New Jersey city council could run out of toilet roll in FIVE DAYS after row over budget



Desperate: Trenton City Hall is running dangerously low on toilet paper

Dire straits have been reached in the city offices of Trenton, capital of New Jersey, the third wealthiest state in the U.S.



War has broken out over the cost of toilet roll, meaning that the municipal government is running dangerously low.

Tension rose after it was announced that the city council wouldn’t sign off a toilet roll purchase, even though it has funds set aside solely for that cause.

Lauren Ira, a spokeswoman for Trenton Mayor Tony Mack, told Bloomberg that City Hall has enough toilet paper to last until March 16, but warned that supplies at other buildings may run out by early next week.

The battle has been in force since November, when Mr Mack tried to put through $42,573 order of paper products, including toilet tissue, cups and towels.

It was refused by the council because it had in it $4,000 worth of paper cups, which it says is too high.

The council also argued that Mr Mack has not provided enough information, adding that there is concern he has failed to try to get the products from local suppliers.

The council said it fears employees may be stealing toilet roll to take home, meaning that they do not need so much anyway.

In November Mr Mack proposed a $182.6 million budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, but it has yet to be instated.

A cash crunch saw more than 100 police officers fired in September and the city is down 143 workers from two years ago.

In a statement Mr Mack claimed the administration ‘took all necessary measures in a timely fashion to ensure that all city-owned buildings had adequate supplies of paper products’.

The fight continues.