We know that for many people, the New Jersey budget process can feel very far away from where we sit in Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland Counties. That’s why we’d like to take this opportunity to discuss the various ways the 2025 state budget will impact our part of South Jersey.
Property Tax Relief
One of our top priorities with this year’s budget was making sure that we provide direct relief to New Jersey taxpayers via the ANCHOR Program. Simply put, if you pay property taxes and meet the eligibility requirements, New Jersey will send you a check to help ease your tax burden. It’s not any more complicated than that; taxpayers need relief, and this program will help provide it.
In addition to ANCHOR, we voted to fully fund the Senior Freeze program, which reimburses eligible seniors and disabled individuals for increases in their property taxes. This program is a lifeline to so many, and we are pleased to know it will continue to provide much-needed relief for those who utilize it.
Stay NJ is a game-changing relief program that will cut property tax bills for eligible seniors by up to 50% starting in 2026. To help ensure the success of this new program, we [Assemblywoman Heather Simmons and Assemblyman Dave Bailey, Jr.] sponsored a bill (A4706) to strengthen its implementation, which passed alongside the budget with overwhelming bipartisan support. We are extremely proud to be part of this effort to reduce New Jersey’s tax burden, and we will continue to make it a top priority.
Education
The Third Legislative District is home to Rowan University, and Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland Counties boast some of the best community colleges in the United States. Making sure that these institutions have the resources needed to succeed is of the utmost importance to us. The 2025 budget provides $165.26 million to Rowan University, $21.38 million to the Rowan School of Veterinary Medicine, and $145.3 million to community colleges statewide (a portion of which is dedicated to Salem Community College and Rowan College of South Jersey in Gloucester and Cumberland Counties). This funding contributes to the success of not only our student population but also our entire regional economy.
Roads & Infrastructure
The 2025 budget includes investments in roads and infrastructure throughout Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland Counties, including:
- $2.7 million for improvements to Kings Highway and Salem Avenue (CR-551)
- $2.6 million for improvements to Route 295
- $2.3 million for Cumberland County road safety improvements
- $1.5 million for improvements to Telegraph Road (CR-540)
- $1.02 million to the Cumberland County Bus Program
- $1 million for Gloucester County road safety improvements
- $651,000 to the Urban and Rural Centers Unsafe Buildings Demolition Revolving Loan Fund for Salem City
- $380,000 for the New Jersey Regional Signal Retiming Initiative
- $150,000 for improvements to Quaker Neck Road (CR-657)
- $50,000 for improvements to Commissioners Pike (CR-581)
Community Investments
In addition to these major property tax relief, education, and infrastructure investments, we also personally worked to secure more than $3.7 million in aid to local communities within Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland Counties. These budget resolutions provide funding for health services, parks and recreation, school programs, youth sports, local charity organizations, and historic preservation. We will be sharing more details about these community investments in the days, weeks, and months to come.
The budget items we have highlighted here are more than just numbers; they are the foundation for tangible results in our region. They mean more direct relief for taxpayers, more students receiving a good education and pursuing successful careers, more businesses creating jobs and adding to our local economy, safer and more convenient commutes throughout South Jersey, better health outcomes, and a generally higher quality of life for everyone who lives here.
For us, this is just the start. It is our mission to put South Jersey back on the map within Trenton, and we will continue to work our hardest to deliver for Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland Counties.
As always, we are thankful to the residents of the Third Legislative District for giving us the opportunity to serve them in the New Jersey State Legislature, and we ask them to contact us for anything they need at ld3nj.com, ld3@njleg.org, or 856-226-3530.
Sincerely,
Senator John Burzichelli
Assemblywoman Heather Simmons
Assemblyman Dave Bailey, Jr.
