Executive director, members picked for Stay NJ Task Force

David Ridolfino, the former director of the state Office of Management and Budget, will serve as executive director of the Stay NJ Property Tax Relief Task Force charged with cutting property taxes in half for most senior citizens in the state, Gov. Phil Murphy and the state’s legislative leaders announced today.

The six-member task force, required under the law passed in June, includes three executive branch appointees and three named by the legislative leaders.

“Stay NJ will be transformative for all families planning for the future, with historic property tax relief for seniors,” said Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, the author of the Stay NJ law.    “We need to ensure this program launches smoothly with a seamless application process and benefit distribution

Murphy put his chief policy advisor, Dennis Zeveloff, on the panel, along with Deputy State Treasurer Aaron Binder and Christopher Wheeler, the Department of Community Affairs’ chief data officer.

Senate President Nicholas Scutari named Jessica Cohen, his former director of public policy, and Coughlin named Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac, a former state treasurer.

Scutari and Coughlin jointly named Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp as the sixth member.

“Cumulatively, the members of this task force bring a wealth of public policy experience to the table, particularly when it comes to the impact property taxes have on our local communities,” Murphy stated.  “I have no doubt they will serve the State and our residents well as we work together to make New Jersey a more affordable place to not only raise a family, but to age in place surrounded by our loved ones.”

Scutari said the task force “will help ensure the effective implementation of the Stay NJ program that will reduce property taxes for most senior citizens by 50 percent, and the integration of the other tax relief programs will help make the lives of homeowners and renters more affordable.”

Ridolfino spent 30 years at the state Treasury Department before retiring in 2020.

The task force is required to present a plan to streamline tax relief programs by May 30, 2024, with implementation targeted for January 1, 2026.