On April 5, 2018 Walter Rand Institute Faculty Fellow Michael Hayes presented findings from his “Our Piece of the Pie” study at WRI’s Forum About South Jersey. More than 80 people attended the Forum to learn about the distribution of state funds to municipalities across New Jersey.
It has long been speculated that South Jersey, in comparison to the rest of the State, does not receive a representative share of public funding when one considers population size and taxable property value. Professor Hayes’ study controlled for these factors and others and determined that South Jersey’s most economically distressed municipalities receive significantly less state funding assistance than similarly poor municipalities elsewhere throughout the state.
Forum attendees listened intently to Professor Hayes’ findings as well as a response panel of experts which included Honorable Assemblywoman Partricia Egan Jones; Honorable Mayor Frank Gilliam of Atlantic City; Daniel Lombardo, President/CEO of Volunteers of America Delaware Valley; and Honorable Mayor James Maley of Collingswood. The panelists reacted to the report’s findings and addressed how funding disparities influence their decision making.
The report has garnered substantial attention.
The executive summary, full report, media coverage, presentation, and press release can be found here.