Christie to mayors: Brace for state aid cuts

[no_hypocrisy]

http://www.northjersey.com/news/022410_Christie_to_mayors_Brace_for_state_aid_cuts.html

TRENTON -- Gov. Chris Christie told mayors today to brace for state aid cuts in his upcoming budget, but promised he would also provide relief in the form of pension, benefit and arbitration reform.

Christie did not say how much less aid municipalities should expect when he delivers the budget address March 16, and mayors said the governor has not provided them with a figure like he gave to school districts, telling them to prepare for up to 15 percent cuts.

"We don't have the money," Christie said in a speech at the New Jersey League of Municipalities 18th Annual Mayor’s Legislative Day.

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Democrats who control the Legislature said that any cut to municpal funding, similar to a cut to local school aid, will force towns to increase property taxes.

"That's not cutting government, that's shifting our burden to somebody else," Assembly budget chairman Louis Greenwald (D-Camden) said. "Let's have the courage to really look at our structure of property taxes as the sole source of funding local governments."

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[tabbycat31]

1. translation-- we're going to have no choice but to raise property taxes