SENATE COMMUNITY AND URBAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE, No. 4749

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 4, 2025

      The Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee reports favorably a Senate Committee Substitute for Senate Bill No. 4749.

      As substituted and reported, this bill amends the P.L.1978, c.14 definition of a "qualifying municipality" for the purpose of receiving urban aid to include a city of the fourth class, or a municipality with certain population demographics in a county of the sixth class where the city or the municipality has either the highest effective property tax rate in the county, or is within the top three percent of the most distressed municipalities in the State, as determined by the most recent Department of Community Affairs' Municipal Revitalization Index, or both.  The provisions of the bill allow the City of Wildwood and the Borough of Woodbine, both in Cape May County, to qualify as urban aid municipalities under P.L.1978, c.14.

      In addition to the classification for the purposes of urban aid under P.L.1978, c.14, the bill will, by effect of existing references to P.L.1978, c.14 in current law, also extend other benefits and considerations available to urban aid municipalities to the City of Wildwood and the Borough of Woodbine.