Murphy admin unveils $235M in frozen spending for 2020 budget.

Byline: Daniel J. Munoz

The Murphy administration on Wednesday unveiled $235 million of frozen spending itemswhich were in the 2020 budget lawmakers initially sent the governor last monththe vast majority originally earmarked toward projects for local counties and towns.

Gov. Phil Murphy said those spending items will be put on hold until enough revenue materializes to support the added costs of those projects.

"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," reads the Wednesday morning statement.

Unlike the $48.5 million of projects which Murphy vetoed from the budget, the governor maintained that he actually supports all the projects he put on hold. The money is simply not there at the moment, he argued.

"The overwhelming amount of the up to $235 million are programs we like," Murphy said at a Sunday budget press conference. "At the end of the day, the buck stops with me. I've got to certify these revenues."

Almost $105 million of the frozen spending is state aid to local towns, which is generally used by often needier governments to plug holes in their budgets.

Murphy also froze over $27 million for different projects related to the Cooper University Health System where South Jersey powerbroker George Norcross is a top executive.

That includes $15.4 million to the South Jersey Cancer Program in Camden, $7 million to the Cooper Medical School at Rowan University and $5 million towards operations support for the medical school.He also vetoed $5 million towards Cooper Health's "Vulnerable Communities Access to Care grant."

Although the governor denied...