Mayor Gusciora Responds to Governor Murphy’s Proposed Budget

TRENTON, N.J. – Mayor Reed Gusciora on Tuesday expressed his support for Governor Phil Murphy’s proposed budget, calling it “a great step forward” for Trenton and praising his commitment to restore the Capital City Line Item.

“I’m excited about additional investments in crucial services such as education and transportation,” said Gusciora. “His commitment to invest more in schools and expand pre-K will help ensure access to quality public education for Trenton students. Additionally, Trenton is a transportation hub for the region, and investing more in NJ Transit means improving quality of life for our residents and those who work in our City.”

Gusciora also praised Murphy’s commitment to expand municipal aid throughout the State, including in Trenton.

“In speaking with the Governor, I appreciated his commitment to invest more in municipal aid and restore the Capital City Line Item,” said Gusciora. “I’m glad to see that Governor Murphy recognizes the importance of investing in the Capital City and that he has faith in what we are doing here in Trenton. With this increased funding, we will be able to improve City services that benefit both residents and State employees alike.”

The Capital City Line Item is meant to compensate the city for property tax revenue it cannot collect from state-owned buildings in Trenton, which, at market rate, would be about $40 million. The Christie Administration replaced it with transitional aid, which comes with burdensome regulations. Christie, over time, cut Trenton’s funding down from $35 million to $9 million.