Pennacchio: Governor Veto of Greenwood Lake Funding Contradicts Previous Commitment

Senator Joe Pennacchio was dismayed by Governor Murphy’s absolute veto of legislation to maintain the lake and ensure clean water in Greenwood Lake.

“Trenton has failed the residents of West Milford and Passaic County, and the three millions residents and thousands of businesses that depend on Greenwood Lake for drinking water,” said Pennacchio (R-26). “The Administration abandoned one of our most popular and scenic waterways as a priority while they continually push their own liberal priorities. The veto is very disappointing to the residents of New Jersey.”

The bipartisan legislation (S-2167) received unanimous support from the Legislature, passing the Senate with a 40-0 vote in June 2018, and the Assembly with a 73-0 plurality in November.

“The Governor owns this rejection. His message is ‘the State of New Jersey owns the lake, West Milford you pay for its maintenance,’” Pennacchio added.

The measure sponsored by Pennacchio and vetoed today would commit $500,000 annually to the “New Jersey Greenwood Lake Fund.” The funding would be dedicated from existing New Jersey boat registration and renewal fees from the “Maritime Industry Fund.”

“State officials visited Lake Hopatcong, where the lake was threatened by the same issues we have at Greenwood. The Governor was given first-hand knowledge of the challenges our lakes face. The issues of maintenance are recurrent ones. Demanding clean water from these lakes and refusing to fund their own waterways is disingenuous and simply not right.”