New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed legislation on Thursday that will end the tax-sharing agreement that cost Secaucus millions each year.

The act will merge the New Jersey Meadowlands Authority and New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and puts the final nail in the coffin of the agreement that Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli has criticized heavily in the past.

Gonnelli reacted jubilantly on his Facebook page, saying:

Secaucus history was made today, the governor sign a bill eliminating tax sharing once and for all ! The bill also combines the Meadowlands commission and the sports authority into one new agency. What does this mean for us a savings of over 2.9 million dollars a year and more home rule ! All and all its been a pretty amazing day!

A New Jersey Assemblyman is proposing that the state gradually implements self-service gas stations.

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (R-Red Bank), who clearly needs to be removed from office, is leading the effort to end the New Jersey ban on self-service stations, which are currently illegal in the state.

The proposal would require all gas stations to keep one full service island for three years and provide safety signs for customers pumping their own gas. Self-serve stations will not be mandatory, only legal where possible.

O’Scanlan claims the market should decide whether the self-service stations are feasible and that a law should not prevent their existence. Of course, the move would likely lead to job loss for gas station workers, but – O’Scalan argues – cheaper gas.

The other issue is whether New Jersey residents are willing – or able – to pump their own gas on a regular basis.

New Jersey and Oregon are the only states in the U.S. that forbid drivers from pumping their own gas.

The Jersey Journal performed a recent poll in Jersey City and Secaucus to see what people thought about Governor Chris Christie announcing his nomination for the 2016 presidential election.

The informal poll simply asked the opinion of passers by, most of whom showed outright disdain for the governor. An online poll conducted by NJ.com reveals that 76 percent of people categorize Christie’s chance as “Poor”.

Christie has been a political ally of Secauucs Mayor Michael Gonnelli, who received effusive praise from some residents in The Jersey Journal poll.

“Our mayor, however, is the best, he always knows what’s going on.”

The consensus by political pundits is that Christie has little chance of securing the Republican nomination, but a lot can happen until the election.

In news that should surprise no one, a new report has found that New Jersey carries the highest tax burden in the nation.

The website Truth in Accounting found that New Jersey has $52,300 per taxpayer in tax debt due to a $160 billion budget shortfall. The website, which did not include property taxes in its formula, simply divided each state’s total debt by the number of taxpayers in the state.

Connecticut came in second but its tax debt was still nearly $4,000 per taxpayer less than the Garden State.

Truth in Accounting indicates that the New Jersey tax burden increased almost $20,000 per taxpayer since 2014, primarily due to the unfunded liability for public employee pensions. The state owes $186 billion in retirement benefits.

Secaucus’ assemblyman Vincent Prieto told NJ 101.5 that the state has a “revenue problem” while his Republican counterpart Jon Bramnick (Westfield) blames the Democratic Party for raising taxes 115 times in 13 years.

Tuesday’s election results have been tallied and The Hudson Reporter announced Louis Giele, Joan Cali, and Norma Hanley as winners in the Secaucus Board of Education race.

Giele and Cali are former teachers and newcomers to the Board of Education while Hanley was an incumbent candidate. Incumbent Kelli D’Addetta narrowly missed re-election while Tom Troyer failed to re-capture a seat for the third consecutive year.

In the New Jersey Assembly race, Speaker Vincent Preto easily won re-election to his sixth term representing the 32nd Legislative District, which includes Secaucus.

Former Secaucus mayor Dennis Elwell has returned home following a 30-month stay in federal prison.

Elwell was found guilty of accepting a bribe from a federal informant in a statewide sting in 2009 and was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in 2011. He returned to his North End home last month, according to a lengthy profile in The Hudson Reporter.

Elwell is interviewed and describes his time in prison, his frustration with the bad food, poor medical care and the mishandling of his early release paperwork.

The article indicates that Elwell may have believed the $10,000 was actually a campaign contribution and that he planned to return the funds. However, he does own up to making mistakes leading to his arrest.

“I made a mistake. When I was told to hold the money, I did. It was a stupid thing to do. I admitted as much on the stand. Some of the money was supposed to go to a charity.”

