Signs UEZ & Tourism Funding Legislation

 

(WILDWOOD) —At the Wildwood Convention Center, Governor James E. McGreevey today signed into law two pieces of legislation designed to promote economic growth and enhance tourism in Cape May County.  The Governor was joined by Assemblymen Jeff Van Drew and Nicholas Asselta and Senator James Cafiero.

 

“We have a fundamental obligation to foster growth and create jobs in every part of New Jersey,” said McGreevey. “These important pieces of legislation will continue to move Cape May in the right direction.” 

 

The first piece of legislation signed today by Governor McGreevey, Assembly Bill 2187, will enable North Wildwood to continue its participation in the Cape May County Urban Enterprise Zone by modifying the population requirements for a joint urban enterprise zone authorized in a county of the sixth class. The only county of the sixth class is Cape May County.

 

“By continuing the Wildwood UEZ and providing municipalities with an additional funding mechanism to promote tourism, Governor McGreevey has taken action to foster growth in Cape May,” said Van Drew. “The measures signed into law today will directly benefit this region.”

 

Current law authorizes the creation of a joint urban enterprise zone in four specific, adjacent municipalities, defined by their population counts. Based on the 1990 Federal census, the municipalities that met these population criteria were North Wildwood, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and West Wildwood. Under the 2000 census, however, North Wildwood is excluded. This bill modifies the population requirement to include North Wildwood.

 

Assembly Bill 2187, sponsored by Assemblymen Van Drew (D-Cape May/Atlantic/Cumberland) and Asselta (R-Cape May/Atlantic/Cumberland), passed the Assembly 75-0. The Senate version of the bill, Senate Bill 1450, was sponsored by Senator Cafiero (R-Cape May/Atlantic/Cumberland) and passed the Senate 37-0.

 

The second piece of legislation signed by Governor McGreevey, the Assembly Committee Substitute for Assembly Bill 2312, permits the Greater Wildwood tourism improvement and development district to generate additional funds for its efforts to enhance tourism throughout the region.

 

The bill allows municipalities in a “tourism development district” to impose a tourism assessment of up to 1.85% on hotel room rentals. The assessment will fund the activities of the municipality’s tourism authority, including all marketing costs.

 

In addition, the bill removes the current $1,000 cap on tourism development fees, extends those fees to the renters of lodging not subject to the sales and use tax, and, for bars and restaurants, eliminates a fee offset by the amount of any tax on predominantly tourism related retail receipts that they collect.

 

Finally, it allows businesses outside of the tourism district to enter into marketing partnerships with the tourism authority.

 

The Assembly Committee Substitute for Assembly Bill 2312 was also sponsored by Assemblymen Van Drew and Asselta. It passed the Assembly 74-2. The Senate version of the bill, Senate Bill 1142, was sponsored by Senator Cafiero and passed the Senate 39-0.

 

 

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