The bill amends the "Uniform Shared Services and Consolidation Act" and the law governing the Local Unit Alignment, Reorganization, and Consolidation Commission (LUARCC) to promote the sharing of services among local units in New Jersey, with the goal of reducing local expenses and property taxes. It introduces provisions that require local units to approve LUARCC recommendations for shared services within 14 months and implement them within 28 months, with non-compliance resulting in a reduction of State aid equivalent to the estimated savings. The bill also allows local units to approve recommendations through resolutions or ordinances and provides the option to present proposals to voters. Additionally, it clarifies LUARCC's authority to recommend consolidations and mandates public hearings and fiscal analysis certification by the State Treasurer.

Key amendments include the introduction of a stratified layoff process for employees, categorizing them into executive, managerial, and non-managerial bands, which allows for seniority claims within bands but prevents cross-band claims. The bill also removes certain employee protections related to termination for economic reasons and repeals provisions that previously protected the tenure rights of police officers, thereby streamlining the implementation of shared services and consolidations. Furthermore, it emphasizes the need for employment reconciliation plans when entering shared service agreements and allows for the relaxation of Civil Service provisions to create a uniform employee pool. Overall, the legislation aims to enhance local government efficiency while ensuring that service quality and employee rights are maintained.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 40A:65-2, 40A:65-11, 40A:65-18, 40A:65-22, 52:27D-505, 52:27D-506, 52:27D-507, 52:27D-508