Posted on 08/21/2007 7:05:33 PM PDT by Coleus
Health advocates wrote to the governor, lobbied legislators and worked closely with the New Jersey League of Municipalities. And their efforts have paid off. Earlier this summer, a 7 percent state tax on gym memberships and health clubs was repealed by the state Legislature -- giving a sigh of relief to health clubs around the state. Rick Gorab, president and CEO of the Metropolitan YMCAs of the Oranges -- which has branches in Livingston, Maplewood, East Orange and Sussex County -- said 44 YMCAs banded together statewide to repeal the tax, which was passed last October.
"We are a charitably-based mission. ... We try to activate people and to have our membership base taxed would dissuade some of them from participating," he said. Gorab said the YMCA tries to combat obesity, provide sliding scale child care and promote health and wellness, "We provide a valuable service to the community that is also different than the for-profits."
Ever since the tax was enacted last fall, advocates for health and fitness lobbied to get it repealed. Caldwell Councilman Bill Edge authored a borough resolution seeking the repeal of the tax, which affects the Caldwell Community Center, then spoke with local legislators to get their support. Edge said it wasn't fair to tax people who were seeking to cut down health care costs by staying fit, "We all want our state budget to be balanced, but collecting money from people who want a healthy lifestyle is the wrong way to get it."
Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex) was the sponsor of the Senate bill to get the tax repealed for the nonprofit health clubs. She said to her it seemed "illogical" to add an extra financial burden on organizations that were trying to build communities by providing opportunities for fitness, child care and scholarships.
(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...
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