Little Silver Awarded $275K To Repave Markham Place

Little Silver Mayor Bob Neff

The Borough of Little Silver has been award $275,000 of Transportation Trust Fund money for the repaving on Markham Place, Mayor Bob Neff announced this afternoon.

The grant is part of the Department of Transportation’s 2019 Municipal Aid Program and is funded by the State gas tax, DOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said in her letter to Neff.  NJDOT received 681 applications requesting $377.9 million this year.  The competitive program only has $161.25 million available in 2019.

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Doherty’s long term support for the gas tax increase, toll hikes and other profitable ventures

Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty, a candidate for Monmouth County Freeholder, is a long term supporter of the gas tax increase that is up for a vote in the State Legislature on Friday.

In 2014, Doherty wrote a letter endorsing the work of Foward New Jersey, a coalition of unions and other special interest groups who will collect the $2 million per mile construction costs that the $.23 per gallon gas tax  will fund. Forward New Jersey has been lobbying for the gas tax increase for almost two years and is waging a social media campaign to counter the grass-roots opposition to the tax increase as you are reading this article.  Doherty’s letter can be found here.

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Votes by N.J. lawmakers on 23-cent gas tax hike deal stalled until Friday

TRENTON — Planned votes on measures to raise the gasoline tax 23 cents a gallon to raise money for road improvements and cut $1.4 billion in taxes were put off two days after proponents ran into a procedural hurdle in the state Senate on Wednesday. Senators said Wednesday the upper chamber was short the 30 votes… Read the rest of this entry »

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Despite TTF Deal, It’s Still Unclear When Roadwork Will Resume in New Jersey

With the political impasse over transportation funding that has gripped Trenton for the past three months now settled, New Jersey lawmakers are scheduled to vote tomorrow on the legislation that will hike the state’s gas tax by 23 cents. The proposed increase already has Gov. Chris Christie’s endorsement and is expected to pass with bipartisan support.… Read the rest of this entry »

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Christie, Democrats take another stab at ending N.J. road funding crisis

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie has resumed talks with Democratic legislative leaders in another attempt to end a stalemate over transportation funding that prompted a statewide road construction shutdown heading into its third month. Christie met with Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson) on Monday, and will meet with Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester), as well this… Read the rest of this entry »

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Christie issues Executive Order to fund transportation projects from the general state fund

file photo

Governor Chris Christie announced this afternoon that he has ordered the State Treasurer to fund transportation projects that are absolutely essential for the protection of the health, safety, and welfare of the people of the State of New Jersey, or that are required to ensure the receipt of federal funding.

The Governor’s announcement comes as the Transportation Trust Fund is on the verge of running out of money.  The legislature failed to pass a funding mechanism for the fund by June 30th.  Christie subsequently shut down all non-essential projects and those not at risk of losing federal funding.

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O’Scanlon addresses his critics regarding his declining to vote on the Assembly gas tax bill

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon, the Republican Budget Officer in the Assembly and a representative of northern Monmouth County in the lower house of the legislature has taken some criticism here in the MMM comments and on facebook for not voting on the Transportation Trust Fund bill that was sprung on the Assembly by Speaker Vincent Prieto and Governor Chris Christie in the middle of the night on June 30.  The bill, which would have increased the gas tax by $.23 per gallon and lowered the state sales tax from 7% to 6% passed in the Assembly and was never voted on by the Senate.

Now almost six weeks later with the TTF still not renewed and road projects stalled throughout the state, O’Scanlon said that he believes “even more strongly that my decision was exactly the right one.”

O’Scanlon issued the following statement to MMM to explain his decision not to vote on the Assembly TTF bill:

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N.J. gas tax deal goes through committee, but still won’t get past Christie

TRENTON — In the ongoing road funding battle, the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on Friday advanced legislation raising the tax on gasoline sold in New Jersey by 23 cents and offering tax breaks to seniors, veterans and the working poor. But the vote — 8-4 with one abstention — could be in vain if Democrats… Read the rest of this entry »

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Arnone: Shark River dredging to restart imminently

Freehold Director Tom Arnone told MoreMonmouthMusings that the NJ Department of Transportation has agreed to restart the Shark River dredging project despite the fact that the Transportation Trust Fund has yet to be renewed and funded. The news came to Arnone from a DOT official via phone after business hours on Wednesday.

NJ DOT spokesman Kevin Israel confirmed that the project will restart in an email to MMM.

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With transportation funding negotiations deadlocked, County has plan to restart Shark River dredging

Freeholder Director Tom Arnone said he will announce a plan to restart the Shark River dredging project Wednesday morning at the Shark River Marina in Neptune Township.

The project, which had restarted on schedule on July 1 was halted at midnight on July 8 when Governor Christie’s executive order halting projects funded by the Transportation Trust Fund took effect.

The legislature failed to pass TTF funding with a $.23 per gallon gas tax on June 30th. The Senate’s plan was to increase the gas tax while phasing out the estate tax and reducing income taxes on retirees.  Christie and the Assembly agreed on a bill that would have raised the gas tax and reduced the sales tax from 7% to 6%.  Senate President Steve Sweeny and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto agreed to pass a revised version of the Senate’s original bill last week.  Yesterday, Christie said the Democrats plan is “dead on arrival.”

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