Q&A: A look at the gas tax ballot question

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey voters will decide how the money raised by recently hiked gas prices will be spent.

Voting yes to ballot question No. 2 Tuesday will require that proceeds from the gas tax be spent on transportation projects.

The question has broad support from lawmakers and Republican Gov. Chris Christie, but a campaign launched by NJ 101.5FM, and joined by Lt. Gov Kim Guadagno, after the 23-cent per gallon tax increase has shaken things up.

Guadagno’s split from the governor and attempt to get people to vote no on the question marks a sharp departure for Christie’s running mate, who is expected to launch a campaign to replace him next year.

A closer look at what next Tuesday’s ballot question actually means:

DOES VOTING NO ON QUESTION 2 CHANGE THE GAS TAX?

You’re still going to be paying more for gas. The gas tax hike went into effect Nov. 1 after Christie signed it last month. The amendment would not change it.

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DOES VOTING NO ON QUESTION 2 FORCE LAWMAKERS TO CHANGE THE GAS TAX?

You obviously loved less-than-$2 gas, but, no, the 23-cent gas tax hike would not be eliminated with a no vote.

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SO WHY ARE QUESTION 2 OPPONENTS CALLING FOR A NO VOTE?

Opposition stems from anger over the gas tax increase and opponents are rallying for a no vote as a loud protest over the 23-cent per gallon hike. They’re justifying their position by reading the transportation trust fund law as requiring voter approval for Question 2. Without that approval, they argue, the governor and legislators couldn’t borrow up to $12 billion over eight years, which would force them to reconsider their plan and the gas tax.

The problem, though, is that both legislative leaders and the Treasury say even if the question fails there is authority to take on more debt through bonds different from ones mentioned in the transportation trust fund law. Senate President Steve Sweeney says bonding can continue, and Treasury spokesman Willem Rijksen said the authority stems from a 2000 voter-approved dedication of a portion of the state sales tax.

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WHAT DOES A YES VOTE MEAN?

Every penny of the state’s fuel tax would be spent only on transportation projects. Currently, 3 cents of a 10.5-cent tax on diesel is not required to be spent on transportation. A current constitutional dedication also requires that a minimum of $200 million from a wholesale tax on fuel be used for transportation. Instead, this amendment would require all the proceeds from that tax to be used for transportation. Forecasters estimate that figure to reach $215 million for the current fiscal year.

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WHAT DOES A NO VOTE MEAN?

The governor and legislators could use gas tax revenues to shore up a budget hole or on other programs. This kind of budgeting has happened with other funds, like the Clean Energy Fund, which collects a tax on energy users’ bills that are supposed to be used for promoting greener technologies. The Christie administration has directed proceeds from the fund to be used for other purposes, like transit for example.

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WHICH SIDE IS LIKELY TO WIN?

It’s unclear. A Fairleigh Dickinson University poll released before Guadagno came out against the question found 46 percent in favor of the amendment compared with 39 percent opposed. The phone survey of 848 registered voters has a margin of error of 3.6 percentage points.

But that was done before Guadagno and 101.5FM’s vocal campaign. On the other side, the Engineer Labor Employer Cooperative and labor-business group Forward NJ have spent about $1.6 million in ads calling for a yes vote.