Latest news with #DepartmentofCommunityAffairs
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Florida lawmakers must take local land-use change limit off legislative agenda
In the last scheduled days of their tumultuous 2025 session, Florida legislators passed Senate Bill 180 'to bolster hurricane relief and recovery and enhance response efforts in Florida,' according to a Senate press release trumpeting the legislation. But among some healthy policy prescriptions, SB 180 includes a poison pill conspicuously missing from that press release: a provision that would prevent any local government in Florida from adopting any amendment that could be deemed more 'restrictive or burdensome' to its comprehensive plan — its blueprint for orderly and sustainable growth — along with its land development regulations (LDRs) and procedures. This is a sweeping, undefined provision that could rule out any changes to local growth guidelines in Florida unless developers agree and sponsor the change. And under the bill, this provision would apply retroactively from Aug. 1, 2024, through Oct. 1, 2027. Which means that if SB 180 becomes law without any amendments, much if not most local land-use planning in Florida will be suspended for three years. When state lawmakers passed Florida's Community Planning Act in 2011, their justification for eliminating the state's land planning oversight agency, the Department of Community Affairs, was that they wanted to empower local leaders to make planning decisions. But with SB 180, they have severely curtailed that power. Ironically for a bill that purports to promote emergency planning and disaster recovery, this provision could prevent local governments from making the kinds of changes to their comp plans and LDRs that would make their communities more resilient to future storms. A comp plan change that would steer future development away from storm-vulnerable areas, for example, would be considered more restrictive and burdensome. Ditto, updated regulations on stormwater management to prevent flooding. Even periodic, state-required updates to comprehensive plans could be called into question. Protest Florida state parks: USA Today Network-Florida Opinion campaign to preserve and protect our state parks These scenarios are not hypothetical. In 2023, the Legislature passed SB 250, a law with a similar though narrower three-year ban on more restrictive or burdensome changes to comp plans and LDRs for 11 counties that had been in the path of Hurricane Ian. This month, Manatee County commissioners were told by the state Department of Commerce that they would be violating that 2023 law if they voted to restore the county's strong wetland protections in its comprehensive plan. As reported by the Bradenton Herald, an incredulous Commissioner Bob McCann said, 'SB 250 was for hurricane disaster relief. How can you say getting rid of wetlands … has anything to do with disaster relief?' It is hard to imagine any reasonable limit on growth and development through a comp plan amendment or LDR change that would not be considered restrictive or burdensome unless a developer proposed it. And if developers object to limits, the bill creates grounds for them to sue. Communities at that point are given two choices under the bill: either withdraw their amendment to a plan or regulation, or go to court, and risk paying the legal costs of the developer who sued them. We'll give legislators the benefit of the doubt, and assume they didn't realize the deeply damaging impact of this provision when they voted for the bill. After all, the final version is 48 pages, with nearly 1,400 lines of text. And it was amended no less than 10 times between its introduction and final passage, likely making its details a mystery to many of the members who voted to approve it. This is but one example of the deeply flawed process that repeatedly leads to laws laced with unintended consequences. Legislative budget battle: Florida lawmakers paralyzed over tax breaks they can't afford to give Legislative leaders are currently deadlocked over tax cuts and other budget-related issues. SB 180 passed with only one negative vote each in the Senate and House. Though the session has been extended, the agenda is currently limited to budget-related items and the Senate president's Rural Renaissance bill. But with a two-thirds majority in both houses, the presiding officers could expand the agenda to address the existential threat to local land-use planning in Florida, while preserving the good elements in SB 180. We urge them to do so, not only for the fate of local land-use planning in Florida, but for the millions of Floridians who deserve a meaningful say in the future of their communities. Paul Owens is the president of 1000 Friends of Florida, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to planning for fiscally and environmentally sustainable communities. This opinion piece was distributed by The Invading Sea website. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida set to disrupt orderly, sustainable local growth | Opinion
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Republicans running to become New Jersey governor want tax cuts
