Will NJ Property Taxes Ever Really Go Down? [POLL/AUDIO]

New Jersey continues to have the highest property taxes in the nation, but Governor Chris Christie says we're making progress in getting them lower.

"In the 10 years before I became Governor, property taxes went up 70 percent statewide, in 10 years," Christie said. "In the last two years, property taxes have gone up an average of 1.5 percent," said Christie during an event in Camden.

"When that train is going 100 miles an hour, you can't expect you're going to stop it overnight. We're not going to, but we've made more progress in the last 4 years than we've seen in this state in slowing that train down."

He pointed out the state has made real strides in slowing the growth of property taxes down, with a change in the interest arbitration system, a two-percent property tax cap, and pension and benefit reform.

As for what needs to be done to continue the positive trend?

"We need to make sure we end the abuse of sick leave by public workers across the state with six-figure payouts being given to them by boards of education and town councils," Christie said. "And we need to keep working harder at making sure that we make our system of providing subsidies to our school systems fairer across the entire state."

Most importantly, said the Governor, is that "we can't afford all the government that we've been given - not even that we've asked for - that we've been given - and now that we're expected to pay for."

"This has built up over 30, 40 years in New Jersey, so it's going to take a lot of effort, it's going to take bi-partisan effort to do it."