52:27D-18.2 Rules, regulations promulgated by Local Finance Board; efficiency benchmarks.

9. a. Within 12 months of the effective date of this act, the Local Finance Board shall promulgate rules and regulations establishing performance measures to promote cost savings in the delivery of services by municipal governments. In developing these measurements, the board shall take into account differing size, demographic, and geographic characteristics of municipalities that may have an impact on the demand for, and delivery of, specific services. In addition, these rules and regulations shall include consideration of the measurement process, identification of performance indicators, and design of data collection forms in order to assure consistency of information. In promulgating efficiency benchmarks, the Local Finance Board shall also include a training module for key municipal staff in order to facilitate the institutionalization of performance measurement.

b. The Commissioner of Community Affairs shall be authorized to finance the development of the performance measures and training modules promulgated pursuant to subsection a. of this section by using funds from the Regional Efficiency Development Incentive Program (REDI) established pursuant to P.L.1999, c.60 (C.40:8B-14 et seq.) and the Regional Efficiency Aid Program (REAP) established pursuant to P.L.1999, c.61 (C.54:4-8.76 et seq.).

c. Following the promulgation of the performance measures and training modules pursuant to subsection a. of this section, every municipality shall submit an annual performance report to the Local Finance Board setting forth an assessment of its performance of local government services. Each report also shall be posted on the municipality's official web site. The board shall provide that reporting of performance measurement data to the board shall be done through electronic submission over the Internet.

Funding for the costs of development of performance measures, training programs, and the implementation of the reporting system shall be appropriated from the "Sharing Available Resources Efficiently" account within the Property Tax Relief Fund.

d. Within two years of adopting rules implementing performance measures, the Local Finance Board shall develop and electronically publish on the Department of Community Affairs website a municipal report card, indicating a municipality's performance relative to efficiency standards, and how its efficiency changes over time.

L.2007,c.54,s.9.