Republicans seeking New Jersey's governorship are united in wanting to cut taxes, though their favored methods differ. (Illustration by Alex Cochran for New Jersey Monitor) Republicans hoping to reclaim New Jersey's governorship are largely united on how to make New Jersey more affordable. They want to cut taxes. Though virtually all five of the GOP candidates to succeed Gov. Phil Murphy support some form of tax cut — whether through rate changes or awards to offset locally set property taxes — they differ some on the details. The primary is June 10. State Sen. Jon Bramnick lauded a longstanding Republican proposal to adjust New Jersey's income tax brackets for inflation to combat a phenomenon called bracket creep. GOP legislators have argued that because the state's income tax brackets are not indexed for inflation, residents' tax rates increase over time with their incomes, cutting into any gains in purchasing power. Bramnick also suggested simplifying New Jersey's tax brackets, though he did not detail those proposed changes. He said the combined changes would produce $1,600 in annual savings for joint filers, or $1,000 for single filers. He also proposed requiring school districts to return excess state aid to their property taxpayers, saying it would lower average residents' property tax bills by $800. State school aid, pegged for just over $12 billion in the fiscal year that begins July 1, is funded with income tax revenue. Former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli likewise said he would condense New Jersey's income tax brackets, adding he would 'reduce income taxes for all taxpayers' and introduce exemptions and deductions for home improvements and student loan interest. His platform provides no specifics about either plan. Ciattarelli, who sought the governor's seat unsuccessfully in 2017 and 2021, pledged to reduce New Jersey's corporate business tax rates by five points over as many years. Currently, New Jersey taxes its businesses on non-marginal rates ranging between 6.5% and 9%, depending on net income. Businesses with more than $10 million in income face an additional 2.5% non-marginal surcharge for what's called the corporate transit fee (which is intended to fund NJ Transit). Counting the surcharge, New Jersey has the highest state business tax rates in the nation. Without it, the Garden State's rates are the nation's fourth highest. Ciattarelli said he would cap property tax rates to a percentage of a home's valuation. Statewide, locally set property tax rates in 2024 averaged just over 2.6%, according to Department of Community Affairs data. Ciattarelli also seeks to reduce state spending by 30%, though it's not clear what programs he would slash to produce more than $17.4 billion in savings. Gov. Phil Murphy's budget plan for the next fiscal year calls for about $58.4 billion in spending. Longtime radio talk show host Bill Spadea's affordability plan offers few details. It proposes unspecified cuts to individual and business taxes and cites the large growth in spending under Murphy. Gov. Chris Christie's final budget called for $35.5 billion in spending for the 2018 fiscal year, 40% smaller than the final budget proposal of Murphy's second term. Much of those increases can be attributed to full funding of pension payments and school aid, which together rose by $7.6 billion between Christie's and Murphy's final budget proposals. The roughly 31% in inflation between the two budgets accounts for much of the remainder, though some budget items are not directly tied to rising prices. Former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac's tax plan focuses mainly on property taxes. He said he would seek to cut property taxes, which are locally set, by 2% in each year of his term. The average property New Jersey tax bill was $10,095 in 2024, according to Department of Community Affairs data. He also said he would seek to cut regulations and business taxes to encourage small business growth but did not provide specifics about either proposal. Burlington County contractor Justin Barbera has said he would seek to lower taxes for New Jerseyans without children and lower or remove them for seniors, veterans, and those with disabilities. The details of those proposals are unclear. Here's how the Democrats running to be governor say they'll make New Jersey more affordable
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Have overdue utilities bills? NJ shutoff protection turned off March 15
Passaic Valley Water Commission will begin shutting off delinquent water accounts on Monday, two days after the end of the state's moratorium on utility shutoff. Any account with an overdue balance faces possible shutoff on Monday, said Passaic Valley Water Commission, a public drinking water supplier owned by Paterson, Clifton and Passaic and serving customers in those cities. This also goes for any other utility overdue bill. Utility companies, including electric, gas and water, are prevented from shutting down services from Nov. 15 through March 15 as part of the Winter Termination Program. The program prohibits the shutoff of services to residential customers for non-payment, however, that protection expired on Saturday. As part of the termination program, utilities may only shut off from Monday through Thursday, to allow customers to pay and have