Trenton panel on future huge events could save billions
By: Charles Stile
Political Stile
USA Today Network
..... Now that New Jersey Democrats have solidified one-party in Trenton for the immediate future, they have no reason to pay attention to the rump Republican Party as it struggles for relevance under the shadow of President Donald Trump.
..... But A; Barlas, a Republican Assemblyman form Essex County, has advanced an idea that makes sense. And it's one that the Mikie Sherrill-led Democrats should take seriously.
..... The former lobbyist and veteran operative - whose 40th Legislative District includes parts of Bergen, Essex and Passaic counties - is proposing the creation of a bipartisan panel that would sign off on any future mega-event, lie the World Cup soccer extravaganza that is set to begin next month [06/2026] at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands.
..... The purpose is straightforward. The majority of a five-member group, including a representative from the governor's office, would have to approve any agreement before any significant tax dollars are committed to the project.
..... That way, according to Barlas' thinking, the public will know ahead of time just what the state will be getting itself into, as opposed to now, when public and political leaders are gasping with sticker shock and grousing about unplanned the referee's whistle starts the first match on June 16. [2026]
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"Forget just the financial impact of this, the cost. there's farcical day-to-day disturbances of people's lives. so if you're gong to do that, then the Gang of Five should know about it," Barlas said, referring to his proposed five-member panel, cheekily named the Commission of Fiscal Intercity for Future Attractions - or FIFA.
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The panel, which would be designed to ensure bipartisan participation, would do more than sit back and scrutinize. it would have essential veto power over any project it reviews. any large-scale event in the future requiring use of New Jersey tax dollars would require thee members' votes for approval. The governor, the state Senate president and the Assembly speaker would each have one appointee, and the leaders of the Assembly and Senate minority - currently Republicans - would also each get a seat.
..... Barlas' proposal as pre-World Cup tournament blow-back engulfs the Legislature and Governor Mikie Sherrill, who inherited the sporting spectacle from governor Phil Murphy. The former governor, a soccer investor and enthusiast, took a do-whatever-is-necessary approach to securing the Wold Cup and left many details largely unknown. It has been the reporting of my colleagues Colleen Wilson and Katie Sobko that has largely revealed the costs and other complications that are now raising eyebrows in Trenton and far beyond.
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The two reporters met a puzzling level of resistance as they sought details of the plan. NorthJersey.com obtained the contract and addendum after multiple public records request were improperly denied or delayed, and only after legal counsel reached out demanding the documents, which should have been produced immediately under the state's Open Public Records Act.
..... Among their discoveries: More than $307 million in New Jersey taxpayer dollars has been committed to subsidize the tournament and meet FIFA's demands for upgrades at the stadium, security, the construction of a pedestrian bridge from the American Dream mall and other projects.
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We have learned that New York, the host "partner" for the project, isn't committing much of anything. We have learned that beleaguered NJ Transit commuters, who already have endured the indignity and frustration of unreliable service, will be barred from entering pats of New York's Penn Station on days when matches are held. We have learned that two years ago, FIFA wanted New Jersey to pay for free bus and train rides to the stadium, which the group eventually abandoned amid an outcry. FIFA then insisted on charging just "at cost" - or $12.90 for a round trip from Penn station in New York to MetLIfe, prompting a frustrated Sherrill to demand the eye-popping $150 fare to cover the estimated $48 million cost to taxpayers.
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It's been a steady stream of unexpected - or, more ht the point, undisclosed -realities of the cost and execution that are now coming to the surface, leaving the state to scramble on the fly. Ticket holders staying in Meadowlands towns and hotels won;t be able to enjoy the convenience of walking to the stadium. and there is the proposed temporary hike in the sales tax in the Meadowlands district. why is that being discussed this late in the preparations?
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"What is evident to me is that somebody, whoever was negotiating this thing from the beginning, was not paying attention to the details," Barlas said. "There definitely ahas to be a postmortem done after July [2026] in terms of how much it cost, and what, if any, sort of economic benefit the state received from all of this."
..... He added, "there;s nothing you can do about the World Cup. That cat's out of the bag. But this would say, going forward, whether it's another World Cup or a Super Bowl or a Grand Prix [auto racing] or any major type of event, everybody has got to be part of the process."
Could such a panel convene?
..... Of course, an idea like Barlas' faces some hurdles. Despite Sherrill's own pubic frustration with the World Cup costs, it's unlikely she would sign a bill that would crate a power-sharing scenario with the Legislature. Lawmakers are generally resistant to holding postmortem legislative panels - they never took a promised forensic look back at the Murphy administration's management of the COVID-19 pandemic response, choosing instead to enact a patchwork of largely forgotten "reforms."
..... Some lawmakers might balk at the idea of creating a review panel, fearing that it might become a from of bureaucracy that would scare away big-event promoters from New Jersey. And, without a doubt, Trenton Democrats have a reluctance to embrace any idea proposed by the hapless Republicans. Why give them a political win?
..... Spokespeople from the governor's office, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and state Senate President Nicholas Scutari did not respond to messages seeking comment.
..... Still, Barlas' larger point is an important one. he;s pushing for transparency and accountability - the buzzword weaving through all campaigns and New York-New Jersey World Cup project has lacked from the start.
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Other cities have been more up front about their arrangement with FIFA. Seattle, Toronto and Santa Clara in California publicly released their 2018 initial agreements and 2022 addendum with FIFA. In 2024, Toronto officials weren't shy about disclosing that the price of hosting six matches had climbed to $380 million from the prior estimate of $300 million and well over the $45 million originally projected in 2018.Chicago, Minneapolis and Glendale Arizona, dropped their bids in 2018 to be consider as host cities for the World Cup because of too many unknowns, financial costs and the overall feeling that the benefits would not outweigh the risks.
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And Missouri, Florida and Georgia preemptive passed legislation to bar those state governments and local municipalities from collecting sales taxes on tickets to attend the 2026 World Cup were chosen as hosts for some of the games.
..... Having a bipartisan gang of five could also serve as a check on the buoyant enthusiasm of a former governor eager to preside as a gust of honor at the World Cup, reveling in all the glory and promise of the macro-benefit to the state economy that he promised. It cold also give the successor governor and her administration a clearer picture of the costs and work that her predecessor left behind.