Tax Receipt Funding Update

The FY 2023 Budget legislation was favorably released from both the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Assembly Budget Committee along a party-line vote in both committees on the evening of June 27. The Budget legislation includes an alloc...

FY2023 Budget Update

With the FY2023 budget deadline of June 30 fast approaching, Governor Murphy and the State Legislature continue to consider how to use the $6.9 in surplus revenue. Governor Murphy and majority leadership continue to follow their affordability agenda for N...

FY 2023 Budget Hearings Continue

Budget hearings continued this week with the Senate Budget and Appropriations meeting on Thursday, April 21. A number of individuals testified including some who reaffirmed the League's requests to restore funding to Op...

Office of Legislative Services and Department of Treasury Give Testimony on FY2023 Budget

On Monday, April 4, the legislative hearings on Governor Murphy’s proposed $48.9 billion FY2023 budget began. The Assembly Budget committee heard testimony from the New Jersey Office of Legislative Services (OLS) and the New Jersey Department of...

DCA Issues Local Finance Notice on State Aid Certification

On Tuesday, March 15, the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) issued Local Finance Notice 2022-10 (LFN 2022-10), outlining the 2023 State Aid Certification process. The Calendar Year (CY) 2022)/State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2023 Aid Certification for each mun...

Act Now: Impact of Diversion of Energy Tax Receipts

As the State begins to consider its FY 22-23 budget, it is critical for municipalities to advocate for S-330, which will increase distribution to municipalities from the Energy Tax Receipts Property Tax Relief Fund over five years, restore munici...

Legislation Restoring Energy Tax Receipts Advancing

On Thursday the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee unanimously approved S-330, which increases distribution to municipalities from the Energy Tax Receipts Property Tax Relief Fund over five years to restore municipal aid reductions and requires ...

FY 2021 State Budget-Municipal Interest

On Tuesday, February 23, Governor Murphy delivered the annual budget address. The Governor’s proposed $44.8 billion budget will guide the State’s spending through the next (FY 2022) fiscal year. While the full details of the Governor&a...

Governor Delivers FY 2023 Budget Address

Governor Murphy delivered his Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Address. The proposed budget is $48.93 billion, which is a 5.3% increase over FY 2022 state budget. The budget does not include any new taxes or fees.  The overall state aid ...