Description: Many New Jerseyans have long been dissatisfied with the structure of their tax system — a system which relies very heavily on local property taxes. The result is a distribution of the tax burden among individuals and jurisdictions that is widely believed to be unfair and inequitable. Many citizens, business leaders, and current and former public officials shared a frustration with the inability of elected officials--indeed, of the political system itself-to resolve this longstanding issue. In 2003, a New Jersey based grass-roots organization called Coalition for the Public Good worked with Public Agenda to create a different kind of forum in which residents from across the state could engage complex questions of tax reform and demonstrate that reasonable solutions to the current gridlock are possible. This was the beginning of a long-term public engagement and change strategy.

Dates active: Ongoing (started in March 2003)

Web-site for project: http://www.njcpg.org/reports.html

Issue(s): Public finance

Sub-issue(s): tax reform, public engagement, citizen engagement

Level(s): State

Initiators: The New Jersey Coalition for the Public Good, Public Agenda

Particular goals: To create a forum in which New Jerseyans could speak their minds on taxes and demonstrate that reasonable solutions to the problem are possible.

Number of participants/year: One hundred delegates from around the state participated in the 2003 "Citizen's Tax Assembly" and nearly half of the original gr

Population of community: New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the union, with nearly nine million residents.

Time spent by participants: The Citizen's Tax Assembly was a two day event held — symbolically — at the state capitol building in Trenton. A yea

Staffing/funding: Grants from local foundations supported the work of the Coalition as well as Public Agenda's technical assistance.

How meetings were structured: The overall session was divided between large-group plenary meetings and small, diverse break-out groups. All of the latter were facilitated by moderators, all of whom underwent a day-long training from Public Agenda, which helped them understand and practice their facilitative roles. Additionally, Public Agenda and the Coalition for the Public Good developed discussion materials that structured the deliberations of the small groups.

How participants were recruited:

Because New Jersey is an exceedingly diverse state, the coalition knew that it was critical to the legitimacy of their effort that participants represent a range of opinions, positions, demographics, and experience with the issue. The recruiting of participants began with the mailing of 2,000 letters to any and all organizations and associations across the state asking for nominees. Additionally, the coalition placed op-eds in state newspapers, urging those interested to nominate themselves. About 600 names came in, and the Coalition worked to select about 100 delegates from the list. Consideration was given to gender and geographic balance, the idea being to have a group represent and reflect each county's share of the total state population.

Sample outcomes:

In February 2004 the coalition released the report Let the People Speak: Report of the Citizen's Tax Assembly, it also held a press conference attended by many of the original delegates, members of the media, local and state policymakers and other interested parties. Since then the coalition has worked hard to include more citizens in the tax dialogue and has staged numerous regional assemblies. Citizens for the Public Good has continued to lobby for a constitutional convention to address tax reform, and has worked closely with a special commission organized by Gov. Jon Corzine to address the subject. The commission has established itself as a "nonpartisan intermediary organization" and has created a network of dedicated "emissaries" who have taken back what they learned in the assembly process to other civic and/or social groups in which they participate. . While the focus of New Jersey legislators has shifted from tax reform to tax relief, the Assembly was successful in establishing a core group of citizens with the capacity to take on deep-rooted issues of concern and a network for further public engagement. More recently, the Coalition for the Public Good has taken on the matter of senatorial courtesy.

"I would say that absolutely our work has had an effect. For example, the [constitutional] convention idea is an option only because we have shown that citizens can really understand this well enough to be a part of a convention." __Patricia Tieman

Benefits: The Assembly served as a launch pad for ongoing engagement and action on the tax problem, rather than being a one-time affair. The experience of the assembly generated a great deal of attention for the tax issue and proved that "regular" citizens can make a difference in affecting policy. It established the public as a real and concerned collaborator in state policy, willing and able to partner with the state's leaders and elected officials and take action on this complex and contentious issue.

Challenges: Creation of a viable nonpartisan intermediary that could organize and facilitate a statewide engagement process, design of an effective process, and capitalizing on citizen participation.

Full story:

• http://www.publicagenda.org/pubengage/pe_publications.cfm

Related resources:

• http://www.njcpg.org/reports.html

Organizations that helped with this project: Public Agenda helped with strategic planning, advance research, materials development and training. The New Jersey Coalition for the Public Good is working with the League of Municipalities, the Citizens for Property Tax Reform, and has formed relationships with the other state groups including: the Black Ministers Council, AARP, the Latino Leadership Council and various environmental groups throughout the state.

This case contributed by: Will Friedman, Public Agenda, 2006