JERSEY CITY – The mayors of the three largest cities in New Jersey – two of which, Newark and Jersey City, are potential host communities for casinos — released a joint statement Monday endorsing Speaker Vincent Prieto’s plan.
The significance is massive, as the three urban mayors have formed a close legislative bond and secondly because they control the zoning for the cities that would be saddled with added expenses of any potential casinos. In the statement, they outline their concerns on the fairness for North Jersey of the revenue split proposed by the senate president.
“As the deadline for legislative action looms in Trenton, it is important that we voice support for Speaker Prieto’s casino legislation, which best addresses the needs of North Jersey. Senate President Sweeney’s bill takes half of the money raised by potential North Jersey casinos and sends it to one South Jersey municipality, while the other 564 municipalities in New Jersey split the remaining revenue. Under the Sweeney bill, North Jersey municipalities endure the infrastructure and public safety burdens that casinos invite, but the revenue is disproportionately given to Sweeney’s South Jersey constituents, saddling northern municipalities with additional burdens and less resources to address those burdens. Senate President Sweeney’s proposal is wrong for North Jersey.”
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