After a thorough review of fuel consumption statistics and consultation with the Legislative Budget and Finance Officer, the New Jersey Department of the Treasury announced on Aug. 29 that New Jersey’s gas tax rate will decrease by 1 cent per gallon beginning Oct. 1 to comport with the 2016 law that requires a steady stream of revenue to support the state’s Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) program, according to a press release.
“Because actual consumption in Fiscal Year 2022 was moderately above our projections made last August, and consumption in the current fiscal year is projected to be slightly above last fiscal year’s levels, our analysis of the formula dictates a 1-cent decrease this coming October,” State Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio said.
“We are pleased this dedicated funding stream continues to provide billions of dollars across the state to support our critical transportation infrastructure needs,” she said.
Under the 2016 law (Chapter 57) enacted prior to the Murphy Administration, New Jersey’s TTF program is required to provide approximately $16 billion over eight years to support critical infrastructure improvements to the state’s roads and bridges.
In order to ensure the state has the funds necessary to support these projects, the law dictates that the Petroleum Products Gross Receipt tax rate must be adjusted accordingly to generate roughly $2 billion per year, according to the press release.
What is generally called the “gas tax” or the “highway fuels tax” is actually two separate taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel – the Motor Fuels tax and the Petroleum Products Gross Receipts (PPGR) tax.
Under the formula explicitly outlined in the 2016 law, the PPGR tax rate will decrease on Oct. 1 from 31.9 cents to 30.9 cents for gasoline and from 35.9 cents to 34.9 cents for diesel fuel.
When combined with the Motor Fuels Tax, which is fixed at 10.5 cents for gasoline and 13.5 cents for diesel fuel, the total tax rates motorists will pay for gasoline and diesel fuel will be 41.4 cents and 48.4 cents, respectively, according to the press release.
Gov. Phil Murphy has announced a $6.5 million investment in American Rescue Plan funds toward a statewide school security initiative to collect and digitize school building blueprints and make them available to first responders.
Accurate and uniform maps are critical to enable law enforcement personnel to swiftly respond to emergencies in unfamiliar environments, according to a press release from Murphy’s office.
Currently, New Jersey first responders have access to Collaborative Response Graphics (CRG) for approximately 1,500 of the state’s 3,000 public and private schools.
The initiative unveiled by Murphy on Aug. 30 will help the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP) and the New Jersey State Police map the remaining 1,500 schools in an effort to further safeguard New Jersey students and educators, according to the press release.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our children and the educators who help our children achieve their full potential. In order to protect our children and educators, we must equip our first responders with the most up-to-date 21st-century technology so they can respond to emergencies without unnecessary delay,” Murphy said.
The NJOHSP and the state police will contract with an outside vendor to assist with mapping. Once the schematics for every school building are collected, local law enforcement personnel will conduct annual walk-throughs of each building to ensure the mapping data is accurate and up-to-date, according to the press release.
On Sept. 16 at 11 a.m., the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation (NJVVMF) will host a POW/MIA and Gold Star Mothers Recognition Ceremony.
The event is followed by an In Memory program, which honors New Jersey Vietnam veterans who passed away from service-related illnesses. Both events are free and open to the public and will take place at the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial, Holmdel, according to a press release.
Admission to the adjacent Vietnam Era Museum is free for visitors throughout the day.
The POW/MIA and Gold Star Mothers Recognition Ceremony commemorates National POW/MIA Recognition Day, held on the third Friday of September. The event honors America’s prisoners of war, those missing in action, those returned and those still unaccounted for from the nation’s wars, according to the press release.
In addition, NJVVMF will highlight Gold Star mothers in advance of the nationally recognized Gold Star Mother’s Day on Sept. 25.
The POW/MIA event features keynote speaker Colonel (Ret.) Walter R. Nall, Deputy Commissioner of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
Following the Gold Star and MIA/POW service, NJVVMF will host an In Memory program honoring New Jersey Vietnam veterans who passed away from service-related illnesses, but are not recognized on the NJVVMF Memorial Wall.
The NJVVMF In Memory program was created to honor veterans who suffered from illnesses including Agent Orange exposure, Hepatitis C and physical wounds, according to the press release.