Christie pushes to limit raises
STATE HOUSE BUREAU
STATE HOUSE BUREAU
Governor Christie wants a lid on property tax increases, but standing square in his way are the guaranteed yearly raises for police officers, firefighters and teachers.
Public school teachers are set to see an average increase this school year of nearly 4.5 percent statewide.
Those raises — backed by multi-year contracts — would well exceed the 2.5 percent cap Christie wants to put on property taxes unless towns and schools slashed budgets to keep the bills in check.
Christie has made contract reform a crucial part of his property tax cap package that he wants cleared by the Legislature and before the voters in November as part of a constitutional referendum.
The governor wants to force state arbitrators and mediators to consider the 2.5 percent cap when working through contract stalemates, all in an effort to cut property tax bills that have risen to $7,281 on average statewide despite an ongoing
Contract arbitrators — following the state law that gives them broad powers in union negotiations — on average doled out raises of nearly 4 percent a year statewide for police and firefighters.
Public school teachers are set to see an average increase this school year of nearly 4.5 percent statewide.
Those raises — backed by multi-year contracts — would well exceed the 2.5 percent cap Christie wants to put on property taxes unless towns and schools slashed budgets to keep the bills in check.
Christie has made contract reform a crucial part of his property tax cap package that he wants cleared by the Legislature and before the voters in November as part of a constitutional referendum.
The governor wants to force state arbitrators and mediators to consider the 2.5 percent cap when working through contract stalemates, all in an effort to cut property tax bills that have risen to $7,281 on average statewide despite an ongoing