Trenton – Senator Troy Singleton issued the following statement in response to Governor Phil Murphy signing the “coronavirus relief bonds” legislation for county and municipal governments during the COVID-19 public health emergency:

“The COVID-19 pandemic is not only a public health emergency, it has become a full blown economic emergency as well. The pandemic has left governments across the state in financial desperation and has led the country into a severe and painful recession.

“With the signing of this bill into law, we are taking steps to ensure county and local governmentscan borrow money responsibly with fiscal restraints to relieve the budgetary pressure of lost revenues and emergency spending over the past six months.

“The nightmare of the Great Recession is still, unfortunately, very fresh in our minds. As elected officials, we have to find every possible avenue to help not just our citizens, but our local governments as well. We cannot allow ourselves to relive and repeat the horrors of the Recession. This new law will provide county and municipal governments with much needed relief.”