Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Toilet paper supplies in Trenton, the capital of the US state of New Jersey, may run out by week’s end following their city council’s dispute over budgets.

The council has declined to sign a contract for paper products worth $42,573 after falling out over a $4,000 charge for paper cups.

Lauren Ira, a spokeswoman for Mayor Tony Mack, said that while the money has been made available to purchase the tissue, the Council is unwilling to sign the contract. The decision means that buildings such as Trenton City Hall may run out of toilet paper by Friday.

Former police officer George Muschal, now Trenton’s South Ward Councilman, spoke of the decision in an interview with Bloomsberg. He said the Council was not willing to bow to Mack’s order for paper cups, designed to carry hot beverages. He cited reports that the extreme nature of the order was down to fears some cups would be “stolen” for home use. He told the website: “We’re the checks and balances over the administration, and we’re not going to send out any blank checks.”

The rejected contract for paper products is part of a $182.6 million budget laid out by Mack in November. The budget has yet to be adopted due to arguments over its viability; if agreed, it will go into place on July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.