A Vietnam veteran with no previous record, Elwell was one of 44 public officials arrested on July 23, 2009. The bribe was accepted through Ronald Manzo, who went on to testify against Elwell.

The town of Secaucus announced on his Facebook page that Mayor Michael Gonnelli was hospitalized after suffering a stroke on Wednesday evening.

The town indicated only that Mayor Gonnelli received treatment and was under doctors’ care. There is was no indication in which hospital  he was staying or how long he would be there.

Get well cards can be brought to the Mayor’s Office in Town Hall at 1203 Paterson Plank Road.

The 60-year-old Gonnelli was elected in 2009 after a long career as a fire chief and Department of Public Works Superintendent. His current term is set to expire on December 31, 2017.

The Hudson Reporter speculates that the Democratic Party is mobilizing to challenge Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli and the Town Council in November.

Mayor Gonnelli and four of the six members of the Town Council are up for election in November. Democrats once had significant influence in Secaucus politics but have been minimized since Mayor Dennis Elwell’s 2009 arrest on bribery charges.

Gonnelli was elected as an Independent and has remained so. Councilmen Robert Costantino, Mark Dehnert, William McKeever, and John Gerbasio will also run as Independents in November.

Candidates running as Democrats or Republicans will run in the state primaries on June 6 while Independents can wait until the general election on November 7.

Gonnelli told The Reporter that staying Independent allows Secaucus to receive assistance from both parties within the state government:

“We’re not bound to anybody. We’re not pledging to anybody. We’re not doing anything out of the ordinary. … We’ve done nothing but positive things. Right now, though Governor Christie, we’ve gotten the money to redo the Coast Guard, we got the money to redo the bridge, we got the money to build the bike lane. And we get so many things from the Democrats. So many items that you can’t believe how many items that we get done. We get a lot of grant money. “I’m not saying we’re playing up to the Republicans or Democrats. Any way we can get assistance from them, through grants, is something that’s certainly welcome here.”

Former Secaucus Mayor Paul Amico was laid to rest on Tuesday following a funeral Mass at Immaculate Conception Church.

Amico passed away last Thursday at the age of 103. He was an indelible part of the town’s history, serving as mayor from 1964-1991.

Amico moved to Secaucus from New York as a young boy and owned a local diner until he was 43 years old, when he decided to get involved in civics full time.

“It’s a sad day for us and a sad day for Secaucus” – Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli

According to the The Jersey Journal, Amico left behind two stepsons, eight nieces and nephews, ten grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren.  Police and fire department vehicle lines the street outside the church during the ceremonies.

A few weeks ago, the “Moving Secaucus Forward” website was launched to highlight the political achievements of Mayor Michael Gonnelli and the Town Council.

The group – formerly known under the motto “Take Back Secaucus” – also includes Town Council members John Gerbasio, Robert Costantino, James Clancy, Susan Pirro, Mark Dehnert and William McKeever. The mayor as well as Gerbasio, Costantino, Dehnert and McKeever are up for re-election in November.

While the members of the “Moving Secaucus Forward” platform are independents, recent media reports have indicated that the Democratic Party may be mobilizing some challengers to the ticket.

The website highlights the successes of the current administration, including extensive updates to the town parks, upgraded flood control, televised council meetings and the end of the Meadowlands Tax Sharing agreement.

Candidates running as Democrats or Republicans will run in the state primaries on June 6 while Independents can wait until the general election on November 7.

The tax plan proposed by the White House Wednesday would hammer New Jersey residents by eliminating the deduction for state and local taxes.

The removal of the deduction would be a tough blow for New Jersey homeowners, who pay the highest effective tax rate in the nation.

According to the Tax Policy Center, eliminating the deduction would increase the average tax bill of a New Jersey resident by more than $3,500.

While the administration claims the changes are meant to assist lower and middle-class Americans but the primary features of the plan are almost all boons to the richest Americans, including a reduction of their top tax rate, repealing the estate tax, removal of the alternative minimum tax and lowering of the capital gains tax.

See more details over at NJ.com.

The American Health Care Act passed by the House of Representatives would negatively affect New Jersey more than any other state, according to a story on NJ.com.

