Committee member defends emergency appropriations under NJSA 4A:4-20, says failed vote blocked payments

A committee member in Hillsborough defended the council’s use of emergency temporary appropriations under state law NJSA 4A:4-20 and said a failed vote last night prevented the town from processing several payments, including a lawsuit settlement, a contract for public transparency software and Code Red emergency messaging.

The committee member said the statute allows the council to pass a temporary resolution to authorize spending on essential services — such as police patrols, snow removal and maintaining town hall operations — while the final annual budget is still being completed. "You might hear us talk about emergency temporary appropriations, specifically a law called NJSA 4A 4-20," the committee member said, adding the tool "ensures your services never stop."

The speaker explained the timing issue: municipal fiscal years begin Jan. 1, but final state-approved budgets can be adopted months later. Without interim authorization, the town could be unable to pay for services that continue regardless of state budget timing.

The committee member stressed guardrails on the practice: the measure requires a two-thirds majority of the council and every dollar authorized must be folded into the final budget for transparency. "When you see emergency temporary appropriations on our agenda, don't worry. Doesn't mean there's a financial crisis. It means we're using the law to make sure our officers on the street and your snow is being plowed," the committee member said.

Reporting on the prior evening’s meeting, the committee member said the council attempted to approve and allocate about 45% of the budget but "couldn't," blaming the failure on no votes from Committee Woman Hand and Gomez. The speaker criticized a competing proposal to approve 35% without specifying where the money would go and described the CFO's recommendation as an allocation of just under half the full budget to fund exact purchases so residents would "know where your money is going."

The committee member said the failed allocation meant the town could not process several payments that had been included in the appropriations. The speaker said a payment for a lawsuit settlement could not be approved because of the vote, though both Committee Woman Hand and Gomez later voted to approve payment of the settlement itself. The speaker also said payment for the town’s public transparency software — used for permits, complaints and website services — and a Code Red emergency messaging payment were blocked.

The committee member concluded by urging Committee Woman Hand and Gomez to "start understanding their role in voting for the right thing for Hillsborough residents." The transcript does not record an immediate response from those members or a subsequent vote schedule.