Murphy imposes $235M budget freeze: here’s how Hudson County is impacted

Gov. Phil Murphy has imposed a $235 million budget freeze that has implications throughout the state and here’s how Hudson County is impacted.

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

“As directed by the Governor, we have compiled a list of appropriation items that have been placed in reserve until further notice,” said Acting Director of the New Jersey Treasury’s Office of Management and Budget David Ridolfino said in a statement.

“As noted in the Executive Order, the items placed in reserve will help the state maintain the surplus goals outlined by the Governor. Our review, pursuant to Executive Order 73, is ongoing and will continue as new or additional information regarding individual items of appropriation is available.”

According to the executive order signed by Murphy, ” … the budget crafted by the Legislature is regrettably lacking in new, sustainable, recurring revenues to support new spending, and instead relies in substantial part on unexplained overperformance by current revenue sources …”

The most notable impact on Hudson County is that Murphy has halted $250,000 in spending towards the Route 440 pedestrian bridge in Bayonne.

The New Jersey Department of the Treasury noted that budget items were selected based on the history of state support for the item, as well as the ability to delay payments until later in the fiscal year, among other things.

Murphy has also put $104,825,000 in state transitional aid on hold. NJ Advance Media reports that Asbury Park, Atlantic City and Newark were impacted by this move.

While they are not explicitly named, Union City received $20 million in transitional aid last year before receiving a $6 million state loan in May.

State Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-3), who clashed with the governor throughout the budget negotiation process, slammed Murphy for implementing freezes.

“The Governor’s action putting a so-called freeze on items cherry picked from the budget is a shameless act of political retribution that is both petty and vindictive – it’s Bridgegate on steroids that punishes those who disagree,” he said in a statement.