As reported by nj.com, the State’s top legislative budget officer will tell lawmakers that Governor Chris Christie’s revenue figures for the next 13 months will fall short by nearly $1 billion. The gap may be shorter if Christie revises his revenue projections downward, an unlikely move as the Governor spent the last week boasting about the dip in the State’s unemployment rate and a surge in income tax collections. “Obviously, we disagree and the treasurer will be before the committee to discuss his forecast,” Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak said.

In April, David Rosen, the budget officer for the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services, predicted Christie’s revenue figures for the remainder of the current fiscal year and the upcoming year were $637 million too high, drawing a fresh round of criticism from the Christie administration. But, even as the State’s economy seem to be picking up steam, Rosen now expects the shortfall to be $937 million. “Compared to the revenue forecasts provided in the February Governor’s Budget Message, we anticipate $444 million less revenue in FY2013 and $492 million less in FY2014, for a two year gap of $937 million. Six weeks ago that gap was $637 million,” Rosen told lawmakers.

Christie has proposed a $32.9 billion budget for the upcoming year that begins on July 1. State Treasurer Andrew Sidamon Erstoff and Rosen each will testify before the Senate Budget Committee, offering their latest revenue projections.

Rosen did not tell lawmakers the reason for the increase, but he has warned in the past that his projections would weaken if the administration could not justify a $180 million jump in casino revenue from online gaming. A deal that would have brought online gaming to Atlantic City sooner fell through in recent weeks.

Figures released last week show that April’s revenue collections outpaced projections, marking the fifth consecutive month that has happened. At the same time, the State’s unemployment rate fell below 9 percent for the first time in four years.

Last year, Rosen said Christie’s revenue projections were about $1.3 billion too high, causing the Governor to call the budget officer the “Dr. (Jack) Kevorkian of the numbers” and wonder aloud why he still had a job. Sluggish revenue figures have already forced the Governor to revise his projections downward, scrap his pledge to borrow less for transportation projects and delay property tax rebates.

Tags: Articles, Christie, revenue projections, revenues, shortfall, treasurer, Treasury Department
Print:
Email this postTweet this postLike this postShare this post on LinkedIn
Photo of Donald C. Barbati Donald C. Barbati

Donald C. Barbati is a shareholder of Crivelli, Barbati & DeRose, L.L.C. His primary practice revolves around the representation of numerous public employee labor unions in various capacities to include contract negotiation, unfair labor practice litigation, contract grievance arbitration, and other diverse issues…

Donald C. Barbati is a shareholder of Crivelli, Barbati & DeRose, L.L.C. His primary practice revolves around the representation of numerous public employee labor unions in various capacities to include contract negotiation, unfair labor practice litigation, contract grievance arbitration, and other diverse issues litigated before the courts and administrative tribunals throughout the State of New Jersey. In addition, Mr. Barbati also routinely represents individuals in various types of public pension appeals, real estate transactions, and general litigation matters. He is a frequent contributor to the New Jersey Public Safety Officers Law Blog, a free legal publication designed to keep New Jersey public safety officers up-to-date and informed about legal issues pertinent to their profession. During his years of practice, Mr. Barbati has established a reputation for achieving favorable results for his clients in a cost-efficient manner.

Mr. Barbati has also handled numerous novel legal issues while representing New Jersey Public Safety Officers. Most notably, he served as lead counsel for the Appellants in the published case In re Rodriguez, 423 N.J. Super. 440 (App. Div. 2011). In that case, Mr. Barbati successfully argued on behalf of the Appellants, thereby overturning the Attorney General’s denial of counsel to two prison guards in a civil rights suit arising from an inmate assault. In the process, the Court clarified the standard to be utilized by the Attorney General in assessing whether a public employee is entitled to legal representation and mandated that reliance must be placed on up-to-date information.

Prior to becoming a practicing attorney, Mr. Barbati served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Linda R. Feinberg, Assignment Judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Mercer Vicinage. During his clerkship Mr. Barbati handled numerous complex and novel substantive and procedural issues arising from complaints in lieu of prerogative writs, orders to show cause, and motion practice. These include appeals from decisions by planning and zoning boards and local government bodies, bidding challenges under the Local Public Contract Law, Open Public Records Act requests, the taking of private property under the eminent domain statute, and election law disputes. In addition, Mr. Barbati, as a certified mediator, mediated many small claims disputes in the Special Civil Part.

Mr. Barbati received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, magna cum laude, from Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Upon graduating, Mr. Barbati attended Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Delaware. In 2007, he received his juris doctorate, magna cum laude, graduating in the top five percent of his class. During law school, Mr. Barbati interned for the Honorable Joseph E. Irenas, Senior United States District Court Judge for the District of New Jersey in Camden, New Jersey, assisting on various constitutional, employment, and Third Circuit Court of Appeals litigation, including numerous civil rights, social security, and immigration cases.

Read more about Donald C. Barbati
Show more Show less