Essex County Lawmakers Split Votes On NJ Budget: Here’s What They’re Saying

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A $60.7 billion state budget has crossed the finish line in New Jersey, with some lawmakers from Essex County trumpeting their support – and others rallying against it.

New Jersey lawmakers voted to approve Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s first state budget during a late-night session in Trenton on Tuesday.

“When I took office, I promised New Jersey families that affordability would be the north star of every decision we made,” Sherrill said. “With the passage of our first budget, we are delivering on that promise.”

According to the governor’s office, highlights include:

Property Tax Relief – The budget has record property tax relief totaling over $4.1 billion. This includes $2.1 billion for ANCHOR, $345 million for Senior Freeze, and $756 million for Stay NJ. There are also some changes to eligibility, with the cutoff ceiling for Stay NJ dropping to $200,000.

Schools – The budget includes $12.4 billion for K-12 schools, a $370 million increase over last year’s funding and the most in state history. The budget also includes a record $1.4 billion for preschool education aid.

Child Tax Credit – New Jersey’s Child Tax Credit will be increased by 25 percent.

Pensions – The budget includes $7.3 billion for the state’s pension system, marking the sixth consecutive full payment.

Transportation – The budget includes nearly $1.1 billion in state operating support for NJ Transit, an increase of $235 million (or 28 percent). The budget also includes $1.3 billion for “critical investments in state, local highway and bridge projects.”

ESSEX COUNTY ROLL CALL

The final vote tally came to 58-21 in the Assembly and 26-14 in the Senate. Here’s how lawmakers from Essex County voted:

• 27^th DISTRICT– Senate: John McKeon (yes); Assembly: Rosy Bagolie (yes), Alixon Collazos-Gill (yes)
• 28^th DISTRICT – Senate: Renee Burgess (yes); Assembly: Chigozie Onyema (yes), Cleopatra Tucker (yes)
• 29^th DISTRICT – Senate: Teresa Ruiz (yes); Assembly: Eliana Pintor Marin (yes), Shanique Speight (yes)
• 34^th DISTRICT – Senate: Britnee Timberlake (yes); Assembly: Carmen Theresa Morales (yes), Michael Venezia (yes)
• 40^th DISTRICT – Senate: Kristin Corrado (no); Assembly: Al Barlas (no), Christopher DePhillips (no)

REPUBLICANS: ‘RECORD SPENDING, AFFORDABILITY IGNORED’

A trio of Republicans who represent towns in Essex County said the latest budget is filled with “pork” spending, doesn’t fix the state’s controversial school funding formula, and doesn’t have enough property tax relief.

The lawmakers also criticized this year’s budget-making process, alleging that key decisions took place at the last minute with a serious lack of transparency.

Sen. Kristin Corrado blasted Sherrill and Trenton Democrats for releasing the budget barely ahead of the midnight deadline, narrowly avoiding a state government shutdown.

“How can anyone claim transparency when legislators and the public had virtually no time to read, review or comment on the largest budget in New Jersey history?” the senator questioned.

Corrado said the budget provides no meaningful tax relief, and also does nothing to fix the “broken school funding formula that continues to hurt suburban school districts.” She also criticized “millions of dollars in legislative add-ons” despite the governor’s pledges to end pork barrel spending in New Jersey.

“Record spending… transparency sidelined… affordability ignored,” Corrado wrote. “For those reasons, it was an easy vote for me to oppose this year’s budget.”

Assemblyman Al Barlas, a member of the budget committee, shared some of his reasons for voting against the budget bill:

• Spending increases by nearly $2.4 billion
• Property tax relief to seniors is reduced
• School aid is cut for 167 districts
• Medicaid funding is slashed

“For months we were told this would be the most transparent administration in history,” Barlas said. “Instead, legislators were asked to vote on a budget they barely had time to read.”

Assemblyman Chris DePhillips said the budget is “irresponsible,” pointing to a “shocking” spending increase and “missed opportunities to cut the sales tax and the corporate business tax.”

“New Jersey residents and businesses continue to face unreasonably high costs, and this budget does not address their affordability concerns,” he said.

Article continues below

DEMOCRATS: ‘WHAT RESPONSIBLE GOVERNING LOOKS LIKE’

On the flip side of the coin, two Essex County Democrats heavily involved in this year’s budget talks said the spending plan is a win for New Jersey.

Eliana Pintor Marin, who chairs the Assembly Budget Committee, said this year’s budget is “what responsible governing looks like.”

“Through months of hearings, conversations, and collaboration, we delivered a fiscally responsible budget that protects New Jersey's financial future while continuing to support children, seniors, and working families that strengthen our state,” Pintor Marin said.

“Behind every number is a person, and this budget never loses sight of that,” the assemblywoman added.

Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz also said the budget is a good deal for New Jersey.

“After months of collaboration and public feedback, we’ve delivered another full pension payment, the largest property tax relief program in state history, and significantly increased the child tax credit to help working families build greater financial stability,” Ruiz said.

“We’ve also stood up for our most vulnerable residents in the face of escalating attacks from Washington by expanding the Detention Deportation Defense Initiative, directing additional funding to programs that support survivors of domestic violence and abuse, and identifying cost savings to help offset federal cuts,” she added.

Other Democrats from the area who commented on the budget signing included Assemblywoman Rosy Bagolie.

“Not only did we pass a responsible state budget, but also meaningful legislation to strengthen voter rights, health care protections, and opportunities for all New Jerseyans,” Bagolie said.

The assemblywoman said the budget has financial support for working parents, first-time homebuyers and families struggling with utility bills. It also makes “critical investments” in public schools, expands property tax relief and strengthens the pension system.

“Just as importantly, it reduces our structural deficit while maintaining a strong surplus, ensuring we remain fiscally responsible as we prepare for future challenges,” Bagolie said.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.