40A:5-14.2 Findings, declarations relative to investment of certain municipal funds.

1. The Legislature finds and declares:

a. Elected municipal officials are the stewards for the property owned by the municipality.

b. It is sometimes necessary or desirable for the municipality to sell some of its assets that are no longer needed for a public purpose.

c. The use of proceeds from the sale or lease of a municipal asset that results in relatively large proceeds, to either fund a new service or to provide property tax relief for a limited period of time, are examples of actions by a local governing body that often necessitate subsequent property tax increases to either continue the new service or to fill-in the revenue gap.

d. Since the development or redevelopment of high valued municipal assets in a municipality in which casino gaming is authorized may be inextricably intertwined with the success of the casino gaming industry, an important revenue source for the State, it is in the best interests of the municipal taxpayers, as well as the citizens of the State, for the State and local elected officials to work collaboratively together to effectuate the prudent disposition of high value assets, to ensure that the interests of the State's casino gaming industry are not harmed, and to plan for the management of proceeds from the sale, assignment, lease, transfer, or redevelopment of those assets, when significant sums are involved, to ensure that any intended relief to municipal property taxpayers is maximized.

L.2008, c.65, s.1.