FLEMINGTON - On the heels of meetings with legislative leadership ahead of her scheduled March budget address, Governor Mikie Sherrill this afternoon reiterated her commitment to drive down costs for New Jerseyans.

Asked about the life span of the Stay NJ program, Sherrill kept the conversation in a broader context as she prepares to grapple with the first budget of her new administration.

"I'm incredibly focused on driving down costs here," she told InsiderNJ. "Certainly, property taxes are a key thing I hear about at the state level. I just had a meeting yesterday with leadership in the senate and assembly. We'll continue to work to make sure the budget reflects the priorities of our state."

Sherrill this morning gaggled with reporters on a visit to Advanced Solar Products to highlight progress in her administration’s efforts "to deliver a more responsive, efficient, and affordable state government for the people and businesses of New Jersey – aligned with her Save You Time & Money agenda."

Joined by New Jersey Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Bracken and NJBIA Chief Government Affairs Officer Chris Emigholz, Sherrill spoke with Lyle Rawlings, the owner of Advanced Solar Products, about challenges faced in securing necessary permits.

By way of context on the budget question from The New Jersey Monitor..

Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s administration has not ruled out cuts to nascent property tax relief program Stay NJ as Sherrill seeks to narrow a gap between state revenue and spending, acting State Treasurer Aaron Binder told the New Jersey Monitor.

Though Sherrill, a Democrat who took office last month, has yet to reveal the breadth of her ambitions for the budget, she’s made clear her first appropriations plan will focus on controlling state spending rather than boosting revenue in order to close a roughly $1.5 billion structural deficit.