Dear Gov.-Elect Sherrill: Congratulations! You are now in the public management business. Having spent many years working in New Jersey’s public management arena, I would like to share some key concepts for you, incoming chief of operations Kelly Doucette, and the rest of your team to consider.
Topic
local government
Pfeiffer Opinion: N.J.’s public media lifeline is about to snap — will Murphy and Sherrill let it?
Marc Pfeiffer Opinion: We need an independent assessment of available resources to inform how we deliver public media services most effectively.
TECH UPDATES: Essential Technology Questions (and Answers) for Decision-Makers
Marc Pfeiffer discusses practical technology guidance to improve digital services, manage IT infrastructure, comply with regulations, and adopt emerging technologies responsibly.
TECH UPDATES: Digital Tools for City/County Communications
The most effective communication is two-way collaboration, not a one-way information stream. Digital tools can help keep communication lines open and active, creating more responsive and vibrant communities where voices are heard and concerns are addressed promptly.
Does new NJ law allow school districts to bypass voter approval on capital projects?
Pfeiffer said voters go to the polls and reject measures for a number of reasons, depending on other conditions. They may be voting no because they don’t like the way their municipality is run, or because of economic conditions or other factors, without regard to what is going on with its schools and their needs, he said.
Local Agencies Look to the Right Video Storage Solution for Their Environments
A number of hardware vendors have introduced Storage as a Service elements, Pfeiffer says, which could potentially help state and local governments simplify video data administration.
“You can buy cameras, pay for them over a number of years and get storage along with it,” he says
City to Plug Budget Hole With $33M in Land Sales, Solomon is a no Vote
“It doesn’t make it a great practice, but it’s often necessary to meet competing demands,” said Pfeiffer, one being “sometimes” an interest from officials in keeping taxes low.
Which North Jersey town is most expensive? Highest average property tax in Bergen, Passaic
But shared services often yield savings only on a case-by-case basis at the local level rather than statewide, said Rutgers’ Pfeiffer, while Ciattarelli’s proposal for an alternating property tax rate could run afoul of the state constitution.
“You can’t give some people a lower rate than other people,” Pfeiffer said. “You have to assess everybody at the same standard.”
Funding for lawmakers’ pet projects largely flowed to Democratic districts
“If a legislator is threatened, if their district is more at risk, they get greater consideration,” said Marc Pfeiffer, a senior policy fellow at Rutgers University’s Center for Urban Research who has long experience in state and local government.
NJ’s credit rating just improved again. Here’s why it matters
The rating upgrade announcement is “very reputational,” said Marc Pfeiffer, a senior policy fellow at Rutgers University’s Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, who studies local government in New Jersey.