Governor Phil Murphy is expected to sign new tax legislation passed by both houses of the state legislature last week. The bill supported by Democrats in the Assembly and Senate would allow local governments to create utilities that would collect fees from homeowners and business with large paved surfaces like parking lots and even roofs.
The reasoning behind this legislation is these paved surfaces often collect salt, oil drippings, animal waste and other pollutants that make their way into storm drains and eventually rivers, streams and lakes.
The fees collected would go towards improving storm water runoff systems and reducing pollution. The money paid to the new local utility would be in addition to property taxes already being paid on the property. The state DEP will set up guidelines on how these fees would be charged once Governor Murphy signs the bill.
Assemblyman Hal Wirths (24th District) voiced his opposition to the bill on the assembly floor saying: "This is just another tax...I urge my colleagues to vote no on this because it's just never ending down here." Wirths and other opponents have also expressed concerns about the new tax having no cap and creating another bureaucracy.
To me this just looks like another way to raise property taxes without saying "we're raising your property taxes."
Source: Fox News and Save New Jersey