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Thursday, November 29, 2007

Assemblyman Jerry Green between a rock and a hard place

Plainfield Assemblyman Jerry Green did not return calls from the Ledger concerning proposed changes to the state's county tax boards, I learned from a story that was tucked out of the way on the Ledger's website yesterday. (You can read it here.)

County Tax Boards, you say?

Each county has a tax board that hears appeals on property tax assessments. Appointees are mostly political apparatchiks. In Union County, they receive a modest (?) stipend of $21,000 for their efforts -- a monthly meeting -- and state health and pension benefits.

Camden County Sen. John Adler in 2005 sponsored legislation that expanded the size of the boards. He now thinks they should be cut back -- AND that the benefits should be eliminated, estimating a savings of $1 million.

Where does Jerry Green fit in? Well, as chair of the Assembly Housing and Local Government Committee, it would be his job to schedule hearings of the bill before his committee and then report the bill on to the Assembly floor.

The Ledger says Green previously said he would schedule hearings, but has yet to do so.

That's the rock.

The hard place?

Former First Ward councilor and Democratic City Committee member Liz Urquhart sits on the Union County Tax Board.

Courtesy of the Assemblyman.


Ledger: "Lawmaker proposes to scrap tax board benefits"
-- Dan Damon

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