The issue was among several pushed by Christie - including promoting Atlantic City, streamlining civil service rules, and adopting measures aimed at lowering property taxes - that remained unresolved as lawmakers left town for the holidays. Christie voiced frustration that the Legislature had not acted more quickly in all of those areas, though he is scheduled to sign a bill Tuesday that marks a major compromise by the Legislature on capping police and fire employee arbitration awards.
He berated the Legislature for not passing his full "tool kit" of property-tax proposals and said the clock he has been displaying at his town-hall meetings to count the days it had to pass them before the end of 2010 will now run into negative time.
"Now, their homework is overdue," Christie said.
Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester) rejected Christie's criticisms, saying after the session that lawmakers had accomplished a great deal this year and had been willing to work with the governor, a Republican.
The housing bill would have eliminated the Council on Affordable Housing, which enforces towns' court-directed obligations to provide low-income houses, and ended a 2.5 percent fee on nonresidential development that helps offset the cost.
Some critics, including the Fair Share Housing Center of Cherry Hill, have noted that the action would greatly reduce towns' obligation to provide affordable homes, though the proposal maintains housing quotas.
The Assembly - which passed the bill Dec. 13 during its final session of the year - made substantial revisions to the measure since it passed the Senate in June. Christie said he would sign only the original legislation.