them turned back on before the weekend. Passaic Valley Water Commission's payment window is located at 1525 Main Ave., in Clifton and is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Cash, checks, money orders or credit cards will be accepted. To pay by phone via an automated system call 973-340-4300. A customer service representative will only be available during business hours. There is also an online payment option at or mail checks or money orders to: Passaic Valley Water Commission, 1525 Main Avenue, Clifton, NJ 07011. The water company also offers no-interest payment plans. Call customer service at 973-340-4300 for more information. State residents who need help with utilities may visit or call the state Department of Community Affairs assistance program at 973-340-4300. This article originally appeared on Have overdue utilities bills? NJ shutoff protection turns off March 15
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
These 10 towns have the lowest property taxes per year in Bergen County
Taxes; one of the few certainties in life. And New Jersey is notorious for them. A recent study by WalletHub pegged New Jersey as home to the worst property taxes in the nation. That's not necessarily surprising. New Jersey is sandwiched between New York City and Philadelphia, with all the perks of those two cities. Proponents of the state argue that New Jersey boasts better quality schools, access to major talent pools and universities, access to top transit hubs like the ports of Newark, Interstate 95, and some of the nation's busiest airports. Plus great food! But surely there are some cheaper places across North Jersey where property taxes are lower. We broke out the 2023 average property taxes from the state Department of Community Affairs (which are the most recently published numbers), for the cheapest towns and cities in Bergen County: Teterboro: $2,108 East Rutherford: $7,509 Carlstadt: $7,937 Moonachie: $8,603 Hackensack: $9,212 Rochelle Park: $9,284 Garfield: $9,392 Mahwah: $9,794 Cliffside Park: $9,982 Elmwood Park: $10,001 The $10,000 cap on state and local property tax deductions, more commonly called SALT, is set to expire at the end of this year. Congress and the White House are gauging whether the deduction should be raised - up to $20,000 or $100,000 depending on the proposal - or scrapped entirely. Daniel Munoz covers business, consumer affairs, labor and the economy for and The Record. Email: munozd@ Twitter:@danielmunoz100 and Facebook This article originally appeared on Bergen County NJ towns with the lowest property taxes
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Which North Jersey towns met affordable housing deadline? Which are fighting? See the list
After a Jan. 31 deadline, almost 80% of New Jersey municipalities have signed on to participate in the fourth round of a state-mandated order to build more affordable housing. At the same time, a small but growing consortium of towns has vowed to keep fighting, despite two recent court setbacks in their challenge to the law enacted last year. As of Thursday, 440 of the state's 564 municipalities had adopted resolutions to declare their compliance with the housing mandate, according to the Fair Share Housing Center, a nonprofit that advocates, and sometimes litigates, on behalf of the program. 'It's encouraging that the vast majority of municipalities are moving forward with creating homes under the new law,' Adam Gordon, executive director of Fair Share housing, said in a release after the deadline. 'In the midst of a deep housing crisis, New Jersey's new affordable housing law creates a win-win situation by giving municipal leaders tools to plan in the best way for their communities." The mandate, born of a decades-long series of court rulings known as the Mount Laurel doctrine, has fueled a wave of construction in what is already the nation's most densely populated state. The coalition challenging the process recently added three more municipalities, expanding to 28 total. They filed a new lawsuit on Feb. 3. Under the law adopted last year, all New Jersey towns had until the end of January to declare whether they would accept the 10-year affordable housing goals announced in October by the Department of Community Affairs. Their other option was to challenge the numbers by presenting their own goal calculation to the state's new Affordable Housing Dispute Resolution Program. Towns that failed to meet the Jan. 31 deadline may still be working on their strategy. They may already have agreed to separate goals in settlements with the Fair Share Housing Center. Or they may have decided to take their chances in a court battle, as Edison did when it objected to the state's proposal that it could accommodate 727 new homes. Collectively, the Community Affairs goals could require the construction of 85,000 more affordable housing units over the next decade, along with the renovation of 65,000 existing residences. Towns are not required to build their own housing, although some, like Madison, have approved municipal projects to create all-affordable dwellings to meet their Mount Laurel obligations. Most municipalities, however, choose to set their master plans and local zoning to entice private developers to construct the