Joseph H. Vicari, Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners, is again calling on state leaders to block another increase to the state gasoline tax.
“Enough is enough,” Vicari said about the pending increase that will raise gasoline taxes by nearly a penny. “Our residents and our seniors are tired of paying these extra costs pushed on us by Trenton lawmakers.”
Vicari penned a letter to the county’s state legislators asking them to take “whatever action is possible to stop these increases.”
As he has done many times in the past, Vicari argued that gasoline taxes are especially unfair to Ocean County residents, who bear more than their share of the tax burden.
“Ocean County lacks the sprawling mass transit networks of Northern New Jersey, forcing our commuters to rely on their private vehicles,” he said. “Our residents also face a longer drive to reach the commercial hubs of New York City and surrounding communities.”
Vicari pointed to federal census statistics that show more than 108,000 Ocean County residents commute 30 minutes or more to work. More than 90,000 people also travel outside of the county to reach their workplace.
Additionally, more than 82 percent of local commuters use their own private vehicle. Only 2 percent rely on public transportation.
“This is a far cry from Northern New Jersey counties that are served by numerous bus, train and light rail line,” Vicari said. “The gas tax is unfair to Ocean County residents who have no other choice than to drive to work.”
Ocean County also gets slighted when it comes to gas tax money being used for road improvements, he said.
“As usual, most of the money finds its way to Northern New Jersey,” Vicari said. “Decades of unfulfilled promises from the state to improve Route 9 are an example of this ongoing slight.”
The state gasoline tax is slated to increase by 0.9 cents in October.