A recent decision by the New Jersey Tax Court highlights that a municipality’s credibility matters, particularly in cases involving compliance with N.J.S.A. 54:4-34, commonly known as Chapter 91. In R&M Mfg. v. Twp. of Monroe, the Court approved the Township’s motion to dismiss a tax appeal because it found the
The Division of Local Government Services has issued Local Finance Notice 2015-20, which addresses the new minimum bid thresholds that were changed on July 1, 2015. New Jersey municipalities are advised to review their procurement policies and implementing ordinances to determine if any changes are necessary. Unless certain exceptions apply,
The Tax Court of New Jersey recently issued three decisions that should be of interest to New Jersey municipalities. All of the cases involved a request for income and expense information from the municipal tax assessor pursuant to N.J.S.A. 54:4-34, commonly known as Chapter 91. Chapter 91 authorizes New Jersey
New Jersey lawmakers have approved legislation that would require municipalities to release a bid list prior to the bid date. The bill currently awaits Gov. Chris Christie’s signature. Assembly Bill No. 947 would specifically require local contracting units to release, upon request, the names of all parties who have received
Last month, the Supreme Court of New Jersey held in Redd v. Bowman that challengers to the City of Camden’s decision to regionalize its police force proposed a valid ordinance to maintain the existing police structure. However, the state’s highest court ultimately concluded that the related referendum petition could not
The implications of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Reed v. Gilbert are already be felt by municipalities across the country and not just with respect to sign ordinances. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals recently relied on the Court’s decision to strike down a panhandling ordinance. The Legal Background
Gov. Chris Christie recently signed legislation that will require the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to comply with the Open Public Records Act (OPRA) in New Jersey and the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) in New York. While the two laws share many similarities, there are a
The Division of Local Government Services (DLGS) in the Department of Community Affairs recently announced several bid threshold adjustments that will impact New Jersey municipality’s award of public contracts. Unless certain exceptions apply, all contracts for the procurement of goods or services by municipalities that in the aggregate exceed the