The proposed law would strip health insurance from half a million New Jersey residents and cost the state $30 billion in federal funds over the next decade, leading to the loss of tens of thousands of jobs, according to the group New Jersey Policy Perspective.

Another group – the Urban Institute – said that funding in New Jersey would drop by more than 20 percent per person, affecting nearly two millions seniors, disabled persons and children.

The bill is already likely dead on arrival in the Senate, which will rewrite it from scratch. Hopefully, they won’t make it any worse for New Jersey.

Secaucus adopted its 2017 Municipal Budget last week and noted that there will be no increase in overall taxes.

Despite an increase in the school tax rate, the budget will absorb the increase and not pass it along to residents. The town released a statement with the following quotes from Mayor Michael Gonnelli:

For the second year in a row, our overall tax rate will remain flat and for the fifth year in a row, there have been no municipal tax increase. I would venture to guess there are very few, if any, municipalities in the state that have seen their taxes remain flat and had the municipal portion of the budget absorb tax increases from other sources.

We are very happy that our residents and businesses can benefit from this forward looking fiscal planning, as it has allowed us to keep taxes flat and provide increased services, despite the fact we have seen an increase in hospitalization and pension costs, increases in our contractual obligations and have set aside a $350,000.00 reserve for tax appeals. Furthermore, the budget includes $2,500,000.00 in fully funded road improvements.

As your Mayor I can assure you that it is our top priority to ensure the Town provides the highest quality services to all of our residents while remaining fiscally sound. I am very pleased that, once again, we were able to achieve that goal. Secaucus remains an attractive place to live and run a business and the Council and I will work to ensure that this continues.

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced his intention to pull the United States from the Paris Climate Accord, an agreement previously struck between 195 nations to improve the environment.

The United States leaving the agreement ensures that the world’s biggest polluter historically will not be part of the larger international effort to thwart rising global temperatures and sea levels.

Secaucus is an entire town located in a major flood zone according to the New Jersey Coastal Vulnerability Map and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, among others, and indicated in the map below (hint: red is bad).

Following the agreement, California, New York and Washington have joined their own coalition to follow the guidelines of the Paris Agreement.

New Jersey has not announced its intention to join the coalition and likely won’t unless a Democrat succeeds Governor Chris Christie, who was used like a dirty tissue by Trump during the campaign.

The New Jersey Gubernatorial primary elections will be held on Tuesday.

However, leaving the agreement is a four-year process. So unless your Secaucus home can float, you may want to vote accordingly.

The New Jersey Gubernatorial primary election will be held today to decide who will be the Republican and Democrat candidates for the state’s next governor.

The candidates will be vying to succeed New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who is finishing his second term among record-low poll numbers.

In New Jersey, only registered party voters can vote in the primary. However, unaffiliated voters can change their party registration on the day of the election to vote in either party’s race.

Polls are open from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm. To locate your polling location please visit the New Jersey Division of Elections polling place search.

There are five candidates on the Republican side, led by Kim Guadagno, Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State under Christie. She has consistently led polling ahead of state assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli.

Nutley Commissioner of Public Affairs Steven Rogers and businessmen Joseph Rudy Rullo and Hirsh Singh are also among the Republican candidates.

For the Democrats, former ambassador and Goldman Sachs executive Phil Murphy has led the field from the start. He may be challenged by former U.S. Under Secretary of the Treasury for Enforcement Jim Johnson or John Wisniewski, a State Assemblyman and former Chairman of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee.

Activist Bill Brennan, state senator Raymond Lesniak and Tenafly Borough Council President Mark Zinna round out the field for the Democrats.

All signs points to Guadagno facing Murphy for the governorship in the general election on November 7.

As expected, Republican Kim Guadagno and Democrat Phil Murphy each handily won in the New Jersey Gubernatorial primary election on Tuesday.

Murphy garnered 48 percent of the vote for the Democrats, easily besting Jim Johnson (22 percent) and John Wisniewski (22 percent). He received more than 237,000 of the the nearly half a million votes case.

