Senator Sweeney, Assemblyman Burzichelli, and Assemblywoman Riley are also proponents of more efficient government, both at the state and local levels. The Third District Legislators have introduced a number of measures that are intended to increase the level of government efficiency, resulting in cost savings for local communities and taxpayers across New Jersey.

• In 2011, Senate President Sweeney introduced and passed landmark reforms of the state pension and health benefits systems that will ensure the long-term viability of these systems, while saving New Jersey taxpayers more than $120 billion over the next 30 years.
• Senator Sweeney has pursued many innovative efforts toward shared services between municipalities as a means for alleviating the budgetary concerns experienced currently by many of these communities. In March 2011, Senator Sweeney introduced legislation that would create fiscal consequences for local government entities that refuse to enter into sharing agreements that could help their property taxpayers. This measure would result in taxpayer savings through the elimination of government inefficiencies.
• Senator Sweeney also worked to enact the 2010 2% property tax cap, which is the most stringent cap ever enacted in New Jersey. This cap law limits the amount by which property taxes may be raised annually and also eliminates a number of exemptions that were allowed under the previous cap law.
• Assemblyman Burzichelli serves on the state’s Red Tape Review Group, a bipartisan group chaired by Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno and charged with the task of reviewing state rules and regulations that are sometimes overly burdensome for New Jersey businesses. As chair of the Assembly Regulatory Oversight Committee, Assemblyman Burzichelli has been instrumental in crafting legislation that has been influenced by the Red Tape Review Group’s findings.
• Senator Sweeney was instrumental in passing bipartisan legislation to overhaul New Jersey’s system for arbitration of contract disputes between towns and public safety unions. These reform measures will result in vast savings for local governments, allowing them an enhanced ability to work within the recently enacted property tax cap law.
• In 2010, as Senate President, Senator Sweeney sponsored a bipartisan resolution making the state Senate a “paperless” chamber, which will result in long-term cost savings as the Senate changes to electronic access of legislative documents.
• Senator Sweeney was also a sponsor of New Jersey Vote-by-Mail Law in 2009, which has made voting much easier for many New Jersey residents, increasing participation in our electoral process.
• Recently, Senator Sweeney sponsored legislation that has created a pilot county-wide property tax assessment program for Gloucester County.
• Assemblyman Burzichelli and Senator Sweeney also sponsored and passed legislation in 2006 requiring the coordination of emergency operations plans and the creation of emergency evacuation plans for certain animals.
• As a cost saving measure for the state, Assemblyman Burzichelli and Assemblywoman Riley were sponsors of legislation eliminating various inactive boards, commissions, committees, councils, and task forces, which the Governor supported.
• Senator Sweeney and Assemblyman Burzichelli sponsored the recently passed law granting veto power to county freeholder-directors over the proposed actions of county authorities. This law gives freeholders the oversight capabilities necessary to ensure budgetary responsibility by county authorities.