Beyond the Payout: Lessons New Jersey Residents Can Learn from the Berkeley Heights’ Sewer Referendum
Pay Attention, NJ. Berkeley Heights political leadership stands to gain a great deal from the sale of our sewage plant: An influx of cash. The ability to pass off years of neglect—and the responsibility for raising rates—onto residents through a private entity. The ability to shift accountability for plant operations to another oversight body. Despite relieving themselves of the responsibility...
Privatizing Sewer Systems: What Berkeley Heights Residents—and All NJ Towns—Should Be Asking
Berkeley Heights is the latest New Jersey town to consider privatizing its sewer system—a move that could shape how residents pay for water services for decades. On the surface, the idea promises infrastructure upgrades and financial relief. But similar deals across the state suggest the long-term cost may fall on the backs of residents who are left with fewer avenues...
What Happened After Shots Were Fired: The Fight Over Police Transparency in Jersey City
States Newsroom, the New Jersey Monitor, and attorney CJ Griffin challenge Jersey City in a potentially defining court battle over police transparency. During an August 2019 party, an off-duty Jersey City police officer—Lt. Michael Timmins—allegedly got drunk, got angry, and fired his gun after an argument with guests. No one was hurt. But that’s not really the story. Despite the...
Turf Fields and Tutoring: Who Gets What in NJ’s Broken System?
The real tax issue in New Jersey isn’t about funding critical services for underserved communities—it’s about the relentless churn of money between politicians and special interests. Take Berkeley Heights as an example: the Township received a $250,000 grant for a turf field, pays $30,000 annually to a public relations firm, and brought in over $2 million in PILOT payments—with not...
A Look at the Interests Behind $8.5 Million in NJ Campaign Contributions
When campaign finance reports are filed in New Jersey, contributors often list their employer—shedding light not only on who’s giving, but why. A review of the top contributors by employer, as reported to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC), reveals a familiar pattern: law firms, engineering contractors, real estate developers, and public sector employees dominate the donor rolls....
A Tale of Two Systems: Comparing City and Suburban School Districts in New Jersey
In New Jersey, public education is shaped not only by state standards and funding formulas, but by local context — especially the economic and demographic makeup of each district. This report compares two distinct groups of school districts: seven suburban districts serving some of the state’s wealthiest communities, and seven city districts serving some of its most economically disadvantaged. While...
Out-of-School Placement Rates in NJ Special Education: By Year and Subgroup
This report presents a multi-year overview of special education placement patterns in New Jersey from 2020 to 2024, focusing on students with disabilities ages 5–21. Using publicly available data from the New Jersey Department of Education, it tracks the percentage of students placed in out-of-school settings—such as separate schools, residential facilities, and home/hospital instruction—across a range of demographic groups. The...
Concentrated Influence: Following the Money in NJ Politics (2019–2024) Part 1
State Level Data and Insights Last year, NJ21st published a multi-part series tracking the flow of grey money into County Committees between 2019 and 2023 — helping clarify how more than $50 million from non-individual entities, like PACs, moved through the county networks. This year, we’ve built a more robust infrastructure to collect, clean, and analyze a more complete dataset....
Fewer Borrowers, Heavier Load: New Jersey’s Student Debt Paradox
When it comes to student debt, New Jersey paints a complicated picture—one that’s often overshadowed by larger states like California and Texas. While New Jersey has significantly fewer borrowers overall, the average burden each borrower carries is among the highest in the country. Based on US DOE Data, New Jersey reports approximately 1.23 million student loan borrowers, far fewer than:...
NJ21st Interactive Property Tax Dashboard
The NJ21st Property Tax Dashboard helps residents explore and compare local property tax data across New Jersey. With this tool, you can: Compare your town’s 2024 average school, municipal, county, and total tax payments to those of other towns and cities. View trends from 2019 to 2024 to see how your town’s average tax payments have changed over time—side-by-side with...
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