TRENTON) – Assembly State and Local Government Chairwoman Linda Stender (D-Union/Middlesex/Somerset) released the following statement Monday after the committee heard testimony on concerns about the Christie administration’s implementation of Superstorm Sandy relief integrity monitors:
“The Christie administration’s claims of transparency and competency when it comes to Sandy relief funding are called into question more and more each and every day.
“The testimony we heard today raises serious concern about the administration’s ability to implement the law requiring integrity monitors for Sandy relief funding.
“The administration was slow to implement the law, transparency promises have been broken, information is being presented to the public in a confusing way, reports are overdue and many questions about Sandy relief funding and whether it’s been used properly remain unanswered.
“We heard lots of excuses today about why the law hasn’t been implemented. We even heard that the need to train the integrity monitors isn’t a valid excuse, despite administration’s claims, considering the training took a single day.
“What we didn’t hear today are the clear answers that are especially important for Sandy victims. Too much time has already been lost to delay and excuse making. Taxpayers deserve to know answers and whether their money has been used properly or wasted. At this point, the answer to that question is very unclear, and that’s unacceptable.
“I will be weighing today’s testimony as we determine our next steps. We will not rest easy until we know Sandy relief funding has been properly spent.”