Hudson County Executive Craig Guy says he’s working toward a compromise with stakeholders over potential municipal tuition fees for the Hudson County Schools of Technology, which would be roughly $6,000 per student.
By Dan Israel/Hudson County View
“As far as the funding for schools, my job as an elected official is to help best manage fiscal responsibility. I have to be the best fiscal responsible elected official I can be. And part of that is speaking to everybody, all the stakeholders… In the last 72 hours, I’ve spoken to almost every faction of that group,” Guy told HCV last week.
“It’s also my job as the chief administrator of Hudson County to make sure that the Hudson County Schools of Technology is responsible in their finances. We can only look at the past and we need to make corrective measures and move forward.”
Another unpopular alternative is the HCST raising taxes by $10 million, neither that or possible municipal tuition fees were popular with the Hudson County Board of Commissioners, as HCV first reported last week.
Guy added he has met with a slew of involved stakeholders to brief them on the situation and gather their input. He met with the mayors of all municipalities the week prior to his third State of the City with more planned meetings afterward, he said at the time.
After speaking with those involved in the HCST municipal tuition fee proposal, he said one thing is clear: That everybody is passionate about protecting the kids and their education and that he is serious about getting to the bottom of the financial mess at HCST.
“Those are responsible moves to put into a new mindset on how we better responsibly handle those finances up there because they weren’t managed fiscally sound,” Guy said of the many personnel changes at the schools since he was sworn in two years ago.
According to Guy, this has to be about compromise and listening.
He contrasted the cooperation in Hudson County among those involved stakeholders with what is happening with the federal government in Washington, D.C. – especially in the wake of President Donald Trump’s (R) “spectacle-oriented” State of the Union Address.
“We live in a democracy, not a dictatorship. Every one of those nine commissioners, every one of those mayors, every one of those legislators that are out there have a say and have a stake in what goes on in Hudson County. So it’s my job to listen,” the county executive said.
Guy concluded that the county has been put in a difficult spot ahead. But he is confident that a path forward can be paved through compromise, although it may be difficult.
“At the end of the day, we have to make some tough decisions, but it would be irresponsible for me not to listen.”
According to Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2), discussions have seen the proposal by HCST lower from $6,000 per student to $3,000 per student as of Tuesday.
Nonetheless, he added that he and several commissioners feel it is not enough and are continuingr to push for alternative solutions.
Stop free housing, free schools, free cell phones, free food stamps and all that freebees provided to thousands of illegal aliens in HC and you have a hefty surplus right there.
Also, did Guy try to look into HCST books first? Why all of the sudden they sinking?