AASHTO Journal, 27 March 2015
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Jamie Fox, commissioner of the state Department of Transportation, have indicated that negotiations to put New Jersey’s Transportation Trust Fund on a solid long-term footing could take a while rather than be near a conclusion.
Fox most recently said the likelihood “for the moment is not ideal” that state lawmakers facing elections can act soon to head off long-term funding problems for New Jersey’s Transportation Trust Fund, NorthJersey.com reported March 25.
The story said all members of the General Assembly are up for re-election this year, with the deadline near for candidates to file for office, and that negotiations on a state transportation funding package had ground to a halt. “It’s election time, which makes it a much more difficult thing to do,” Fox was reported saying.
This comes just weeks after Gov. Chris Christie, in his Feb. 25 monthly “Ask the Governor” radio show, said the TTF has enough money lined up to cover its needs through the next year, and does not face an immediate crisis.
About 13 minutes into that radio show, Christie said the trust fund “is funded through fiscal year ’16, so it’s funded through next June, not this June.”
Christie said at that time he was in “continuing, productive discussions” with legislative leaders, and “this is not something to rush on, or rush through.” He said it is an important issue and he had left every option on the table, “but, again, it’s not a crisis at the moment, because we’re funded pretty well now.”
Christie was asked if more bond funding for infrastructure, which the state treasurer had indicated was being planned, worsens a debt problem. “You always bond for long-term construction problems,” Christie said.
He also said, “We need to fix the problem, longer-term, on the TTF, to get us beyond June of 2016.” He said the discussions would continue, and “when we get to an agreement, you know, we’ll do it.”