Quick hits: New Jersey news in brief for Friday, March 19
Murphy signs law giving school districts more budget control
Gov. Phil Murphy signed S-2691, a bill giving school districts more control over their budgets.
The law takes effect immediately and applies to the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years. It allows schools to maintain a 4% surplus instead of 2% and transfer those funds between budget line items without education commissioner approval.
“As school districts put together their budgets for next year, they may have to respond to changing guidance on coronavirus safety measures,” Assemblyman Ron Dancer, R-Ocean, said in a news release. “… This law will empower a school district to make quicker budgetary decisions that will allow them to ensure a productive learning environment.”
Assembly committee to hold budget hearings with no in-person attendance
The Assembly Budget Committee will kick off virtual hearings on Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed 2022 fiscal year budget on April 7. The committee will not allow in-person attendance at the hearings.
Last month, Murphy unveiled a more than $44.8 billion spending plan for the year. The proposal increases spending but also anticipates revenue growth in the Garden State.
Under the schedule the committee released, the hearings will run through May 17.
State senator wants tax deadline extended
State Sen. Paul Sarlo, D-Bergen, introduced legislation to extend the filing and payment deadline for state taxes.
Sarlo wants a one-month extension for gross income tax payments and corporation business taxes due by April 15. The lawmaker believes the feds are poised to grant an extension.
“It’s important to individuals and businesses that New Jersey conforms to any change in the IRS deadline so that affected taxpayers have sufficient time to meet their tax obligations,” Sarlo said in a news release. “The state and federal deadlines need to be aligned so that the benefits of the IRS extension are not lost.”
Committee advances bill to replace mailed notices with emails
The Assembly State and Local Government Committee advanced A-2284, which would allow New Jersey counties to send proposed ordinances to municipalities by email.
“This past year, the postal service struggled to keep up with the demand of delivering an overwhelming amount of packages and mail on time during the pandemic,” Assemblyman Jay Webber, R-Morris, said in a news release. “Email is reliable and hastens communications, especially when the information being transmitted is pages and pages of bond ordinances.”
The measure applies to counties organized under optional county charter law. Currently, these counties must mail proposed ordinances to municipal clerks at as many as 70 municipalities.
– The Center Square
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