1972
The landmark Federal Revenue Sharing Program was put in place which provided badly needed revenues for municipalities throughout America.
After years of concerted effort, led by the National League of Cities, on September 15, 1972 House and Senate Conferees agreed on the details and the landmark State and Local Fiscal Assistance Act of 1972 was readied for final action. The New Jersey League of Municipalities coordinated the efforts of Garden State local officials to convince New Jersey’s Congressional delegation to support the Federal Revenue Sharing program. In its first year, the program distributed some $5.821 billion to the States and municipalities of America. New Jersey was awarded a total of $163.6 million, of which our State’s municipalities received $109.1 million.
1973
Open Public Meetings Act affirms that (except in rare cases involving the public’s interest, personal privacy or individual rights) “the right of the public to be present at all meetings of public bodies … is vital to the enhancement and proper functioning of the democratic process …” This opens the Legislature’s Committee process to greater public input, leading to the modernization and expansion of the League’s lobbying program.