New Jersey moves to get it's share of stimulus funds

    By: Phil Gregory

    Federal stimulus money doesn’t come with an instruction manual. For that, New Jersey’s local officials turned to federal and state officials, who briefed them in Trenton yesterday about how they can make the best use of about $17 billion federal dollars earmarked for Garden State
    municipalities.

    By: Phil Gregory

    Federal stimulus money doesn’t come with an instruction manual. For that, New Jersey’s local officials turned to federal and state officials, who briefed them in Trenton yesterday about how they can make the best use of about $17 billion federal dollars earmarked for Garden State
    municipalities.

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    [audio: 090518pgstimulus.mp3]

    Hundreds of mayors, grant workers, and lobbyists met with representatives of state and federal agencies to discuss how to get the stimulus money to their communities. New Jersey League of Municipalities Executive Director William Dressel says towns need access to federal dollars as soon as possible.

    Dressel: In my view I would like to see it flow a little bit faster because I’m looking at budget preparation time for mayors and they’ve got to get the dollars into their local budgets in order to offset property taxes and maintain local services.

    State and federal officials say New Jersey is in line to receive about $7 billion in tax relief, and another $10 billion for needs like health care,
    transportation, affordable housing and energy efficiency.

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