January 7, 2026

State Issues

SHBP Negotiations Reach Impasse

The League, along with the New Jersey Association of Counties and New Jersey Conference of Mayors, as well as public sector unions, engaged in discussions with the Murphy Administration to reform the State Health Benefits Program. For a variety of reasons, there is no resolution to report.

Contacts: Lori Buckelew, Deputy Executive Director, lbuckelew@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x112, and Erin Knoedler, Legislative Analyst, eknoedler@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x116.

NJHMFA Adopts Revised Uniform Housing Affordability Controls

The New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency recently adopted the revised Uniform Housing Affordability Controls (UHAC) pursuant to the Fair Housing Act. These rules are in effect as of December 15, 2025.

Contacts: Mike Cerra, Executive Director, mcerra@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x120, and Sadayah Q. DuRant-Brown, Legislative Counsel, sdurantbrown@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x137.

State Utilizes Opioid Settlement Funds

The State announced the allocation of nearly $50 million from its Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund to support programs, reduce overdoses and other harms of substance use, and support residents’ treatment and recovery.

Contact: Paul Penna, Director of Government Affairs, ppenna@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x110.

Bill Making Cannabis Changes Advancing

Legislation (A-6267/S-4847) that makes various changes to the membership of the Cannabis Regulatory Commission and to the legalized medical and personal use cannabis marketplace is advancing.

Contacts: Lori Buckelew, Deputy Executive Director, lbuckelew@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x112, and Sadayah Q. DuRant-Brown, Legislative Counsel, sdurantbrown@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x137.

New Law Makes Changes to Local Budget Process

Acting Governor Way has signed a law making changes to the local unit budget process and related operations. We anticipate that the Division of Local Government Services will shortly issue a Local Finance Notice on the implementation of the new law.

Contact: Lori Buckelew, Deputy Executive Director, lbuckelew@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x112.

UPDATE: Online Public Notices Changes

We have received many questions about the new public notice requirements and would like to provide additional guidance and clarification on the transition. After the Division of Local Government Services issues its Local Finance Notice, we will hold another Lunch & Learn webinar.

Contacts: Lori Buckelew, Deputy Executive Director, lbuckelew@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x112, and Erin Knoedler, Legislative Analyst, eknoedler@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x116.

New Law Requires Towns to Submit Affordable Housing Information

Acting Governor Way signed into law S-1277, which requires each municipality to submit information quarterly to the Department of Community on the affordable housing units located within the municipality.

Contact: Paul Penna, Director of Government Affairs, ppenna@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x110.

New Law Makes Changes to Public Procurement

A new law prohibits cooperatives from receiving public works contracts when vendors fail to pay the prevailing wage. It also concerns cooperative purchasing agreements with other states and permits contracting units to award certain indefinite contracts.

Contact: Lori Buckelew, Deputy Executive Director, lbuckelew@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x112.

Reminder: FY2026 Local Efficiency Achievement Program (LEAP) Grants

The Division of Local Government Services announces the FY2026 Local Efficiency Achievement Program (LEAP) Grants program.

Contact: Ciara Bradley, Research Associate, cbradley@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x128.

Federal Issues

Applications Opened for Rediscovering Our Revolutionary Tradition Program

The National Endowment for the Humanities is now accepting applications for its Rediscovering Our Revolutionary Tradition program, a national initiative honoring the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.

Contact: Ciara Bradley, Research Associate, cbradley@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x128.

FCC Quarterly Intergovernmental Affairs Webinar on January 15

The FCC Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Quarterly Webinar Briefing is on Thursday, January 15, at 1:00 p.m. The briefing will feature updates on the FCC's efforts to combat illegal robocalls, as well as updates on broadband labels, 911 services, and emergency alerting. 

Contact: Paul Penna, Director of Government Affairs, ppenna@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x110.

Also of Interest

Show Off Your City 2026: Apply Today

Municipalities are invited to send the League photos of their tourist attractions, downtown areas, economic development initiatives, parks, city halls, community groups, and new projects for the 2026 Show Off Your City Photo Contest!

The winning photo will be featured on the cover of the April issue of NJ Municipalities and the winner will also receive a free League publication of their choice. Entries will be posted on the League’s Facebook page, and some featured in the April issue of NJ Municipalities, and possibly other issues. 

Photos should be high-resolution JPEG, at least 1MB in size, but the bigger the image the better it would look on a magazine cover, with the ideal size being 7MB or larger. Please provide photo credit if necessary. Unfortunately, stock photos and images that are too low in resolution will not be considered. By submitting a photo, you are agreeing that you own the rights to the photo and that NJLM has permission to use the photo in NJ Municipalities, on NJLM’s social media and website, and on other printed materials. Note that photos displayed in a portrait orientation work better on the magazine cover than a landscape orientation.

Deadline: February 6. 

Submit photos using the Show Off Your City submission form or mail a CD or flash drive to 222 West State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608.

Contact: Amy Spiezio, Editor, aspiezio@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x123.

NJ Municipalities January Issue: Building Stronger, More Resilient Communities

The NJ Municipalities blog focuses this week on the January magazine’s upfront feature, a Q&A with new League President, Mayor Sean Elwell of Elsinboro, in which he notes: "Our residents depend on us to be ready, adaptable, and forward-thinking. By understanding how risks affect our towns and taking proactive steps to manage them, we can build stronger, more resilient communities."

Want to share your local story? Please send in your 300- to 1,000-word items and photos to Editor Amy Spiezio at aspiezio@njlm.org.  

Contact: Amy Spiezio, Editor, aspiezio@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x123.

Advertiser Spotlight

View Newsletter Archives

Follow NJLM: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn - YouTube