Gov. Christie Returns To New Jersey Touting Property Tax Savings
PARAMUS, NJ (WCBS 880/AP) - A day after going to New Hampshire to endorse Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination, Gov. Chris Christie was back in the state.
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But he wasn't out of campaign mode.
On Wednesday Christie was in Paramus - a key campaign district for Republicans - to meet with retirees to talk about their property taxes.
At a news conference afterward, he touted projected savings from reforms passed to state employee pension and health benefits earlier this year. His administration reports that local governments will save $267 million in the 2012 fiscal year because of pension reforms enacted in June.
The governor met with Paramus residents Lou and Maria Scalera at the Paramus Borough Hall to talk about how the changes will affect their tax bills. Paramus will save nearly $1 million in its 2012 budget as a result of the law.
John Driscoll, Jr., the chairman of the Board of Chosen Freeholders in Bergen County, says they're now starting to see property taxes go down.
"By this pension reform, we'll be seeing savings of close to $4 million," he said Wednesday.
"The only way to have property taxes be abated is to not spend as much," Christie said. "The building blocks of real long-term property tax reform are finally in place."
The savings come as two state panels approved raising the rates for health insurance plans for state employees by 9 percent.
Christie is scheduled to meet on Thursday with residents in Mount Laurel, another key district in the Nov. 8 legislative elections.
(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
