THIS IS ONE OF THE STATEMENTS that Gov. Christie or & his Amd. sent out to all the Mayors yesterday. Oh I am sorry the woke up to. We need to get him out of office Please I am posting this on The Housing & Community Development Network of New Jersey I sent them a message yesterday & told them how dare him do this to people I use to utlize these service's not abuse them. & what gives him the RIGHT to do so. I was given permission to posted it on there site. So please anyone & or people, client, mentally ill consumers, home buyers, that are low- income to moderate income & anyone that I forgot. Please sign this. Gov. Christie needs to know that he can't demand things w/out reasons. Thank you & God Bless. This morning, hundreds of mayors in New Jersey awoke to letters from the Christie Administration stating how much money the Governor intends to take from their municipal housing trust funds. The confusing and secretive letters (of which an example is available here), appear designed to keep towns in the dark as to how the Christie Administration has decided which money to take and which money not to take. “It’s the ultimate black box,” Fair Share Housing Center Staff Attorney Adam Gordon said. “Governor Christie expects New Jersey’s mayors to mail in checks for millions of dollars to the state government with no explanation of how the amounts were calculated. Last night, he sent out hundreds of letters to New Jersey towns - and not one of them explains how it arrived at the conclusions that either no money, hundreds of thousands, or millions of dollars are due.” For example, in Pemberton Borough, where the Attorney General’s office represented that their actions should have been sufficient to prevent any money from being taken before the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court just ten days ago, and another court had already approved expenditures of all of the funds, the Christie Administration is now demanding $363,399.26. The letters set an August 13 deadline for mayors to do one of two things: accept the unexplained figures and mail the checks to the state - or dispute the figures and send reasons why to the state. The letters do not specify what will happen if municipalities dispute the figures, or specify any public process or hearings in which mayors can question the amounts. “Governor Christie is telling mayors: if you agree with me, send me the money. If you don’t agree with me, there’s a secret process that I can’t tell you about,” Gordon added. “These letters fail to meet basic standards of open government and due process.” The letters further require mayors to certify “subject to punishment” that the amounts are correct, again without any explanation of how they were calculated, or to provide a different number. The letters are not available publicly other than having been mailed one by one to individual towns. Fair Share Housing Center has requested the state government provide it with copies of all letters sent to every town but has received no response. _______________________________________________________ The Honorable William Kochersperger Borough of Pemberton 50 Egbert St PO Box 261 Pemberton, New Jersey 08068 Re: Municipal Affordable Housing Trust Fund Current Balance Dear Mayor Kochersperger: As required by N.J.S.A. 52:27D-329.2 and -329.3, a municipality that fails to spend or commit to expend development fees or payment-in-lieu moneys in its affordable housing trust fund within four years of the date of collection must transfer such funds at the end of the four-year period to the New Jersey Affordable Housing Trust Fund. To ensure the accuracy of this process, please certify that the monitoring information previously submitted by Pemberton Borough to COAH is correct. A certification for your completion is attached. COAH’s records indicate that, as of July 17, 2008, the Borough had a trust fund balance of $424,734.47. In the four years subsequent to July 17, 2008, the Borough has spent $61,335.21, leaving a balance of $363,399.26 that was to have been spent or committed to be expended by July 17, 2012. If this information is not correct, you must update your trust fund monitoring immediately and include a bank statement for the month of July 2012 with your certification. A failure to submit the attached certification to COAH will be considered an acknowledgment that the balances previously reported by Pemberton Borough and indicated in this letter are correct and are uncommitted. Please be reminded that COAH may exercise its authority pursuant to executed escrow agreements to request information concerning all deposits, disbursements, and interest earned from the financial institution. In addition, all trust funds remain subject to the provisions of N.J.A.C. 5:97-8.13. Please note that, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:97-8.9, legal or other fees related to litigation opposing COAH regulations and/or actions are not eligible uses of the affordable housing trust fund. In accordance with N.J.S.A. 52:27D-329.2 and -329.3, Pemberton Borough shall effectuate a transfer of the correct balance by check to “New Jersey Affordable Housing Trust Fund” and sent to the Council on Affordable Housing, P.O. Box 813, Trenton, NJ 08625 no later than August 13, 2012. If Pemberton Borough asserts that a portion of that balance reflects funds committed as of July 17, 2012, Pemberton Borough must remit the uncommitted balance to the State Trust Fund and simultaneously submit documentation to COAH substantiating either a legally enforceable agreement entered into by Pemberton Borough with a third party or other documentation that demonstrates a firm and binding obligation by the Borough to spend trust fund monies in a manner consistent with the municipality’s fair share plan, the Fair Housing Act, and all applicable regulations. Thank you for cooperation in this matter. Sincerely, Sean Thompson Acting Executive Director cc: Municipal Clerk CFO Municipal Housing Liaison Affordable Housing Trust Fund Preparer CERTIFICATION OF MUNICIPAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND STATUS I, _______________________ (print name), certify that the municipal affordable housing trust fund of _____________________________ (name of municipality) contained $________________ as of July 17, 2008. I also certify that, after reviewing municipal affordable housing trust fund records, $___________________ of the municipal trust fund was spent subsequent to July 17, 2008, leaving a balance of $_________________ that was to be committed for expenditure as of July 17, 2012. Of this amount, $________________ has been committed for expenditure as evidenced by the enclosed documentation accompanying this certification that demonstrates a legally enforceable agreement with a third party or a firm and binding obligation to spend trust fund monies in a manner consistent with the municipality’s fair share plan, the Fair Housing Act, and all applicable regulations. Any assertions by the municipality of funds committed for expenditure are based upon the enclosed documentation accompanying this certification. As of July 17, 2012, $________________ of the municipal trust fund remains uncommitted for expenditure by the municipality to implement its affordable housing plan. I certify that the foregoing statements made by me are true. I am aware that if any of the foregoing statements made by me, in whole or in part, are willfully false, I am subject to punishment. ________________________________________ (Signature) ________________________________________ (Print Name and Title) Dated: ____________