Guadagno tallied 47 percent of the Republican vote, defeating Jack Citarelli (31 percent). But she only received 113,000 votes as twice as many Democrats voted than Republicans.

Guadagno is the Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State under current New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who currently holds record-low approval ratings in the state.

Murphy is a former executive at Goldman Sachs and was an ambassador to Germany during the Obama administration.

The election to decide Christie’s successor will be held on November 7.

Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto of Secaucus may soon lose his position as New Jersey Assembly Speaker, according to various reports.

This week, Democratic Assembly members representing Essex County have pledged their support to Craig Coughlin of Middlesex County. Their support should give Coughlin enough votes to take over leadership of the state legislature’s lower house.

Prieto, who is in his second term as Assembly Speaker, has not conceded defeat to Coughlin. The State Assembly will not vote on its leadership change until January, well after November’s elections.

The influence of Prieto may have eroded over the summer after he was unable to acquire the votes needed to pass the state budget in the Assembly and avoid a brief government shutdown.

The Hudson Reporter recently published a rundown of the Secaucus positions at stake on Election Day.

While Mayor Michael Gonnelli is running unopposed, a Town Council seat and three Board of Education spots will be contested when voters go to the polls on Tuesday, Novvember 7.

Four of the town’s six council seats are up for election, but only one incumbent councilman is being challenged. Robert Costantino, a councilman from the 1st Ward is facing former school board candidate Steven Kilawattie, who is just 23 years old.

Six people are running for three open spots on the Board of Education. Vice President Ruby Pantoliano and Lance Bartletta are running for re-election and will be challenged by Kathleen McFarlane, Enrico Bolognino, Georgios Tsirogiannis and former Board of Education member Tom Troyer.

First Ward Councilman Robert Costantino lied to police about a car crash he was involved in last month, according to police.

Costantino was allegedly behind the wheel of a white Ford Explorer on the morning of September 23 when the vehicle was struck by a concrete truck was pouring cement on Third Street. Construction workers at the scene told the police that Costantino was driving and subsequently jumped out of the car and yelled at the workers before parking in front of his home a short distance away.

However, Costantino later told police that Secaucus elementary school teacher Dawn Leon was driving the car. Despite video from a nearby home showing Leon in the passenger seat, Costantino continued to tell police he was not driving.

A lengthy breakdown of the events was published by NJ.com on Thursday.

Police say summonses mailed to Costantino and Leon were returned. Both he and Leon each face one count of hindering. A hearing is scheduled for Nov. 9 in Kearny.

Costantino is running for re-election against upstart challenger Steven Kilawattie.

Today is Election Day but it should be a rather uneventful one in Secaucus, which has only one Town Council seat that is being challenged.

Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli is running for his third consecutive term but is unopposed. Councilmen John Gerbasio, Mark Dehnert and William McKeever are also running unopposed in the First, Second and Third Wards, respectively.

First Ward Councilman Robert Costantino is opposed by newcomer Steven Kilawattie. A little intrigue was added to the race last week, when Costantino was cited for lying to police after what appears to be a minor traffic accident.

There are also three available spots on The Board of Education and voters will be choosing among six candidates : Kathleen McFarlane, Tom Troyer, Ruby Pantoliano, Lance Bartletta, Georgios Tsirogiannis and Enrico Bolognino.

Of course, there are bigger decisions looming further up the ballot as New Jersey will be choosing between Democrat Phil Muprhy or Republican Kim Guadagno to succeed Chris Christie as governor of the state. Polls indicate that Murphy has a sizable lead over Guadagno, who may have struggled to separate herself from Christie after serving as Lieutenant Governor since 2010.

In the State legislature, Democratic incumbent Nicholas Sacco  is running against Republican challenger Paul Castelli in the Senate. Secaucus voters will be choosing two Assemblymen among a group that includes incumbents Vincent Prieto and Angelica Jimenez – both Democrats – and Republicans Ann Corletta and Bartholomew Talamini.

Democrat Junior Maldonado and Republican Blake Lichtenberger are up for Hudson County Clerk. Incumbents Anthony Vainieri, Jr. and Albert Cifelli are running unopposed as Freeholders in District 8 and 9, respectively