NEWS RELEASE
Salem County Board of Chosen Freeholders
92 Market Street. Salem, N.J. 08079
Contact: Rita Shade Simpson, Clerk of the Board/Administrator
April 23, 2002
The Salem County Board of Chosen Freeholders, critical of the governors failure to abandon a plan to end New Jerseys reciprocal tax agreement with Pennsylvania, said 5% of Salem Countys work force will have to pay higher state taxes.
"Now hes calling it an interstate tax so South Jersey residents think hes talking about a motor vehicle surcharge and dont read past the headlines?" said Sparks. "After an initial outcry from legislators, the governor led us to believe he would pull the proposal off the table. He has not. South Jersey residents will be paying thousands of extra dollars in income taxes."
On April 17, the Salem County Board of Chosen Freeholders unanimously passed a Resolution opposing Governor McGreeveys proposal to end the reciprocity agreement between New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The Board agreed that maintaining the reciprocity agreement within the state budget should not be contingent upon offsetting the cost with cuts elsewhere in the budget that impact South Jersey.
"Historically, Southern Jersey and Salem County in particular do not receive their fair share of revenue," said Sparks.
"Right now, the governor continues to funding various projects in the northern counties, but still refuses to release a $13 million infrastructure grant that was in the state budget and appropriated for economic development in Salem County."