His proposed budget would also delay the homestead rebate tax credit program by three months, meaning seniors and people earning less than $75,000 will see a discount on their August property tax bills, instead of May. This helps him close a budget gap in the current fiscal year by pushing a $392 million disbursement to the upcoming year.

There was no mention of the "Jersey comeback" theme that dominated his budget address one year ago. Instead, Christie wrapped up the 44-minute speech with a re-election message.

"We have weathered the worst storm in our state’s history with bold leadership, decisive action and bipartisan cooperation," he said. "The sky ahead is limitless if we just have the courage to stay the course."

Star-Ledger staff writers Salvador Rizzo and Matt Friedman contributed to this report.

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