At 89, Kendall Park's Ernest Reock Jr. continues as go-to resource for N.J. government
Michelle H. Daino
Correspondent;
Taking day trips, playing shuffleboard or idling the days away was not how Ernest Reock, Jr. envisioned his retirement from Rutgers' Center for Government Services (CGS) in 1992. Nearly 90, he insists on joining his colleagues at the center to make his mark in state government.
When he served as the director of the center, which was known as the Bureau of Government Research, from 1960 to 1992, Reock juggled several administrative responsibilities which kept him from doing the research he longed to do.
"I can do that now," he said, "plus, I like the work and I like the people here."
Reock continues his vital role as one of the primary researchers of the New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, which recently enjoyed its 38th publication. He conceived the "Data Book" in the 1970s when the state increased and redrew its formerly county-based legislative districts. The first publication was issued in 1976.
But, Reock's road to politics and to being one of the most widely-respected resources on state government was, as he described, "a zigzag," paved with different goals.
"In 1942, I started out my studies at Rutgers in mechanical engineering," the Belleville native explained. "After one year, I went into a Naval training program at Swarthmore College. But, then I was commissioned into service by the Navy in 1945. I returned to Rutgers but decided not to pursue mechanical engineering and decided to major in history instead."
Reock earned his undergraduate degree in history in 1948, received his master's degree in history in 1950 and his doctorate in political science in 1959.
He was working at the Bureau of Government Research for six months when he was called back into service for the Korean War. While he did not see combat, he served on a Naval destroyer from 1951 to 1953. Finally, he settled back into his work at Rutgers, where he served as the director of the bureau or CGS until his retirement.
"I've published one book, 'Unfinished Business: The New Jersey Constitutional Convention of 1966,' and lots of research papers," Reock said.
Developing the idea for the "Data Book," however, was based on the 1973 court case of Robinson vs. Cahill in which the state supreme court declared that the funding of the state's schools was unconstitutional. In 1974, the legislative staff was stretched thin doing its regular tasks, making it hard to revise state aid laws for schools. The staff turned to the Bureau of Government Research for help.
"The whole system of electing our legislators had changed due to the 1966 convention," explained Reock. Legislators who normally ran for office from their counties were now running from specific districts that they were not well-versed about or familiar with.
"Little data was available to them about their actual districts," he said.
The "Data Book" has changed all of that. Flash forward from 1976 when the first edition was printed to 2014, and Reock and his colleagues are already busily working on the 39th tome.
"It has been considered very useful by legislators, especially in the early years of its publication, who hadn't had that type of resource before," reported Reock, who served as the book's editor until his retirement and is now one of four employees who work on the book.
The current edition includes, for the first time, unemployment, food stamp (SNAP) usage, preschool population, and crime statistics for all 565 municipalities, in addition to its comprehensive data on population and demographics, voter turnout, property taxes, school performance, and fiscal resources.
Used by legislators, municipal officials, advocacy groups, researchers and the media, the "Data Book" is one of the most comprehensive sources of official New Jersey data and information published in the state.
According to Reock, plans are underway to make the publication available as an interactive, online database available to wider audiences.
A modest man makes his mark
It is fair to say that Reock has been long considered the go-to person when consulting on crucial state issues. He consults regularly with municipal charter commissions and works on the issue of property taxes, a topic that has been his passion for quite some time. He also worked at the constitutional convention in 1966.
"The last four times that the legislature has been redistricted has been done after the census, which comes up every 10 years," he said. "A commission is responsible for redistricting and I was a staff member for the 11th representative of that commission."
"I also ran a training program for tax assessors in the 1950s and wrote a paper recently (2008) on what communities are hit the hardest with property taxes," said Reock.
Entitled "Determinants of Property Tax Burden in New Jersey," Reock helps identify the causes of the tax burden in cities and towns, looking specifically at a comparison of 2008 and 2004 to identify statewide changes in property taxes, such as declining property values, which impacted the tax burdens across the state.
Through the years, Reock has proudly been able to reach across the aisle and work between both Republican and Democratic parties.
"I hope to be remembered as a conscientious, nonpartisan researcher and contributor to government in New Jersey," he said.
"I have faith in government and believe that it really is for the common good and I want to make it better."
To order copies of the 2013 Data Book at $100 per copy or in electronic format for $250, visit http://cgs.rutgers.edu/publications.