Four candidates for State Assembly for District 12, which covers parts of Monmouth and Mercer counties, agree that spending, ethics reform, property taxes, and education are among the issues that most concern voters.

But, as always, they differ on the details.

For example, all four candidates want a more equitable method of funding for New Jersey"s 625 school districts.

For incumbents Mike Panter and Amy Mallet, the Democratic candidates, relief should come from adjusting the formula for funding the so-called Abbott districts, poorer districts that receive additional funding under a court-ordered mandate.

"The current funding formula unfairly and sometimes inaccurately provides Abbott districts with additional funding, while suburban communities are falling short and are forced to cut quality educational programs," said Mallet.

Removing from the program certain Abbott districts that no longer qualify to receive additional funding will save taxpayers millions of dollars, she added.

For Republican candidates Caroline Casagrande and Declan O"Scanlon, however, the answer lies in taxpayer relief and overhauling overall state spending patterns.

"Capping state spending at a reasonable level could result in savings of millions of dollars," O"Scanlon said. "Changing the way in which New Jersey buys its health insurance would also bring about additional savings. We are facing huge challenges that will decide the future of this state."

Panter, a Shrewsbury resident who beat O"Scanlon by fewer than 100 votes in 2004, is seeking his third term in the Assembly. Mallet, a Fair Haven resident and member of Monmouth County"s Jewish community, is a first-time Assembly candidate.

Both are offering ideas on ethics reform, after a spate of high-profile corruption cases unusual even by New Jersey"s infamous standards.

Last year, Panter authored a bill that banned dual office-holding (Gov. Jon Corzine recently signed the bill into law). He has called for mandatory imprisonment and the forfeiture of pension and retirement benefits for public officials or employees who have been convicted of crimes that involve their public offices.

"Monmouth County voters wanted their legislators to address the issue of dual office-holding and the corruption it breeds; they wanted a real commitment from the members of the State Assembly," Panter told NJ Jewish News. "It"s part of the public"s overall concern that ethical practices have not always been a priority in Trenton."

Mallet said the elimination of conflicts of interest at the state level also would have a positive effect on New Jersey"s weary taxpayers.

"The cost of investigating those who abuse the system is staggering," Mallet told NJ Jewish News. "I think state residents would be very satisfied if these enormous legal costs could be reduced. They should not have to bear that burden."

The escalating cost of living in Monmouth County is what prompted Casagrande, a resident of Colts Neck making her first Assembly bid, to run for office.

"Affordability — the cost of living here in Monmouth County — is a critical focus area for me," she told NJ Jewish News. "The tax rate in the county is becoming impossibly high, and people in all age groups are faced with the prospect of moving somewhere else."

As a result, the state stands to lose business and workers, Casagrande added.

"The motivation and energy of county residents is one of our greatest resources," she said. "It"s a resource that we cannot afford to lose. This kind of loss affects the housing market, as well as the general economy of this county and this state. The impact is severe."

County residents are also concerned about preservation of open space, Casagrande said.

"We need to secure open space now," she said. "There may not be an opportunity to do it in the future. And state and municipal officials need to work together to examine what Green Acres funds can and should do. The county and the state must be kept safe from overdevelopment."

O"Scanlon, a Little Silver resident and member of the borough council since 1994 (his current council term expires Dec. 31), said voters tell him they are concerned about the quality of education.

"I must have knocked on 10,000 doors during this campaign, and the topic of education came up over and over again," he told NJ Jewish News. "There are school districts that don"t receive adequate funding, while other districts get more than is really necessary."

District 12 includes Colts Neck, Marlboro, Manalapan , Millstone, Englishtown, East Windsor, Hightstown, Freehold Township, Freehold Boro, Tinton Falls, Shrewsbury Township, Shrewsbury Boro, Oceanport, Little Silver, Red Bank, and Fair Haven.

Two members are elected from each of New Jersey"s 40 legislative districts for a term of two years. Voters need not vote a straight party ticket.