At the 43rd NJCM Annual Spring Conference
at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, several Mayors
were engaged in discussions regarding Shared
Services following Governor Corzine’s keynote speech
at the grand opening luncheon. The new Governor
assured us that his administration would strongly
support continued and enhanced State government
efforts to promote Shared Services between
municipalities, school districts and each other.
One Million Dollars
“One million dollars,” one Mayor
said. “That’s right, it should be one million
dollars.” The group essentially brainstormed an
idea until we came to the following
recommendations:
1. The first 2 towns to create a new Joint
Police Department should each receive one million
dollars from the State to help reduce property
taxes.
Also, the first 2 towns to create a new
Joint Fire Department should also receive one
million dollars from the State to help reduce
property taxes.
2. The 2 towns that create the second Joint
Police or Joint Fire Department would each get
one half million dollars bonus.
3. The 2 towns that create the third Joint
Police or Joint Fire Department would each get
one quarter million dollars of SHARE Grant
Bonus as a Property Tax Reduction Incentive.
Suggested Conditions for Bonus Grants
We then suggested some conditions for these bonus
grants.
1. Only newly created, true Joint Police or
Joint Fire Departments created by January 1, 2007,
should be eligible.
2. The new Joint Department must be formally
created by resolution and/or ordinance adopted by
each participating municipality and operational by
January 1, 2007.
3. Each department being merged into a joint
department must have a least 20 full time paid
professional police officers, or at least 20 full
time paid professional firefighters, not including
dispatchers, civil, clerical, support staff, etc.
4. The term of the new Joint Department must be
at least for a 2 year trial period. We recommend at
least 2 years, but the towns could choose a 1 or 2
or 3 year trial, transition period in order to
develop single labor contracts, joint salary guides,
one set of rules and regulations, etc.
5. The entire operation of the new Joint
Department, and all related services, must be under
the command and control of a single Chief or
Director.
6. The Governing Body for the Joint Department
could be a “joint meeting,” a contracting service,
or a similar Shared Services Consortium.
Opportunity
for Major Cost Savings In the Future
This proposal will likely cost the State
approximately $5 million in Fiscal Year 2007 (July
1, 2006 – June 30, 2007) which is approximately 50%
of the annual SHARE and REDI and REAP funding.
However, the payback is literally a hundred fold, as
the hurdle will have been successfully crossed with
these model towns showing the rest of the towns that
it is possible and beneficial. The real savings
could be 100s of millions of dollars in
savings to local taxpayers over the next 5 to 10 to
20 years as more and more real, big, Shared Services
or Joint Police or Fire Departments are successfully
created throughout
New Jersey.
Shared Services - A Viable Solution
The economy and the indisputable success
of sharing has taken Shared Services to a new
level. Public Officials in local, county and State
government have recognized and can no longer ignore
the cost savings and efficiencies that Shared
Services provide. In a time of “belt-tightening,”
taxpayers expect their Elected Officials to seek
ways of saving tax dollars and becoming more
efficient. It has been demonstrated that this is
possible through well implemented Shared Services
programs.
Problems that once impeded Shared
Services, such as the “home rule” philosophy, fear
that sharing would result in regionalization, and
the natural tendency to preserve the “status quo”
have gradually disappeared and a favorable and
positive outlook now prevails.
The New Jersey Conference of Mayors is
proud to have been in the forefront of the Shared
Services movement. Together with the New Jersey
Mayors, NJCM has been supporting Shared Services for
over 10 years and has lobbied for legislation that
would encourage and assist municipalities by making
grant funds available.
Because of the heightened interest that
has developed and the success of Shared Services,
the Department of Community Affairs has made funding
available under the SHARE (Sharing Available
Resources Efficiently) program – formerly called
REDI.
The SHARE program makes it possible for
2 or more towns to explore potential programs with
virtually no impact on their local budgets. The
process is relatively easy, and municipalities
already engaged in Shared Services arrangements are
encouraged to seek additional programs that will
save tax dollars.
New programs are being discovered each
day, and the number of potential arrangements for
sharing is virtually unlimited. Benefits are
numerous. Towns and School Boards can obtain a list
of programs that are presently in use throughout the
State by requesting same from the New Jersey
Conference of Mayors.
Municipalities, Counties and fire or
other special districts are eligible for SHARE
grants. The program offers three assistance
options. Implementation Assistance, Feasibility
Studies and Regional Coordination Grants.
In the words of Susan Bass Levin,
Commissioner, Department of Community Affairs,
“Sharing Services is a win-win situation. It
reduces costs, delivers municipal services in a more
efficient manner and provides tax relief for all of
our constituents.”
Governor Corzine while addressing the NJ
Conference of Mayors, commented that he was a strong
advocate of Shared Services. He and Assembly
Speaker Joseph Roberts are working on legislation
that is expected to boost grants to towns, schools
and counties that Share Services.
The State is also considering cutting
State aid to towns or schools that do not Share
Services when it is obvious that they have the
capabilities.
Sharing is no longer confined to
contiguous municipalities. School boards and towns
have joined in a variety of tax-saving programs.
Counties and municipalities are participating in
many successful sharing arrangements.
It is important to note that simple
agreements such as shared equipment or personnel
need not be formalized and can be done by verbal
agreement between Governing Bodies. The more
complex programs stating the obligations and
responsibilities of each of the parties and other
vital information should, however, be done in a more
formal manner.
A partial list of successful programs is provided
here:Dispatching,
Animal control, Computers, Purchasing heavy
equipment, Municipal Court, Zoning and
Construction Code Officials, Tax Assessment,
Snowplowing, etc., etc.
Please write to Dan Mason at NJCM for a complete
list of programs presently in use or for information
regarding Shared Services.
Contact:Dan Mason
NJCM Local Government Specialist and Shared Services
Specialist
c/o
Jersey
Professional Management
Phone: 908-276-2777 Fax: 908-276-0770
E-Mail:
jerseyprof@aol.com
