Christie, Democratic Leaders Nearing Budget Compromise

By Mark J. Magyar and John Mooney (courtesy of NJ Spotlight)

Gov. Chris Christie and leaders of the Democratic-controlled Legislature expected to reach final agreement by Thursday on a compromise election-year budget that will be relatively unchanged from the $32.9 billion budget that the governor proposed almost four months ago.

As part of the last-minute budget talks, the state will take out a $13 million charge for additional debt service that would have resulted in about 270 school districts -- or 48 percent of the total -- suffering net losses in school aid ranging from a few hundred dollars in some districts to more than $200,000 each in East Brunswick and Barnegat, sources close to the negotiation confirmed.

However, the budget will not contain any provision for the first-stage $100 income tax cut for homeowners that has been a popular applause line at town hall meetings for Christie, who has urged Democrats to approve the tax cut on a contingent basis if revenues come in higher than expected.

“Not only won’t there be a tax cut, but the governor didn’t even bring it up,” said one Democrat familiar with the budget talks.

Further, Christie’s push for a $2 million Opportunity Scholarship Grant pilot program that would provide $10,000 vouchers for low-income students in a handful of failing school districts to attend other qualifying public or private schools is “all but dead,” as Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) predicted two weeks ago.

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