“There’s an expectation that when you have significant changes in a public organization, the public should be able to find out about it,” said Marc Pfeiffer, associate director of the Bloustein Local Center for Urban Policy Research at Rutgers University in New Brunswick.
Topic
Marc Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer: Why do property taxes vary so widely among NJ towns so close to each other
New Jersey’s property taxes are expensive — no doubt about it. New Jersey in 2023 had an effective tax rate of 1.77%, behind only Illinois, according to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, a Washington-based think tank. The Tax Foundation defines this rate as “the average...
Bloustein School Brings Policy Expertise to Second Gubernatorial Debate
In co-hosting the final debate before Election Day, Rutgers scholars worked to elevate the public policy discourse.
For the policy wonks from Bloustein, the focus will be on the candidates’ promises and how, after months of collaborating with ABC7/WABC-TV New York, 6abc/WPVI-TV Philadelphia, Noticias Univision 41, and the performing arts center, millions of New Jersey voters were better informed as a result.
New Jersey is Now in a Recession and it May Get Worse, Moody’s Analyst Says
“We may start seeing signs of a recession, but that doesn’t mean we’re in a recession. The economy is constantly flowing, changing. I don’t see us at the moment being in recession. But there clearly is potential for that,” Pfeiffer said.
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.