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RESOLUTION OPPOSING GOVERNOR JON CORZINE’S PROPOSAL
TO CLOSE CERTAIN STATE PARKS AND RECREATION AREAS
WHEREAS, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine recently announced that he will close nine State parks, reduce services at an additional three State parks and curtail off-season hours at all State parks in an effort to rein in State spending and reduce the State’s overall debt burden; and
WHEREAS, the Governor’s Fiscal Year 2009 State Budget contains a $4.5 million reduction in funds for the management and maintenance of State parks and recreation areas forcing the closure of Monmouth Battlefield State Park, Stephens State Park, High Point State Park, Brendan T. Byrne State Forest, Round Valley Recreation Area, Parvin State Park, Jenny Jump State Forest, Worthington State Forest and Fort Mott State Park, and the partial closure of Ringwood State Park, D&R Canal State Park and Washington Crossing State Park; and
WHEREAS, approximately seventeen million people use New Jersey’s State parks and forests each year for camping, swimming, hiking, boating, picnicking and other recreational activities; and
WHEREAS, a robust system of State parks and forests is essential to the continued vitality of the tourism industry in New Jersey; and
WHEREAS, the promotion of tourism through the State’s parks, forests and recreation areas contributes millions of dollars to the State’s economy, accounts for thousands of jobs statewide and generates significant income and sales tax revenue for the State; and
WHEREAS, well-maintained and accessible parks, forests, wildlife areas, recreation areas and historic sites provide opportunities for recreation, education and economic development, which are essential to the health and stability of communities throughout New Jersey, now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED that the New Jersey Association of Counties strongly opposes Governor Corzine’s proposal to close or reduce services at State parks and recreation areas across the State and urges the Governor and the Legislature to fully fund these endeavors; and, be it further
RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to Governor Jon Corzine, Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts, Senate President Richard Codey, and all the counties in New Jersey.
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RESOLUTION
RESOLUTION URGING OPPOSITION TO ASSEMBLY
BILL NO. 4384 AND SENATE BILL NO. 2955
Whereas, the State Legislature is currently considering legislation that would require every construction contract entered into pursuant to the “Local Public Contracts Law” to contain a provision for renegotiation upon the fluctuation of the price of a key construction material; and
Whereas, passage of this proposed legislation would have a significantly adverse impact upon the public contracting operations of county governments statewide; and
Whereas, requiring the inclusion in every public contract of a clause that permits an open-ended increase in the cost of public construction projects will jeopardize the stability of the capital budgets of New Jersey’s 21 county governments; and
Whereas, the provisions of this proposed legislation would exacerbate the already burdensome regulatory environment surrounding the public bidding and contracting process; and
Whereas, recent statutory enactments such as P.L. 2007, c.4, the “Lazy Bidder” law, P.L. 2006, c.96, the “Prompt Payment” law, and P.L. 2004, c.19, “Pay to Play,” as well as recent revisions to New Jersey’s “Prevailing Wage Act,” N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.25 et seq., have made an already complicated public contracting system even more administratively cumbersome; and
Whereas, the imposition of additional regulatory measures, such as those proposed in A-4384 and S-2955 will only serve to increase the amount of administrative and fiscal resources that counties are obligated to expend on public contracting;
Now, therefore, Be it Resolved that the New Jersey Association of Counties strongly urges members of the State Legislature and the Governor to defeat these bills and that duly authenticated copies of this Resolution be transmitted to all 120 members of the State Legislature and the Governor.
_____________________________ December 7, 2007
Louis N. Magazzu, NJAC President
Cumberland County Freeholder
RESOLUTION
RESOLUTION URGING OPPOSITION TO ASSEMBLY
BILL NO. 4393 AND SENATE BILL NO. 2878
Whereas, the State Legislature is currently considering legislation that would require county governments requesting bids for construction projects to publish their projected cost estimate range for each proposed project, would mandate that each published cost estimate range be “attested” to by the individual or firm preparing the bid advertisement, and would restrict the ability of county governments to reject bids; and
Whereas, passage of this proposed legislation would have a significantly adverse impact upon the public contracting operations of county governments statewide; and
Whereas, requiring the publication of cost estimates for public construction projects is antithetical to the concept of competition in public bidding and the publication of estimates will provide a disincentive for the submittal of bids below the estimated price; and
Whereas, the provisions of this proposed legislation will significantly increase the costs for county governments in preparing bid solicitations by requiring, in some instances, the hiring of professional consultants to prepare cost estimates and to “attest” to their reasonableness; and
Whereas, this legislation will eliminate the discretion that county governments are currently authorized to exercise when making determinations regarding the acceptance or rejection of bids by eradicating the flexibility that N.J.S.A. 40A:11-13.2 currently affords counties when reviewing bid submissions; and
Whereas, this legislation will establish finite parameters for bid rejection which will have an adverse impact upon the ability of county governments to pursue the completion of constructions projects upon terms that are most favorable to the taxpayers; and
Whereas, the provisions of this proposed legislation would exacerbate the already burdensome regulatory environment surrounding the public bidding and contracting process; and
Whereas, recent statutory enactments such as P.L. 2007, c.4, the “Lazy Bidder” law, P.L. 2006, c.96, the “Prompt Payment” law, and P.L. 2004, c.19, “Pay to Play,” as well as recent revisions to New Jersey’s “Prevailing Wage Act,” N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.25 et seq., have made an already complicated public contracting system even more administratively cumbersome; and
Whereas, the imposition of additional regulatory measures, such as those proposed in A-4393 and S-2878 will only serve to increase the amount of administrative and fiscal resources that counties are obligated to expend on public contracting;
Now, therefore, Be it Resolved that the New Jersey Association of Counties strongly urges members of the State Legislature and the Governor to defeat these bills and that duly authenticated copies of this Resolution be transmitted to all 120 members of the State Legislature and the Governor.
_____________________________ December 7, 2007
Louis N. Magazzu, NJAC President
Cumberland County Freeholder
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