By Peggy Carroll
The polls are open on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. To find your polling place, see your sample ballot or check our box below.
As much as you may doubt it, the race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is not the only thing on the 2016 Election ballot.
Voters across Greater Morristown will also be voting on who they want to represent them in state, county and local government. And along with the rest of the state, they’ll say yes or no to two proposed amendments to the state constitution.
One would allow casino gambling in two unspecified counties in northern New Jersey. The other mandates dedicating all the proceeds from taxes on motor fuel and petroleum products to the Transportation Trust Fund.
WHERE TO VOTE:
Question 1. Just 40 years to the week after voters approved gambling in Atlantic City, this proposal reopens the issue. Groups, both pro and con, have spent massive amounts of money, topping previous records for spending on a public question.
More than $24 million has been lavished on ads, from TV to mailers.
Opposition mailers turned up last week, even though supporters, who put $8 million into the fray, have already sent up a white flag. They stopped their advertising more than a month ago, when a survey by the Fairleigh Dickinson University poll showed 70 percent of New Jersey voters in opposition.
Of course, the question still is on the ballot.
What’s it all about?
Atlantic City, the only New Jersey city where casinos are legal, has seen a steep decline as gambling as other states have built their own gambling halls. Five of Atlantic City’s casinos have closed in just the last two years. Nor did the “Great Recession” help.
The proposed amendment answers this problem by calling for two casinos in two separate counties at least 72 miles north of Atlantic City.
Supporters say this these new venue would create thousands of jobs and raise millions of dollars. A cut would be used to shore up Atlantic City and another would bolster the lagging horse-racing industry. The money also would fund programs for older residents and make sure the state stays competitive in the region’s gaming industry.
Opponents disagree. They argue that new casinos would kill much of what’s left in Atlantic City.
Another sticking point: The amendment doesn’t say where the casinos would be, which county or which city. Nor does it say what taxes they would pay.
The chief opponent is called Trenton’s Bad Bet, funded in part by Gaming New York, which owns Resorts World Casino in New York City. Its ads exploit voter distrust of Trenton and frustration with recent government flaps about the transportation trust fund — it ran out of money – and with pension fund deficits.
Leading the pro-casino question is Our Turn NJ, funded by former Reebok CEO Paul Fireman and developer Jeff Gural. They have supported building casinos in Jersey City at Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford.
Political pundits says the question is not whether the question will fail, but by how much.
ALLOCATING GAS TAXES
The second question was pretty much a slam dunk – until the recent 23-cent increase in the gas tax. It passed the Legislature with just one “no” vote .
Now, it’s not so easy. Supporters worry that voters, angry about the significant jump, will react with a “no” vote.
The Engineers Labor-Employer Cooperative is supporting the referendum; Gov. Chris Christie supports it; Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno does not.
Its object is to protect motor fuel revenue from being diverted by the government to close budget loopholes,and to make sure that it goes to legitimate transportation needs.
There’s a good deal of money involved.
The state expects to collect $1.16 billion a year from the new gasoline tax, $31.1 million a year from increased taxes on non-motor fuels, and $39.6 million a year from a diesel surcharge.
Right now, the 10.5 cent per gallon tax on the sale of unleaded gasoline and 10.5 cents of the 13.5 cent per gallon tax on the sale of diesel fuel are dedicated to the Transportation Trust Fund. The remaining 3 cent diesel tax, which generates about $25 million a year, is required to be spent on transportation by law but not under the constitution.
Another $15 million collected through the petroleum products gross tax receipts that also is not dedicated would be included. Most importantly, the amendment would direct all new dollars from the gas tax increase to the trust fund.
Supporters warned that if voters vote no in anger, it will not erase the tax hike. That would take a repeal – by the same body that just voted for it.
In addition, you will be asked to vote on:
- House of Representatives, 11th District
- Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders ( three seats)
- In Morris Plains, two seats on the Borough Council and three seats on the Board of Education
- In Morris Township, one seat on the Township Committee
- In the Morris School District; one seat for a Morristown member, two for Morris Township.
See our MorristownGreen.com stories…
Then VOTE!
Check back here on Election Night for results!
