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New Jersey gets serious about sharing core services
Spending caps, rising property tax appeals, and a sluggish economy are spurring elected officials to push for police department consolidation, school district regionalization, and other shared services in a movement that promises to reshape the way government services are provided in New Jersey.
“The idea of merging police forces or school districts used to be the third rail of politics,” said Hunterdon County Freeholder Rob Walton. “That’s no longer true. It’s now part of the everyday discourse on how we govern ourselves as counties, municipalities, and school districts. It’s a big step forward.”
Hunterdon County is now debating a groundbreaking proposal to merge the county’s 30 school districts — and their 30 school superintendents, administrative staffs, and school boards — into a single countywide district, with potential tax savings in the tens of millions of dollars for Hunterdon’s 128,349 residents. (Magyar, NJ Spotlight)