Cherry Hill Set To Introduce Budget Ahead Of Extended Deadline

CHERRY HILL, NJ — Cherry Hill Council intends to introduce its proposed budget at one of the next two meetings, officials said Monday night. Budgets have been delayed across the state amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“We had planned to introduce the budget at our Sept. 29 meeting,” Cherry Hill Council President David Fleisher said during Monday night’s council meeting in response to a question from a resident. “There are still some questions, and we’re not sure, so if it’s not the next meeting, it will be the meeting after that.”

Municipalities in New Jersey typically introduce their budgets in the later winter or early spring, and cast their final vote in the summer. In April, Gov. Phil Murphy extended the fiscal year to Sept. 30 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Murphy held the state’s first budget address in February, before the pandemic broke out and the state was shut down in March. He held his second budget address on Aug. 25, at which time he called for more taxes and revenues to help offset the impact the pandemic is having statewide, local officials did all they could to keep taxes from increasing. Read more here: Gov. Murphy: More Taxes, Funds Needed In NJ Budget Amid COVID-19

As a result of the later budget address, municipalities were permitted to push their budget deadlines until the end of October. Council will next meet on Sept. 29, a Tuesday. The meeting was pushed back a day because Yom Kippur is Sept. 28. The next meeting after that is scheduled for Oct. 13, one day after Columbus Day.

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