Money Frozen For South Jersey Programs May Soon Be Available

Money that was frozen for a number of South Jersey programs over the summer may finally be available soon. Department of Treasury officials said this week that some frozen money could soon be released that could help fund 64 items statewide, including several in South Jersey.

"In the meantime, we have asked every state agency to keep us informed of any imminent needs or hardships that might arise in relation to spending items under their purview that have been placed in reserve," Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio said in a statement.

It wasn't immediately clear why the Murphy administration could change its stance, or what items could be funded. Below is the list of items in South Jersey that could permanently lose funding, a move that will impact a number of towns, colleges and roads:

• South Jersey Cancer Program — Camden (Cooper) $15.4 million
• Battleship NJ Museum $1 million
• Cooper Medical School of Rowan University $7 million
• CREATE — Rowan University $2 million
• Rowan/Cooper Medical School Operations Support $5 million
• Rutgers University — Camden-Mental Health and Well Being $170,000
• Rutgers/Rowan Joint Board RU Camden Business School $3 million
• Stockton University — General Operations $4.612 million

The Murphy administration froze $235 million in spending during the summer since Gov. Phil Murphy failed to get what he's long sought for in the 2020 budget: a millionaire's tax.

Murphy gave up the battle on the tax but continued the war with Sweeney by promising to take actions of "fiscal responsibility that were lacking in the Legislature's spending plan and set up New Jersey to better weather a possible future economic downturn."

Sweeney, in response, said the governor's freeze on items in 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."

Read more here: New Developments On $235M Frozen By Gov. Phil Murphy
Read more here: South Jersey Officials Take Aim At Gov. Murphy For Spending Freeze