“New Jersey has been in this unenviable position for a long time,” said Joseph Seneca, a Rutgers economist. “Property taxes are driven primarily by the costs of local government and public education, and the steady rise over the years in these costs.” In addition, local governments in New Jersey rely almost exclusively on property taxes, while in other states, local governments are funded in part by sales and income taxes, according to Henry Coleman, a Rutgers professor who studies public finance.
Could absence of party line lead to primary election surprises?
In the first year where neither major political party is using the “party line” on election ballots, some changes are already evident, says Julia Sass Rubin, the Rutgers University professor whose research helped fuel the court challenge to the line. Both Democrats...