Sponsored by:
Assemblyman GILBERT "WHIP" L. WILSON
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
Authorizes certain municipalities to impose parking surcharges.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act authorizing certain municipalities to impose certain surcharges and supplementing P.L.1970, c.326.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. A municipality that has been under rehabilitation and economic recovery pursuant to the "Municipal Rehabilitation and Economic Recovery Act," P.L.2002, c.43 (C.52:27BBB-1 et al.) may adopt an ordinance imposing the surcharge provided under subsection b. of section 6 of P.L.1970, c.326 (C.40:48C-6) on any facility, or any portion of a facility, situated within its borders. All surcharges collected under an ordinance adopted pursuant to this section shall be used for the purpose of demolishing and removing abandoned buildings and structures in the municipality, notwithstanding the provisions of subsection b. of section 6 of P.L.1970, c.326 (C.40:48C-6) to the contrary. Any collections in excess of the amount necessary for this purpose shall be used for infrastructure projects in the municipality.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would authorize municipalities that have been under rehabilitation and economic recovery pursuant to the "Municipal Rehabilitation and Economic Recovery Act," P.L.2002, c.43 (C.52:27BBB-1 et al.) (currently, the City of Camden) to impose the surcharges on fees for special event parking provided under subsection b. of section 6 of P.L.1970, c.326 (C.40:48C-6). These municipalities have suffered severe fiscal distress, require substantial State assistance, and face long roads to financial recovery and stability. This bill would provide these municipalities with an additional revenue source to fund clearance and other projects vital to generating economic growth, which, over time, would help lessen their need to rely on State aid.
Under current law, only certain municipalities are authorized to impose these special event parking surcharges. Specifically, these are municipalities with populations over 200,000, those with populations between 100,000 and 125,000 and which are contiguous with a municipality already imposing these surcharges, and those with a population density greater than 10,000 persons per square mile and which are located within a county of the first class. This bill would extend the authority to impose these surcharges to municipalities that have been under rehabilitation and economic recovery pursuant to the "Municipal Rehabilitation and Economic Recovery Act" (currently, the City of Camden).
Under the bill, all surcharges collected by a qualifying municipality would have to be used for the purpose of demolishing and removing abandoned buildings or structures, but, if there are any collections in excess of the amount necessary for this purpose, the remainder would have to be used for infrastructure projects.