Newark has racked up a $575 tab in penalties from the Division of Local Government Services, Department of Community Affairs (DCA) for its ongoing failure to introduce a 2025 municipal budget, which is now nearly four months late.

The $575 in fines breaks down to $25 a day for the 23 days that Newark’s 2025 budget has been unintroduced since June 30. But there may not be a need to panic just yet, as Newark and DCA officials both reported that no fines have been formally processed against the city.

A June 6 letter from the Division of Local Government Services, DCA, to Mayor Ras J. Baraka and the City Council indicated that Newark’s introduced 2025 budget is “now two months overdue,” and a penalty of $25 per day will be assessed for each day the budget remains unintroduced after June 30.

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