Scharfenberger Slams Property Tax Surcharge Bond Bill

Middletown, N.J. – What we have here is,  failure for New Jersey to operate – yet again, according to Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger (R-Monmouth) who decries another excusable course of action, fresh off of the recent toll hikes pursued by the Murphy Administration as New Jersey’s Legislature will decide on bill A-4175 Thursday (June 4^th) which would allow the State to bond for $5 Billion and force New Jersey taxpayers to pay the price through Property Tax Surcharges and Sales Tax Increases over the coming years:

“Just when you thought you heard everything, we have bill A-4175 scheduled for a vote this Thursday, which would allow the state to borrow five billion dollars without voter approval,” exclaimed Scharfenberger. “This, on top of the recent toll hikes, is a double kick in the gut to every single New Jersey resident!”

This costly bill comes as New Jersey residents and business owners are overwhelmingly still reeling due to lock downs and closures with little to no incomes from COVID-19 measures implemented by the Governor and New Jersey Department of Health:

“After mandating people to give up their businesses and their jobs, this bill adds insult to injury by making them pay for the loss of revenue that resulted from the government imposed lockdown,” Scharfenberger continued. “Raising the sales tax, and adding a surcharge to New Jersey’s already highest in the nation property taxes, will be a devastating and quite frankly, a financial death blow to countless people and families.”

Legal concerns are now rising as to whether this course of action is permitted under law since the Legislature is bypassing voter approval which is mandated under New Jersey’s Constitution:

“To make matters worse, the voters don’t even get the opportunity to exercise their legal right to vote on the issue before it becomes law and are instead forced to tread water in Trenton’s wake yet again,” said Scharfenberger. “This is usurping our state’s Constitution.  What good are our laws when those who are writing and supposed to be safeguarding them are the same unceremoniously bypassing them?!”

The Legislature will vote on bill A-4175 on Thursday, June 4^th at 11:00am during their virtual session.

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