SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — There's a $1 billion hole to fill in the New Jersey Transit budget, and Governor Phil Murphy proposed a new tax on large companies to provide a dedicated funding source.
But members of the business community don't like the idea of footing the bill.
Christina Renna is president of the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey and she said businesses in South Jersey would be paying into a system they don't really benefit from as most rail lines are in the northern part of the state.
There are just two rail lines part of the New Jersey Transit system — the River Line and Atlantic City Line — that are south of Trenton.
"Why should South Jersey businesses have to pay for something they do not use and can't use even if they wanted to because there's very limited access?" said Renna. "It was disappointing that all of the dysfunction in New Jersey Transit, that no one denies is there, has somehow become the business community's responsibility to fix it."
She also said businesses she's spoken to aren't happy about the governor asking them to contribute to World Cup promotional efforts with one hand and raising taxes on them with the other.
"He can't have it both ways," said Renna.
Eight World Cup games will happen in New Jersey in 2026, including the final on July 19, 2026. All will be at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, which is also in North Jersey.
The tax is not final and things could change before the final budget is drafted and voted on July 1, 2024.
