Garden State Times

Senator Robert Singer has called on Governor Murphy to reinstate the "Municipal Relief Fund," a $150 million municipal aid program that was removed from recent state budgets. In a letter addressed to the governor, Singer highlighted the adverse effects of the fund's elimination on municipalities within his legislative district.

Singer emphasized that without this aid, local governments face significant financial challenges. "In my own legislative district, every municipality loses aid from the elimination and the losses are significant," he wrote. He warned that these financial shortfalls would impact municipal budgets in the coming months, potentially leading to property tax increases or reductions in services if not addressed in the state's fiscal year 2026 budget.

The senator urged for the restoration of this funding and requested permission for towns to include anticipated aid in their 2025 budgets.