the problem with this state aid is that it helps postpone Jersey City?s day of reckoning? when was the last time we made the full pension contributions?

Jersey City?s municipal budget is totally out of wack and the sooner we deal with it the better, depending on these one time shots from Trenton does not help

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Just wait until you get a new property tax bill.

Christie is right.

Corzine is spending all the money he can now and leaving Christie to worry about no money left for payroll and whatever else.

I can't wait until Healy stops getting special treatment from Trenton.

In fact, the budget is six and a half months late and $14 million makes up perhaps as little as 20% of the gap he's facing. The man is checked out - his business administrator (the person responsible for putting the budget together) is quitting and Healy won't face the harsh realities that lay in front of him.

Furloughs - immensely unpopular - netted him only $2 million. The state ponies up $14 million. He still needs to pull a rabbit worth somewhere between $27 million and $56 million out of his hat. The state isn't giving him that. This may be the first year where the city operates the entire year without a budget due to the fact that there aren't enough accounting tricks to paper over the hole the city finds itself in - unless there is a massive tax increase......

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I hope all the JC residents that were apathetic to voting for Corzine or against voting for Corzine enjoy making up the budget shortfall without the state aid.

Healy says part of the reason the budget's (5 months) late is because he's waiting for some of these funds. More with Healy on the blog.

JC, UC may get state aid infusion

JERSEY CITY AND UNION CITY -- Two local towns that are preparing their 2009-2010 budgets may get a bit of extra aid during these times, even though many cities have lost state aid this year.

According to NJ.com: "The Local Finance Board is scheduled to vote Wednesday on aid to five cities. Board Chairwoman Susan Jacobucci recommended $27 million for Paterson, $2.5 million for Bridgeton, $11 million for Union City, $67 million for Camden and $14 million for Jersey City."

Jersey City in particular is furloughing workers due to their budget deficit. For more on that story, see related stories below.

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Christie blasts another $44 million in spending

BY MICHAEL SYMONS ? GANNETT STATE BUREAU ? JANUARY 11, 2010

TRENTON ? Lawmakers approved the transfer of $44 million more into a special municipal aid program Monday, which will enable Gov. Jon S. Corzine's administration to award $121.5 million in funds to five cities Wednesday.

The awards are to include $67 million in special aid to Camden. They also include $27 million to Paterson ? whose assistant business administrator, Assemblywoman Nellie Pou, voted in favor of the transfer as a member of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee.

The funds were taken from accounts that had been designated to lapse as part of Corzine's efforts to eliminate the deficit in the current year's budget. The Joint Budget Oversight Committee also transferred $3 million to food banks Monday from an account that had also been designated to lapse.

Gov.-elect Chris Christie blasted the transfer and planned aid awards, which are to also include $14 million for Jersey City, $11.3 million for Union City and $2.25 million for Bridgeton. Christie said Corzine is spending money set aside as a spending cut.

"This is exactly the type of Wall Street fiscal shenanigans that got us in the spot that we're in right now," Christie said. "Seriously, there's eight days left. Can he please keep his hand out of the cash register for the next eight days?

"We're in a situation now where we are going to be unable to make payroll in March," he said. "He's now taken $44 million more off of the payroll of state workers for March. That's what he's done. He's put us $44 million closer to insolvency."

Susan Jacobucci, director of the state Division of Local Government Services and chairman of the Local Finance Board, which is scheduled to approve the aid awards on Wednesday, said the funding is necessary.

"If we don't get this appropriation transferred, then for these cities we really will be facing layoffs that will affect the health, safety and welfare of the cities themselves," Jacobucci said.

"These cities ? because of their lack of ratables, because of the amount of their towns that are taken up by nonratables, they will also need some kind of municipal aid funding," she said.

Assemblyman Joseph Malone III, R-Burlington, said that "given the catastrophic nature of the state budget" that the special aid awards should be put on hold until Christie's administration takes office. Christie has said such awards should end.

"Does anybody have a conscience as to where we're going to get this money from, who we're going to take it from at the end of the year?" Malone said. "... If in fact you go ahead with this, I would hope the governor-elect asks for everyone's resignation."

Democrats on the Joint Budget Oversight Committee voted 4-2 to transfer the funds into the special municipal aid program.

"This is not an appropriation of new dollars that makes the deficit worse. This is transferring existing dollars that hopefully will offset costs to the state going forward," said Assemblyman Louis Greenwald, D-Camden.

"This transfer of money is not without expectations. The municipalities that are receiving them had better be put on notice and wake up to the reality that change is on the horizon," said Sen. Barbara Buono, D-Middlesex.