The Newark City Council is four months late in introducing this year’s budget and now the state is asking: what’s the holdup?

Councilman Darrin Sharif says he’s frustrated by the delays, but believes the council is being responsible.

“We have to do our due diligence and make sure that the numbers we get from the administration we can verify and that’s what extends the budget process.”

Last week, the state Division of Local Government Services sent the council a harsh reminder in the form of a three-page letter that they’ve got until next week to put a budget on the table… or risk losing millions in state aid.   

One of the sticking points is $18 million in revenue from a controversial municipal utilities authority to run the city’s water system. Sharif says the council called in an external auditor to find out…

“…how do you arrive at that number? And that triggers so many more questions, so many more meetings.”

Sharif says the council is on track to introduce a budget this Friday.