Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla vetoed an ordinance that would have eliminated permit fees for local nonprofits, calling it well intentioned but “deeply flawed,” an argument one of the sponsors of the measure isn’t buying.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“While I acknowledge and appreciate the good intentions behind this ordinance, it is deeply flawed and ultimately not in the best interest of our community,” Bhalla began in yesterday’s veto statement.
“Firstly, although the ordinance aims to absolve non-profit organizations of paying fees related to renting space in the City of Hoboken, it merely transfers the financial burden to the Hoboken taxpayer.”
Bhalla noted that sanitation, maintenance, and other related fees would be on the backs of taxpayers.
He also wrote that some local nonprofits are well-financed and/or multi-million dollar corporations that don’t require discounts, citing the Stevens Institute of Technology and the Hoboken University Medical Center.
“Moreover, the City Council has yet to adopt a budget for this calendar year. One of the primary discussion points in budget deliberations has been the need to generate new and additional revenue streams. This ordinance is fundamentally oppose to those goals,” the Mile Square City mayor added.
” … I agree with the intentions of the ordinance and agree, and agree that changes should be considered. But the type of entity the Council is attempting to provide relief to must be more narrowly defined in the language of the ordinance.”
The local legislation, sponsored by Council President Jen Giattino and co-sponsored by 4th Ward Councilman Ruben Ramos, was approved 5-4 on the June 5th first reading, with 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher, 3rd Ward Councilman Mike Russo, and Councilman-at-Large Joe Quintero joining them in voting yes.
The second reading was up on June 10th and passed by the same 5-4 vote tally, though this time it was Giattino, Fisher, Russo, Ramos, and Presinzano who voted yes.
“If we have to balance the budget on the backs of nonprofits that support Hoboken residents, we have bigger issues than we thought,” Ramos told HCV today.
“Also, we were keenly aware of the revenue implications, which is why we voted to increase movie permit fees at the same meeting.”
Councilman-at-Large Joe Quintero and 5th Ward Councilman Phil Cohen both came out in support of the veto.
“While I originally supported this ordinance on first reading, the reality is that in an environment where every penny counts I simply could not in good conscience support it on second,” Quintero said.
“I find it hypocritical that the same council colleagues who want to raid the city’s safety net surplus in the spirit of creating an artificially low tax rate and who consistently stress the need to create more revenue sources to alleviate the tax burden on residents would, in the same breadth, take an axe to one of those revenue sources.”
At the same meeting last week, the Hoboken council approved amendments to the $146,921,014.87 municipal spending plan, bringing the tax increase down to about 2.9 percent, however, the amended budget was voted down 7-2.
Cohen added that he thought this ordinance was simply potential mayoral candidates attempted to get in edge in the non-partisan November 4th, 2025 contest.
“The city council majority is playing a political game at the expense of Hoboken taxpayers — pandering to special interests in the naked pursuit of Mayoral ambitions,” the councilman asserted.
“Not-for-profit organizations provide important services to our community. Full stop. However, this flawed ordinance allows all not-for-profit organizations, including wealthy multi-million-dollar organizations, unlimited, permit-free use of city facilities and fields, underwritten by our taxpayer dollars.”
While she was not a sponsor, Fisher said this has nothing to do with 2025 and is simply Team Bhalla acting out of spite.
“This is just Team Bhalla again, not wanting political opponents to have a headline win – campaign strategy 101 – as always, putting politics before people. This is an important fix to something we should have never agreed to in the first place and increases access to and enjoyment of Hoboken’s public spaces.”
Presinzano, who along with Russo has been vocal about pushing for a budget with the lowest tax increase possible, chided Bhalla on what he believes is a double standard.
“Suddenly, the mayor is concerned about the taxpayer. Stop traveling the country/world and listen to the wants of the people you are elected to represent. Nonprofits provide programming that would cost the city a lot more to provide.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated with comments from Councilman-at-Large Joe Quintero, 5th Ward Councilman Phil Cohen, 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher, and 1st Ward Councilman Paul Presinzano.
Don’t often agree with Bhalla but he is correct on this.
Spend less.