June 21, 2010

DiCICCO: DEMOCRATS ONCE AGAIN FAIL TO ADDRESS FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP'S UNEQUAL TREATMENT ASSEMBLY APPROVES BILL TO HELP BUSINESSES COMPETING AGAINST REDUCED SALES TAX RATE, BUT NOT THOSE IN FRANKLIN

Assembly Democrats today rejected a motion by Assemblyman Domenick DiCicco to include Franklin Township in legislation that would help businesses in towns surrounded by areas that are allowed to charged reduced sales tax.

Franklin Township does not meet the technical criteria of A-2572/S-1794 because it does not border two Urban Enterprise Zones, or UEZs, but it is essentially in the same situation because it abuts the Vineland UEZ and Salem County, which is allowed to charge 3.5 percent sales tax because of it's near Delaware, which has no sales tax.

DiCicco, R-Gloucester and Camden, raised the issue when the bill was released from committee earlier this month and was given assurance by Assembly Democrats that they would amend the bill before final legislative approval.

"The intent of this bill is good, but it should be applied equally. Businesses in Franklin are disadvantaged because competitors are allowed to charge half-rate sales tax," DiCicco said. "Businesses struggling to survive in Franklin Township will be disappointed to see that once again Trenton has failed to address this long-standing problem."

DiCicco made a motion to amend the bill to include Franklin Township, but it was rejected largely along party lines.

"It should come to no surprise that Assemblyman Moriarty failed to get his party to do the right thing for Franklin Township businesses, but it's a shame because when officials put politics ahead of policy, the people suffer," DiCicco said.