Letter to the editor
To the editor:
In the Hillsborough Beacon’s article posted Oct. 3, headlined "Candidates clash over OTW plan’s timing money," I was surprised to read Mr. Tomson’s comment, "Hillsborough officials checked in March and have never found that a 1-percent agreement exists in Gloucester despite what printed reports have said. A provision allowing that was in an older version of the law, before it was amended, he said. He has never seen, nor has anyone shown him, such a provision."
After locating a Jan. 18 article about Gloucester Township negotiating for percent of its OTW’s revenue, I emailed Gloucester Mayor David R. Mayer in April 2014 to verify the information. He responded, "Yes. Under New Jersey State statue, a municipality can get 1 percent of the off-track wagering business’ net profit in addition to the property taxes they will pay to the township." He also added that "this anticipated revenue will help the township."
Considering the possibility that the Gloucester Township OTW agreement had been signed before the 2011 legislative amendments to New Jersey’s off-track wagering law, I located the New Jersey Racing Commission’s minutes of June 19, 2013, regarding the proposed Gloucester Township OTW facility.
I found this comment from Mayor Mayer’s opening statement, "When Chris (McErlean) approached us about seven months ago with this idea, I was immediately on board." This appears to indicate that Gloucester Township was first approached at the end of 2012, under the same regulations that are now being applied in Hillsborough.
Susan Gulliford
Hillsborough