the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, the party might be over for New Jersey’s budget irresponsible spending . In the latest sign of mounting fiscal pressure, the Murphy administration has issued directives to curb spending across state departments.
In an email sent last week, Tim Hillmann, the governor’s chief of staff, instructed cabinet departments to immediately halt approvals for discretionary salary increases and to limit new hires to those deemed “mission-critical.” The move aims to “conserve state resources” amid growing concerns about an anticipated “fiscal cliff,” .
Budget Cuts on the Horizon
This isn’t the first signal of tightening belts. On Oct. 1, the Office of Management and Budget directed department heads to prepare for a 5% cut to their operating budgets for the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. Proposals for these cuts were due by Nov. 12, with most departments expected to comply.
While the governor’s office confirmed the emails, it declined to provide further comment. However, a source familiar with the situation described the measures as a warning:
“The governor is really focused on tightening the belt in terms of state spending. These are warnings about the state of the budget.”
What’s Driving the Budget Crunch?
The looming fiscal cliff has been anticipated for years, as pandemic-era federal funding dwindles and budget pressures mount. Despite a $6.1 billion surplus following the Fiscal Year 2025 budget, which marked significant progress in areas like pension funding and credit rating upgrades, New Jersey’s spending levels have skyrocketed.
Consider these figures:
- The Fiscal Year 2025 budget totaled $56.6 billion—$20 billion more than the last budget under former Gov. Chris Christie.
- According to budget analyst John Reitmeyer, the FY2025 budget overshot expected revenues by $1.8 billion.
The Murphy administration’s increased spending has drawn both praise for addressing long-standing issues and criticism for ignoring the fiscal cliff ahead.
“The First Warning Shot”
While New Jersey’s financial position has improved since 2018, the latest directives reflect a growing acknowledgment of fiscal realities. Analysts suggest that the freeze on discretionary spending and hiring is only the beginning of a broader tightening of state finances.
“This should be seen as the first warning shot,” said the source familiar with the situation.
With the FY2026 budget marking Gov. Murphy’s final financial plan, the challenge will be balancing ongoing obligations with a more constrained revenue outlook.
What’s Next?
How these directives will shape the FY2026 budget remains unclear, but one thing is certain: New Jersey must navigate a more frugal path forward.
Follow the Ridgewood blog has a brand-new new X account, we tweet good sh$t
https://twitter.com/TRBNJNews
https://truthsocial.com/@theridgewoodblog
https://mewe.com/jamesfoytlin.74/posts
#follow #media #trending #viral #newsupdate #currentaffairs #BergenCountyNews #NJBreakingNews #NJHeadlines #NJTopStories,#NorthJersey, #NJ , #News, #localnews,
Let’s see what happens in the village with their belt tightening they’ve been spending money like never before. Remember last year they wanted to do a furlough.
Spend, spend, spend, spend, spend.
Thelma & Louise knew the cliff was coming.