The New Jersey Senate has approved a pair of transportation-related bills sponsored by Senator Steven Oroho (R-24) that are designed to reduced the burden on property taxpayers and improve road, bridge and rail safety.

Sen. Steven Oroho’s transportation bills would reduce the burden on property taxpayers and improve road, bridge and rail safety. (SenateNJ.com)

The first bill, S-3076, appropriates $400 million from the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF), including $260 million for immediate road and bridge repairs across the state and $140 million for technology and safety improvements at New Jersey Transit.

“We’re now able to shift much more of the burden of paying for local transportation improvements from property taxpayers to the State,” said Oroho. “That’s the direct result of our successful efforts last year that coupled targeted tax cuts with a plan to take the TTF out of bankruptcy. Local officials can now undertake critical road and bridge repair projects without burdening property taxpayers with the full cost.”

We're now able to shift the burden of paying for local transportation projects from property taxpayers to the State https://t.co/7GkkPr6X4C

— Senator Steven Oroho (@stevenoroho) March 13, 2017

Senator Oroho was instrumental in crafting last year’s Tax Reform and Restructuring Plan, which called for the doubling of local transportation aid to counties and municipalities to help ease the property tax burden. The plan was nationally recognized by the Tax Foundation with its Outstanding Achievement in State Tax Reform award.

The second bill, S-2748, exempts fuel used for the operation of school buses from the state’s motor fuels tax.

“It doesn’t make sense for local governments to use the property taxes they collect from residents to pay other taxes to the state, which is why government vehicles like police cars, fire trucks and ambulances are currently exempt from the state gas tax,” added Oroho. “Since school districts also are funded by property taxpayers, school buses should be exempt from the gas tax as well. That’ll free up money that can better be spent in classrooms or lowering property tax bills.”