The United States might be the “land of the free,” but some states are clearly freer than others. Based on a new national ranking, New Yorkers have the worst claim to the benefits of a free society.

This week, the North Carolina-based John Locke Foundation published its inaugural First in Freedom Index.

Credit: Governor’s Office/Tim Larsen

In New Jersey, school districts pay the salaries of their teachers, but it’s the state that picks up the costs of their retirements. Cities and towns, meanwhile, cover their employees’ salaries as well as their retirement costs.

That split responsibility is at the heart of one of the core elements of the sweeping changes to public employee benefits that were put forward last week by the nonpartisan commission of experts impaneled by Gov.

The luxury Hilltop apartments will generate more than $663,000 in revenue for Verona in 2015.

Town trucks plow school lots. Town lawnmowers cut school grass. At the Town Council meeting on February 17, Town Manager Joe Martin claimed that the municipal government does $100,000 in work on behalf of Verona public schools each year that it does not bill to the Board of Education.

2014: $8,161

2013: $7,988

2012: $7,885

2011: $7,759

2010: $7,576

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Source: New Jersey Department of Community Affairs

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie put overhauling New Jersey’s debt-laden public pension system at the heart of his state budget address this week. But there was one area he did not mention: property taxes.

It was a surprising omission if only because New Jersey’s property taxes are higher than any other state’s, with the average property owner paying $8,161 in taxes in 2014, according to state figures.

Posted: Tuesday, March 3, 2015 3:00 am

Make property tax reform a priority

Union County Manager Alfred Faella proposed a $492 million budget that is $10.7 million less than the last budget, but still carries a $57 average tax increase. (NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

ELIZABETH — Union County has proposed $492 million budget for fiscal year 2015 that is $10.7 million less than last year’s budget, but will add about $57 to the average county homeowners tax bill.