40:54D-4. Tourism improvement and development districts

4. a. Two or more contiguous municipalities located in a county of the sixth class may, by ordinances of a substantially similar nature, create a tourism improvement and development district for the purpose of increasing public revenue and to levy taxes upon predominantly tourism related retail receipts at a rate not to exceed 2 percent, and to levy a tourism assessment at a rate of 1.85 percent, and to devote the proceeds therefrom for the purposes herein described. Municipal ordinances so adopted shall not affect which retail receipts are subject to the "Sales and Use Tax Act."

For the same purposes, the ordinances establishing the district shall also provide for the imposition of tourism development fees authorized pursuant to section 15 of P.L.1992, c.165 (C.40:54D-15). The taxes on predominantly tourism related retail receipts and tourism development fees so imposed shall be uniform throughout the district.

b. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, ordinances so adopted shall not be subject to referenda, and shall not be altered or repealed, except by mutual action of all such municipalities and then only upon the written approval of the State Treasurer and, so long as the sports authority shall own and be responsible for the construction and operation of the Wildwood convention center facility, upon the written approval of the sports authority. Each municipality which enters into the creation of the district shall covenant that the ordinance, or a condition imposed by statute that each municipality is required to meet, shall not be altered or repealed in such manner as to affect any bonds or other obligations pertaining to projects within the district which are outstanding. Any alteration or repeal, or attempted alteration or repeal, in violation of this subsection, whether before or after the effective date of P.L.1997, c.273 (C.40:54D-25.1 et al.) shall be null and void.

c The district shall comprise all territory within the boundaries of the municipalities which create or enter into the district.

d. A contiguous municipality located in a county of the sixth class may, by such an ordinance, and with the mutual consent of the governing bodies of the municipalities which created the district, enter into the district so created after the date of the district's creation.

e. A copy of an ordinance adopted pursuant to this section shall be transmitted upon adoption or amendment to the State Treasurer. An ordinance so adopted or any amendment thereto shall provide that the retail receipts tax provisions of the ordinance or any amendment to the retail receipts tax provisions shall take effect on the first day of the first full month occurring 90 days after the date of transmittal to the State Treasurer.

L.1992,c.165,s.4; amended 1997, c.273, s.2; 2002, c.72, s.3.