OCEAN COUNTY HAS once again been excluded from the state's annual "Christmas Tree" list and will receive no extra funding for projects that fall outside of the normal budget.

"I am absolutely outraged that once again millions of dollars have been allocated to towns and counties in predominantly urban regions while Ocean County gets nothing," Vicari said.

Media reports on the Christmas Tree list, a fund for legislators' pet projects and other expenses that normally fall outside the line items of the annual budget, revealed that Ocean County received zero dollars in 2023.

Meanwhile, urban and city legislative districts received the bulk of the $661.6 million that lawmakers earmarked for projects in individual counties or towns.

For example, money went to several Northern New Jersey communities for a new marina and a dog park.

Camden County received $64 million for new infrastructure projects. Union County was second with a $57.5 million award.

"As a lifelong educator and a public official with more than 40 years' experience I find this to be completely unfair to our residents," Vicari said. "This transcends politics. Ocean County is being penalized by the majority party in Trenton."

Vicari said he would work with the county's 12 state legislators in an attempt to find money for both the county and its 33 municipalities.

"Something has to be done," he said. "Our residents are tired of being shortchanged by Trenton and big-city lawmakers.

Other Christmas Tree awards included $2.5 million for the Patterson Museum, $7.5 million for the Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange and $2 million to help pay overtime to Atlantic City's municipal workers.