FROM TIME TO TIME – A Quarterly Report on the Activities
Of the New Jersey League of Municipalities

April - June, 2007     

We have advocated for municipalities in Trenton by …

• Promoting increased appropriations for municipal property tax relief
• Advocating for an exception to the new levy cap for municipal funding of local public libraries
• Urging inclusion of adequate funding for Public Archives and Records Infrastructure Support (PARIS) grants in the State’s FY ’08 budget
• Supporting reasonable and workable reforms to the use of eminent domain.
• Securing enactment of a sales tax exemption on local parking and other municipally provided services.
• Advocating for a Constitutional dedication of one penny of the sales and use tax for property tax reform and relief
• Successfully lobbying for the rewriting of a section of the “Identity Theft” regulations proposed by the Division of Consumer Affairs, which, as originally proposed, would have been unnecessarily burdensome and costly for municipalities.
• Sponsored a meeting between the 19 League affiliated associations and the Department of Community Affairs
• Meeting between League’s Economic Development Task Force chaired by Mayor Glen Gilmore of Hamilton (Mercer) and Labor Commissioner David Socolow.

We have advocated for municipalities in Washington by …

• Promoting increased COPS funding for vital public safety investments
• Championing provisions in the Senate Energy Bill, sponsored by Senator Menendez, which would provide ‘green’ grants to local governments
• Coordinating New Jersey support for Amtrak reauthorization
• Cooperating with the National League of Cities (NLC) and other New Jersey and National Associations to educate Members of Congress on the importance of local governments’ authority to manage and collect revenue for the use of their local rights-of-way and the problems that would be created by Federal preemption of those rights in the Telecommunications Act under consideration. 
• Working with NLC and our Delegation to protect our authority to exercise eminent domain for economic development and to minimize new federal restrictions on the use of eminent domain.
• Supporting reforms to eliminate the loophole, under the federal railroad act, which allows solid waste facilities to gain exemptions from local and state regulation.

We have strengthened local leadership capacity by …

• Beginning, in cooperation with NLC, the distribution of regular updates on legislative, judicial and regulatory developments in our Nation’s Capital
• Cosponsoring and participating in the “2nd Transit Village Symposium,” at Rutgers University, to promote and encourage the fostering of Smart Growth principles.
• Since initiating, with the State’s Department of Health and Senior Services, over two years ago, over 200 mayors have joined the “Mayors’ Wellness Campaign,” to combat obesity and promote local opportunities for a more active and healthier lifestyle.
• Sending League Staff to speak at County League and County Mayors’ Association meetings in Warren, Sussex, Camden and Somerset counties.
• Publishing the latest edition of our annual “Federal Directory”
• Publishing and distributing an informative pamphlet to educate citizens on the “Property Tax in New Jersey”
• Conferencing between League’s Immigration Reform Task Force and the Public Advocate to discuss immigration reform.
• Meeting of Mayors’ Committee for a Green Future to form operational subcommittees.

We have provided municipal officials with resources for problem solving by …

• Publishing the fifteenth edition, volume two, of the Arbitration Reporter, in March and volume three in June.
• Holding our first grants teleseminar in May.  Cindy Adams from GrantStation spoke on the topic of finding funders.  We received great feedback from the attendees on our first teleseminar.  We have also added a recording of this session to our publication list for sale.
• We continue to publish featured grant links and a featured article each month on our Grants Resource Center website.
• Hosting and administering year-round education seminars to help local officials deal with and solve issues and problems at the municipal level.
• Establishing the Gang Prevention and Youth Violence Task Force, chaired by Mayor Bob Bowser of East Orange, to develop and promote a comprehensive and compassionate approach to the large and growing gang epidemic infecting New Jersey. Mayor Bowser has represented the League at a Press Conference and at a seminar at Princeton University on the problem; and he has led the Task Force in discussions with the Administration that led to Governor Corzine’s new anti-gang initiatives.
• Made available audio recordings of dozens of educational sessions from the Annual Conference
• Provided State-wide distribution of copies of the League’s COPE Report which provides comprehensive review of impact of pension and health benefits on local government.
• Conducting three (3) series seminar on Gang Deterrence as an outgrowth to favorable responses to League’s previous efforts.
• Providing an informational Legal Consultation Service through the Bureau of Municipal Information for municipal officials.
• Keeping municipal officials advised of legal developments affecting municipalities.
• Reviewing proposed regulations for municipal impact and commenting if appropriate. 
• Publishing the 2006-2007 Elected Officials Handbook
• Summiting on pension and benefit issues at the Mayors’ Pension and Health benefits Summit.
• Conducting, alone or in concert with others, well attended seminars on “The New Landscape of Cable Franchising in New Jersey,” “TDR: Planning for Environmental Protection,” “High Performance Redevelopment,” “The New Face of 60 in New Jersey,” “Investing in NJ’s Treasures and Destinations=Economic Vitality,” “The Benefits of Historic Preservation,” “The Open Public Records Act,” “Everything Local Officials Need to Know About Ethics,”  and others.

We have promoted municipal government by …

*     Cosponsoring the Pancake Breakfast to Support National Guard and Reserve Families.
*     Authorizing several op-ed pieces defending the principles of home rule, self-determination and the need for property tax reform.   Multiple pieces ran in the Newark Star-Ledger, the Trenton Times, the Asbury Park Press, the Bergen Record and across the State.
*     Regular Media Alerts to the press, covering every aspect of new public policy developments in Trenton.