New Jersey Needs More Budget Transparency

For state government to truly serve the people, there must be more transparency in New Jersey’s budget process. More than $600 million worth of last minute budget amendments and their sponsors were finally disclosed weeks after the budget was passed in late June. Not only were the amendments were already problematic because they helped to exacerbate the record high state budget for the 2025 fiscal year, but even more concerning was the lack of fiscal transparency and whether funds are being allocated properly

Some worthy initiatives and programs were funded by these amendments, leading to some much needed changes in New Jersey’s infrastructure. Almost $4 million was distributed to food pantries across the state, and modernization and expansions of the Overlook Medical Center and Saint Peter’s Children’s Hospital were also given around $14 million to better address the medical needs of New Jerseyans. Other legislative “spending priorities” were arguably less impactful such as $1.5 million allocated to improvements for Trenton Thunder Ballpark, $500,000 for the Crystal Springs Water Park in East Brunswick, and $1.25 million for the Old Barracks Museum. While current legislative rules state that lawmakers wanting additional appropriations or requesting changes must provide an explanation for the proposed changes, and a “disclosure of any business, personal or family ties to the intended recipient of any increased funding,” many legislators have still raised concerns about the lack of timely justifications for many of these line items. These last minute additions do not get the same level of scrutiny that the governor’s initial budget draft gets, and because of the looming budget deadline, legislators had no choice but to support all of these smaller initiatives just to avoid the government shutdown. This delay in making important details available to the public means that those responsible for these “pet projects” are able to secure the funding they want without having to answer to the public, whose money is utilized.

Another issue is that there seems to be lack of initiative for true change to be made on the lack of transparency, especially from the Majority party. The Assembly Majority Office recently stated that the last minute additions provide “critical infrastructure and services to residents of our state”, and Senate President Scutari’s spokesperson also included that the additions’ funding are “part of a “fiscally responsible budget.” It is, of course, important that food pantries, mental health services, community colleges, and workforce resource centers are being funded by these “Christmas tree” items, but they should not be lumped together with the items that are dedicated to fixing baseball fields, pools, murals, and recreational facilities. All $600 million worth of line items were not providing critical services, and it is a disservice to the budget’s importance on the economic health of the state to consider expenditures on non-essential items as fiscally responsible. These last minute additions simply do not seem to be reflecting policy priorities that the state and its residents actually need. The timing of these disclosures is incredibly poor, and the public gets little to no time to voice their concerns and argue for or against any of the items that their legislators are pouring their money into. Taxpayers are being kept in the dark about where their money is going, and why it is being allocated, cultivating public perception that their input does not matter, even though it absolutely should. The lack of inclusion of taxpayers as an integral part of the budgetary process only serves to foster an environment of scandal, corruption, and a grave misuse of public funds, a worrying outlook for the fiscal health of New Jersey.

Transparency is about ensuring that the public has all of the information it needs to hold its government accountable. New Jersey’s budget process, as it is currently, falls short of this expectation. The public deserves a budget process that is honest, and truly accountable to the taxpayers who are paying for it. Until important changes are made to the budget process and the ease and timeliness with which the public can gain access to fiscal information, the public’s trust in the government’s ability to do its job and use taxpayer dollars effectively will erode.

Dasgupta is a member of GSI’s 2024 Summer Internship program and is a student at George Washington University.