At N.J. Chamber Lunch, Senate President Scutari said There are No Immediate Plans for How the State’s Remaining Pandemic Aid Will Be Spent, and Whether it Will be Used for Payroll Tax Relief
New Jersey Senate President Nicholas Scutari discussed the new state budget, and made no promises on whether the state’s remaining federal pandemic aid would be used to reduce or eliminate a recent payroll tax hike on employers. His comments came during a Sept. 7 New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Roundtable Lunch in Hamilton.
“Will it come back up for further discussion? Yes,” Scutari said. “Will it happen? I can’t guarantee that. There are a lot of other issues, and a finite amount of additional money.”
The payroll tax hike on employers is designed to replenish New Jersey Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, which was depleted during the pandemic, when unemployment skyrocketed.
Scutari said there are no immediate plans for how New Jersey’s remaining American Rescue Plan aid will be spent – though he said it will surely be a topic of upcoming discussions between legislative leaders and the governor’s office. There is an estimated $1 billion in federal aid that the state has yet to spend.
The Senate President spent the session fielding questions from N.J. Chamber members, and networking with the group.
