Corzine's plan to charge towns for state police patrols is struck down

by Tom Hester/The Star-Ledger

Wednesday October 22, 2008, 1:29 PM

A powerful state agency today struck down down Gov. Jon Corzine's attempt to require rural towns to pay part of the cost for State Police patrols.

The decision by the Council on Local Mandates means 89 towns that get free State Police patrols -- mostly in rural parts of South Jersey and Hunterdon, Sussex and Warren counties -- will not have to chip in about $12.6 million as required by the state budget. The council's decision cannot be second-guessed by state courts.

More than a dozen towns successfully argued that billing them for services they have received for free since the establishment of the State Police in 1921 amounts to an "unfunded state mandate" in violation of the state constitution.

"We applaud the Council on Local Mandates decision today," said William Dressel, executive director for the New Jersey State League of Municipalities. "The council called it an unfunded mandate. This is not just a win for the 89 municipalities, but for local governments because this would have set a dangerous precedent in foisting upon the local property taxpayer costs for providing services the state has traditionally paid for."

Administration officials contended it isn't fair for taxpayers in places with their own police departments to also have to pay for patrols of other municipalities. Gov. Jon Corzine today said he had not yet reviewed the decision.

The decision means the Corzine administration will have to come up with another $12.6 million in cuts to the current budget on top of an estimated $400 million they say must be sliced because of the economic downturn.