January 17, 2025

State Issues

Governor Murphy Delivered the 2025 State of the State Address

Governor Murphy delivered his final 2025 State of the State Address.

Contacts: Lori Buckelew, Deputy Executive Director, lbuckelew@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x112, and Mike Cerra, Executive Director, mcerra@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x120.

OPRA Technology Survey

The recently enacted law to reform the Open Public Records Act includes a $4 million state appropriation to provide grants to local governments. To advocate for the use of the grant funding, we need your help. Please take a few minutes to complete the League’s OPRA Technology Assessment survey.

Division Issues Guidance on LOSAP Annual CPI Adjustment

The Division of Local Government Services has issued Local Finance Notice 2025-02, providing general information regarding the Length of Service Awards Program (LOSAP) along with the annual cost of living adjustment to the maximum award amounts based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Contact: Lori Buckelew, Deputy Executive Director, lbuckelew@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x112.

State Rental Assistance Program Waiting List Pre-Application Open

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) announced that the State Rental Assistance Program Waiting List pre-application process is open for New Jersey residents through January 31.

Contact: customer.service@dca.nj.gov

Federal

Social Security Fairness Act Law Resources

The Government Finance Officers of America shared implementation resources for the recently signed Social Security Fairness Act.

Contact: Paul Penna, Director of Government Affairs, ppenna@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x110.

Funding Opportunities: Bureau of Justice Assistance for FY25

The Bureau of Justice Assistance has announced several funding opportunities. These grants support innovative strategies and collaborations to enhance public safety, improve criminal justice outcomes, and address mental health and substance use.

Contact: Ciara Bradley, Research Associate, cbradley@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x128.

Also of Interest

DCA to Host Technical Assistance Webinar on Municipal Lead Law

The Department of Community Affairs is hosting a free technical assistance webinar on January 24, at 11:00 a.m. DCA experts will discuss the Municipal Lead Law requirements, the Municipal Lead Reporting Portal, and LRAP.

Show Off Your City 2025: Apply Today

Municipalities are invited to send the League photos of their tourist attractions, downtown areas, economic development initiatives, parks, city halls, community groups, and new projects for the 2025 Show Off Your City Photo Contest!

The winning photo will be featured on the cover of the April issue of NJ Municipalities and the winner will also receive a free League publication of their choice. Entries will be posted on the League’s Facebook page, and some featured in the April issue of NJ Municipalities, and possibly other issues. 

Photos should be high-resolution JPEG, at least 3MB in size. Please provide photo credit if necessary. Unfortunately, stock photos and images that are too low in resolution will not be considered. By submitting a photo, you are agreeing that you own the rights to the photo and that NJLM has permission to use the photo in NJ Municipalities, on NJLM’s social media and website, and on other printed materials. Note that photos displayed in a portrait orientation work better on the magazine cover than a landscape orientation. The due date to submit entries is February 7 

Submit photos using the Show Off Your City submission form or mail a flash drive to 222 West State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608.

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