Chris Christie Wants To End User Fee Loopholes [POLL/AUDIO]

Governor Christie is strongly urging Garden State lawmakers to pass legislation to end user-fees imposed by towns – with no grandfather clause.

A growing number of municipalities are adopting these fees in order to stay below the mandatory 2 percent property tax cap, but still be able to charge residents extra money for essential services such as garbage collection.

The state Senate version of the bill being considered would abolish user fees – and not allow a grandfather clause, while the Assembly version of the measure would allow existing user fees to stay in place.

Last night on Townsquare Media’s “Ask The Governor” show, Governor Christie said he strongly believes “that from the time this legislation was introduced, any fees that came after the time of the introduction of the legislation to end the fees should not be grandfathered – because then obviously you’ve got people running to the door to try to let the horse out before we close the barn door.”

He said, “This is going to be something that we’ll really have to talk about in the fall, and I hope that the Speaker is listening, and I hope that Assembly Majority leader Greenwald is listening.  Their failure to act is costing people real money in municipalities every day…It’s time to get this legislation passed – with no loopholes…And if that doesn’t happen it means that they are blowing a hole in the 2 percent cap, and anything that happens above the 2 percent cap with these fees is going to be on the record of Sheila Oliver and Lou Greenwald.”

“The Senate President was ready to move on this without any loopholes – and the Assembly simply did not have the leadership to get this done.”