State of New Jersey
Executive Order #121

Governor Jon S. Corzine
WHEREAS, a key component of this Administration’s efforts to close New Jersey’s structural budget deficit and restore balance and integrity to the State’s finances has been a strategy to substantially reduce the size and cost of State government; and

WHEREAS, an aggressive attrition program over the past two years already has resulted in an overall reduction of nearly 2,000 Executive Branch employees; and

WHEREAS, the recently enacted budget for Fiscal Year 2009 further reduces the cost of State government by nearly $300 million and the number of State Executive Branch employees by between 2,000 and 3,000 through a combination of the Early Retirement Incentive (ERI) program established in P.L.2008, c.21, and the continuation of this Administration’s aggressive attrition program; and

WHEREAS, the significant reduction of Executive Branch employees to be achieved through the ERI initiative and the attrition program will require each department and agency to re-evaluate its priorities and adjust to the reduced workforce, leading to additional savings over time as departments and agencies do more with less and in some cases simply do less; and

WHEREAS, the public interest requires assurance that the workforce reduction to be obtained as a result of the ERI and attrition programs be maintained over time by a cap on the total number of Executive Branch employees to be administered through coordinated workforce reduction planning; and

WHEREAS, a coordinated workforce reduction planning effort also will help ensure that departments and agencies appropriately identify the programs and functions they will no longer be able to administer while retaining the ability to meet critical needs;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JON S. CORZINE, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:

  1. There is hereby established a Workforce Reduction Planning Board (“Board”) to provide advice and recommendations to the Governor regarding implementation of a workforce reduction in the executive branch of State government.

  2. The Board shall be composed of five members as follows: the State Treasurer; the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting in the Department of the Treasury; either the chair of the Civil Service Commission, or a person designated by the Governor; and two persons designated by the Governor. Persons designated by the Governor shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Governor shall select the chair and the vice-chair of the Board.

  3. As soon as practicable after this Order takes effect, the State Treasurer shall certify the number of employees employed in each department, excluding seasonal employees and employees of independent authorities, as of the final pay period in Fiscal Year 2008.

  4. Based on consultation with and recommendations from the Board, the Governor shall establish for each department and each agency that is to be treated for purposes of this Order separately from a department (“separate agency”) the maximum number of employees that will be permitted to be on the department’s or separate agency’s payroll as of the final pay period in Fiscal Year 2009.

  5. The aggregate maximum number of employees permitted to be on the payroll for all departments and separate agencies combined as of the final pay period in Fiscal Year 2009 shall not exceed the number of employees as certified by the State Treasurer pursuant to Paragraph 3 of this Order, less 90% of the number of employees who elect to retire and receive a benefit pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2008, c.21.

  6. The aggregate maximum number of employees permitted to be on the payroll for all departments and separate agencies combined as of the final pay period in Fiscal Year 2009 shall remain as the aggregate maximum number of employees permitted to be on the payroll for all departments and separate agencies combined for subsequent fiscal years unless changed by subsequent Executive Order or action by the Legislature.

  7. Following receipt of its maximum employee count, each department and separate agency shall submit to the Board a plan demonstrating how the department or separate agency intends to achieve and operate within its maximum employee count.

  8. The Board shall review each plan and make recommendations to the Governor regarding approval or modification of each plan. The Governor shall then make a final decision regarding each plan. The Board shall monitor implementation of each approved plan and advise the Governor.

  9. Departments and separate agencies shall not use temporary employee service (TES) employees or persons employed by contractors as permanent replacements for full-time employment positions that have been reduced pursuant to this Order.

  10. Each department and separate agency shall provide the Board with information as requested by the Board, including but not limited to preliminary employee counts, plans, and any other requested information that may assist in the implementation of this Order. The Board and the departments and separate agencies shall interact as necessary in advance of the various deadlines set forth in this Order.

  11. The Board shall provide to the State Treasurer necessary information to be included with the State Treasurer’s reports to the Legislature pursuant to subsection (b) of section 2 of P.L.2008, c.21.

  12. This Order shall take effect immediately and shall continue in full force and effect until rescinded or modified by the Governor, or superseded by statute.

GIVEN, under my hand and seal this 26th day
of September, Two Thousand and Eight, and of
the Independence of the United States, the Two
Hundred and Thirty-Third.

/s/ Jon S. Corzine

Governor

[seal] 

Attest:

/s/ Edward J. McBride, Jr.

Chief Counsel to the Governor