Clark v. Degnan

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

SCHREIBER, J.

The question raised in this action is whether state-mandated expenditures by the County of Hudson for public welfare assistance, maintenance of county patients in state institutions, and operation of the court system cannot either individually or in total exceed the prior year’s payments by more than the 5% limit of the county “Cap” statute (“Cap Law”), N.J.S.A. 40A:4-45.2 and -45.4. That law generally prohibits a county from increasing its county tax levy or final appropriations in excess of 5% of the previous year’s figures. Put another…