required units. Towns that do not accommodate developers willing to commit a small percentage (an often negotiable number, up to 20%) of their inventory to be sold at "affordable" rates can be hauled into courts. Through so-called "builder's remedy" lawsuits, judges can award broad leverage to developers to build whatever they wish and sell or rent at market rates if they include an affordable-housing component. Any interested party can file a challenge to the municipal calculations before the end of February. The Dispute Resolution Center must issue a decision no later than March 31. Towns have until June 30 to adopt what are known as housing elements and fair share plans, including proposed drafts of zoning and other measures. As of Thursday, North Jersey towns that adopted resolutions to accept the state numbers or propose their own included: BERGEN: Allendale, Alpine, Bergenfield, Bogota, Carlstadt, Cliffside Park, Closter, Cresskill, Demarest, Dumont, Elmwood Park, East Rutherford, Edgewater, Emerson, Englewood, Englewood Cliffs, Fair Lawn, Fairview, Fort Lee, Franklin Lakes, Garfield, Glen Rock, Hackensack, Montvale, New Milford, North Arlington, Northvale, Norwood, Oakland, Old Tappan, Oradell, Palisades Park, Paramus, Park Ridge, Ramsey, Ridgefield, Ridgefield Park, Ridgewood, River Edge, River Vale, Rochelle Park, Rockleigh, Rutherford, Saddle Brook, Saddle River, South Hackensack, Teaneck, Tenafly, Teterboro, Upper Saddle River, Waldwick, Wallington, Washington, Westwood, Woodcliff Lake, Wood-Ridge, Wyckoff. ESSEX: Belleville, Bloomfield, Caldwell, Fairfield, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Glen Ridge, Livingston, Maplewood, Millburn, Montclair, North Caldwell, Roseland, South Orange, Verona, West Caldwell, West Orange. MORRIS: Boonton, Boonton Township, Butler, Chatham, Chatham Township, Chester, Chester Township, Denville, Dover, East Hanover, Florham Park, Hanover, Harding, Jefferson Township, Kinnelon, Lincoln Park, Long Hill Township, Madison, Mendham, Mendham Township, Mine Hill, Montville, Morris Plains, Morris Township, Morristown, Mount Arlington, Mount Olive, Mountain Lakes, Netcong, Parsippany, Pequannock, Randolph, Riverdale, Rockaway, Rockaway Township, Roxbury, Victory Gardens, Washington Township, Wharton. PASSAIC: Bloomingdale, Clifton, Hawthorne, Little Falls, North Haledon, Pompton Lakes, Ringwood, Totowa, Wanaque, Wayne, West Milford, Woodland Park. SUSSEX: Andover, Branchville, Byram, Frankford, Franklin, Fredon, Green, Hampton, Hardyston, Hopatcong, Lafayette, Montague, Newton, Ogdensburg, Sparta, Stanhope, Stillwater, Vernon, Wantage. The original consortium of nine towns that filed a lawsuit in September to suspend implementation of the program has grown to 28. "The law imposes new affirmative obligations upon municipalities that exceed any remedy ever imposed under the Mount Laurel doctrine," said one of the legal claims filed by the towns, which call themselves Local Leaders for Responsible Planning. Most are in North Jersey, where densely populated communities worry about the increased traffic, utility consumption and school enrollment that the new units would require. "High-density housing may seem like a solution, but it raises serious concerns about our infrastructure and budget," Parsippany Mayor James Barberio said at a 2024 town hall presentation on the issue attended by several mayors. "It seems like the state wants us to sacrifice quality for quantity." Parsippany, Little Falls and Warren are the latest towns to join the lawsuits. The other plaintiffs are: Bergen County: Allendale, Closter, Franklin Lakes, Hillsdale, Montvale, Norwood, Old Tappan, Oradell, Washington Township, Westwood and Wyckoff. Morris County: Denville, East Hanover, Florham Park, Hanover, Mendham, Montville and Wharton. Passaic County: Totowa. Essex County: Cedar Grove and Millburn. Hunterdon County: West Amwell. Monmouth County: Wall and Holmdel. Salem County: Mannington. More: Paramus agrees to build 1,000 affordable housing units over next decade Despite two recent denials of their claims by a state Superior Court judge in Mercer County, the consortium filed a new suit last Monday in yet another attempt to pause the process. The second complaint names New Jersey, the Affordable Housing Dispute Resolution Program and Glenn Grant, New Jersey's acting director of the New Jersey Administrative Office of the Courts, as defendants. The plaintiff towns allege that the court process has denied them due process and violated their civil rights. The Mount Laurel court rulings required municipalities to provide their "fair share" of housing for low- and moderate-income families. Gov. Phil Murphy and state legislators enshrined that goal in a law passed last year that sought to smooth enforcement of those obligations. 'We face a somewhat perfect storm of low housing inventory and escalating pricing, which leaves thousands of working families all across our state with no viable options,' said Sen. Troy Singleton, D-Burlington, a sponsor of the 2024 bill. 'Without securing the most basic human needs — a place to live — the other policies we pass cannot be as effective.' This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Which NJ towns met affordable housing mandate deadline?
