Christie Offers Incentives For NJ Towns To Merge
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- Gov. Chris Christie wants to give New Jersey towns more incentive to consider mergers.
The governor on Friday proposed legislation that would allow consolidating municipalities to spread out one-time costs related to their mergers over a five-year period. He says that would allow towns to "rapidly" experience the financial savings generated by the mergers.
In a related proposal, Christie said the state Department of Community Affairs would provide grants to each merging municipality to cover 20 percent of their consolidation costs.
Christie also expressed support for a consolidation effort under way between Princeton Township and Princeton Borough.
Residents in those towns are due to vote in November on whether they should consolidate. It marks at least the fourth attempt in almost 60 years to create a unified Princeton.
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