UNION CITY AND BEYOND — Union City, whose Democratic mayor – Brian Stack – has been a vocal supporter of Republican Gov. Chris Christie, is one of five New Jersey towns to be splitting $117.1 million in restored state aid this year, media sources reported on Friday. To get the aid, the city must agree to state oversight and certain fiscal reforms.
The other towns are Camden, Lawnside, Paterson, and Trenton.
According to the Record of Hackensack: “Camden is getting $61.4 million, Trenton $22 million, Paterson $21 million, Union City $12 million, and Lawnside $700,000. The aid stems from Gov. Chris Christie’s decision to restore so-called Transitional Aid funding and making permanent state oversight of how it is spent. In keeping with the temporary nature of the program, only half as many cities and towns are receiving the aid in 2011-12 as compared to 2010-11.”
Christie said that the state is pushing towns to implement financial and managerial reforms in order to get aid.