DePhillips Demands Sherrill Go on Record to Reject Sales Tax Increase Rumors
December 4, 2025, 2:59 pm | in
DePhillips Demands Sherrill Go on Record to Reject Sales Tax Increase Rumors
12/4/2025
Assemblyman DePhillips is calling on Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill to reject the rumor she is seeking a sales tax increase and to commit to advancing affordability.
Where there is smoke, there is usually fire, says Assemblyman Christopher DePhillips of the rumors that Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill and her transition team are working with Trenton Democrats to raise the sales tax to 7% before she takes office. The Republican lawmaker is calling on Sherrill to issue an official on-the-record response that rejects the rumors and commits her administration to making New Jersey more affordable.
“Sherrill and legislative Democrats campaigned on affordability, but have flipped the script now that the election is over. Instead of hiding behind a spokesperson and avoiding any kind of accountability, Sherrill needs to personally kill the sales tax hike rumors by going on record. Struggling New Jersey residents deserve a commitment that her transition team and future administration will reject increasing taxes,” DePhillips said.
DePhillips, who serves as the Assembly Republican Conference Leader, recently introduced legislation (A6006) cutting the state’s sales and use tax to 6% from 6.625% to pressure Democratic lawmakers to follow through on their election-year, cost-cutting promises.
“If this incoming administration is serious about affordability, Sherrill will endorse my tax cut proposal when she responds to reporters,” he said. “Trenton doesn’t need more money when a driver gets a car repaired, or eats breakfast at a diner. The state sales tax has been feeding bloated budgets and is a regressive tax that disproportionately hurts residents with less income.”
Unlike income tax revenue, which is constitutionally dedicated to programs that reduce the property tax burden, the sales tax money goes into the state budget’s general fund. It currently adds more than $14 billion a year to New Jersey’s coffers.
In June, Murphy and fellow Democrats passed and signed a nearly $60 billion budget, the largest in the state's history, that outpaced revenue collections by $1.5 billion. To address the structural deficit, they diverted money from the surplus.
“The proposal to increase the sales tax to 7% during lame duck is very concerning, not only because Trenton Democrats have tried it before, but because there is a massive hole to fill in next year’s budget. The majority party has an insatiable appetite for spending other people’s money and Sherrill has not done anything to quell justified fears,” DePhillips added.
Despite releasing ads falsely claiming her Republican opponent Jack Ciattarelli would increase the sales tax to 10%, Sherrill refused to take a stand on the issue during the gubernatorial debates. When asked if she would consider raising the sales tax, she said, “I’m not going to commit to anything right now, because I’m not just going to tell you whatever you want to hear.”
“Her response then was a red flag and her silence now is a red flag,” DePhillips said. “Sherrill must clearly state she does not want a sales tax increase, she does not want the Legislature to pass a sales tax increase in lame duck, and she does not want Murphy to sign a sales tax increase. By doing that, and signaling support for my bill to lower the sales tax, she can hold onto a shred of credibility during a time when many do not have trust in her promise or ability to make New Jersey more affordable.”
