At the tail end of 2014 the hottest topic in Trenton was finding a funding source to replenish the nearly bankrupt Transportation Trust Fund. Democratic leaders in the Legislature said they were speaking privately with Gov. Chris Christie and hoped to unveil a plan in early January. That didn't happen.

NJ Senate President Steve Sweeney
State Sen. Pres. Steve Sweeney (David Matthau, Townsquare Media NJ)
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On Feb. 25, Christie appeared on Townsquare Media's monthly "Ask the Governor" program and said refunding the TTF was, "not something to rush on or rush through." That was news to state Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) who was listening to the program.

"I was pretty surprised to hear we went from it was urgent to it's not now. I have no idea what he was talking about," Sweeney said. "We're all talking about the problem and on the radio show he said, 'What problem?' I just didn't realize I live in a different state than he does."

The governor made his radio comments the day after he didn't mention the TTF in his Budget Address on Feb. 24. The budget proposal includes a plan to give the TTF a cash infusion through borrowing by issuing approximately $600 million in unused bonds. Christie said that would keep the TTF solvent through the end of the next fiscal year which is June 30, 2016.

"The Speaker (Assembly Speaker Vinnie Prieto, D-Secaucus) and I are in the same place now. I don't know what the governor's doing. We're not on the same page," Sweeney said.

The most often discussed funding solution is an increase in the state's gas tax. Christie has not ruled that out, but a final plan has yet to be announced and according to the governor, he was in no hurry to announce an agreement with Sweeney, Prieto and Republican leaders in the Legislature.

"I'm hopeful that the Senate president and the speaker and I will be able to come to a resolution sooner rather than later, but, you know, again, it's not a crisis at the moment, because we're funded pretty well now," Christie said last month.

The president of the New Jersey League of Municipalities and the group's TTF Funding Task Force chairman weighed in on the issue in an opinion piece emailed to the media Tuesday.

"Absent action and absent action very soon our state will run out of the money that is needed to fix our roads and bridges. You can expect more wear and tear on your vehicle. You can expect more detours between you and your destination. And you should anticipate longer waits for response to any emergency needs. There will be no funding to maintain New Jersey's ailing infrastructure," NJLM President Robert Wahler and Task Force Chairman Timothy McDonough wrote.

The governor's press secretary did not respond to a request seeking comment for this report.

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