Hillsborough Township is planned to receive $500,000 from funds previously frozen from the State of New Jersey to allocate towards infrastructure projects.
Assemblyman Roy Freiman (D-Somerset, Mercer, Middlesex, Hunterdon) issued a recent statement in response to Gov. Murphy’s Administration’s release of frozen state spending funds on Jan. 16.
“I am pleased by the governor and his administration for their decision to unfreeze funds allocated within the state budget for the fiscal year 2020,” Freiman said in a statement. “With $500,000, part of the $121 million in critical funding released today, Hillsborough will finally be able to start breaking ground on construction projects vital to the public safety of its residents and commuters.”
As a longtime Hillsborough resident, Freiman explained that the previously held funds by the administration will particularly help spark multiple infrastructure projects in the township such as improvements along Route 206 and other local areas in need of an upgrade.
“Among the planned construction, will be much needed work on Brown Avenue and Route 206, areas heavily traveled by trucks and large vehicles, to help divert traffic coming out of industrial areas and lessen disruptions in residential areas,” Freiman said. “As a 20-year resident of Hillsborough myself, I see today as a huge win for our community and for counties all across the state.”
Freiman’s statement comes after Gov. Murphy signed the state budget into law last year where millions in funding slated for state programs, grants and aid for financially distressed cities and towns became available in October.
The governor previously said that he froze $235 million in expenditures from the budget until he said his administration felt confident enough that tax dollars were being collected to be certain the state would not have to use its reserves.
The New Jersey Department of Treasury said the decision to release the funding was made following a review of first quarter financial numbers, including the tax revenues collected, savings and the final fund balance from the previous year.
The decision “was deemed necessary after the budget passed by the Legislature included up to $235 million in questionable savings items the administration identified as not likely to materialize, as well as initiatives the Legislature added but failed to adequately fund,” the Treasury Department said in a news release.
Although Gov. Murphy’s action sparked criticism particularly from Senate President Stephen Sweeney, who accused the administration of freezing appropriations for multiple programs for political purposes, Gov. Murphy denied that any political retribution in the decision-making and said all the programs were worthwhile.
Part of the $500,000 previously held from Hillsborough was set to construct the first phase of Brown Avenue. Officials said the purpose of this extension is to divert heavy truck traffic off Dukes Parkway West and Route 206, and diverting the truck traffic is planned to improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians traversing along Dukes Parkway.
Another portion of that $500,00 is also planned to be used for the Route 206 Bypass.
Officials said funding for the bypass is “a critically-needed public safety project.”
Route 206 is one of the most heavily-traveled roads in central New Jersey. Officials said creating a bypass is aimed to allow big trucks to travel around Hillsborough, instead of through town.
