At the recent Senate Voting session S-1403, which requires contractors working on projects that received tax abatements, PILOT funding, grants, tax exemption, or other financial assistance approved, funded or authorized by the public body to submit payroll records to Department of Labor, was amended on the floor. The floor amendments require the Department of Labor Commissioner to differentiate the manner of filing payroll records for contractors subject to the Prevailing Wage Act and contractors now require to submit payroll records due to a tax abatement, PILOT funding, grant, or financial assistance from a public body.
The League is part of a broad coalition opposing S-1403. The Department of Labor currently receives the information required under S-1403 since all employers must file a quarterly payroll record to the Department of Labor using form WR-30. The quarterly WR-30 form contains each employee’s name, social security number, wages, and weeks worked. In addition, the Department of Labor has the authority to inspect any employer’s place of business and request payroll records from any employer in New Jersey.
If contractors are not required to pay prevailing wage under S-1403, then why would the State require transparency into how contractors are spending their funds on labor? What would the State be monitoring for compliance? Why would contractors have to file weekly certified payroll records with the DOLWD for non-prevailing wage rates in addition to the quarterly WR-30 form?
S-1403 does nothing more than create an undue burden on contractors and subcontractors by requiring them to file unnecessary additional paperwork that is not even applicable to these types of projects. But more importantly, S-1403 is a steppingstone to capture PILOT projects, as a public subsidy for future legislative initiatives that will render this important local economic redevelopment tool useless, ending much needed redevelopment opportunities targeted for contaminated and blighted sites. This bill unnecessarily blurs the line between public and private projects.
Please urge your State Senator and Assembly representatives to vote no on S-1403.
Contact: Lori Buckelew, Deputy Executive Director, lbuckelew@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x112.