Lance, Oroho & Haines Applaud Council on Local Mandates’ Ruling on Rural Policing

October 22, 2008

Contact: Bill Murray / (609) 292-5199
Senator Steve Oroho

Lance, Oroho & Haines Applaud Council on Local Mandates’ Ruling on Rural Policing

Council Finds Law Charging for Police Coverage Is an Unfair Local Mandate

Senator Leonard Lance, the Senate Republican Budget Officer, and Senators Steve Oroho and Phil Haines, members of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement regarding a hearing on rural policing by the Council On Local Mandates:

“It was proper and necessary for the Council On Local Mandates to hold a hearing to determine if charging towns for rural State Police services, that is authorized by law, is an illegal, unfunded local mandate. The statute is clear and unambiguous; the New Jersey State Police were created to perform police duties in rural areas. Furthermore, the new law is discriminatory against rural areas since no other municipalities are charged for state police services where well over 95 percent of their services are rendered.

“The Council On Local Mandates was created in 1996 to enforce the ‘State Mandate State Pay’ amendment to the New Jersey Constitution. Under the amendment and the enabling statute the Council has the exclusive authority to determine if a state law, rule or regulation imposes an unconstitutional unfunded local mandate. If the council holds that a law, rule or regulation is an unfunded mandate then that specific measure is nullified.

“The law, the constitution and 87 years of history support our position, that charging rural towns for state police coverage is an unfunded mandate. We are gratified that the Council On Local Mandates supports our position and struck down this unfair, discriminatory law. We will work with the Corzine Administration to ensure that there are adequate funds for the State Police to accomplish its mission.”