52:27D-489q Findings, declarations relative to the "New Jersey Economic Opportunity Act of 2013."

22. The Legislature finds and declares that:

a. Healthy, thriving municipalities are vital to the health, safety, and economic well-being of the State.

b. Municipalities that are economically distressed adversely impact not only that municipality, but also affect the county and region where they are located as well as the whole State.

c. Numerous programs have been previously established to assist municipalities in economic and fiscal distress to enable them to regain health and vitality, including programs to provide increasing degrees of oversight and to provide substantial amounts of financial aid and incentives.

d. While these existing programs have proven successful in aiding a number of municipalities, others are in such difficult straits that such measures have not proven sufficient. Thus, extraordinary measures are required now to turn around the fate of such municipalities.

e. The new programs provided herein will have a substantial likelihood of achieving success where prior programs have not, and employing these programs now is crucial to the economic well-being of the county, region, and State.

f. Accordingly, the municipalities identified as Garden State Growth Zones are hereby declared blighted areas and areas in need of rehabilitation, provided however, that this declaration alone shall not be used to allow any property to be taken or acquired.

L.2013, c.161, s.22.