Jersey City mayoral candidate Mussab Ali is teeing off on the board of education’s preliminary $1,027,273,122 budget with a roughly 20 percent tax increase, calling the spending plan “unacceptable” since it “will result in a $90 million tax increase.”
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“President Trump recently signed an executive order dismantling federal oversight of education, putting $1.2 billion in funding for New Jersey students and educators at risk. This is one of the most perilous times for education in recent history, making the impending cuts to the Jersey City Board of Education all the more shocking,”
“Last week, I had the opportunity to review the Jersey City Board of Education budget. While much attention has been given to the $4 million reduction in state aid, few have highlighted that the JC BOE has also lost an additional $98 million in equalization aid,” Ali, a former BOE president, said in a statement.
State Senator Angela McKnight (D-31), Assemblywoman Jessica Ramirez (D-32), Assemblywoman Barbara McCann Stamato (D-31), and Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2), a candidate for Jersey City mayor, all denounced the proposed $4 million state aid last month, but none mentioned the catastrophic loss in equalization aid.
“Although there has been an increase in separate allocations, there is no guarantee this aid won’t be used as leverage in future years. Enough is enough. Our children’s education system is not a political bargaining chip.”
Ali also cautioned that with President Donald Trump (R) attempting to “dismantle” the U.S. Department of Education, New Jersey schools could lose up to $1.2 billion, making this “one of the most perilous times for education in recent history.”
The BOE approved their initial 2025-2026 spending plan on Wednesday by a 6-3 vote, with Trustees Natalia Ioffe, Matt Schneider, and Tia Rezabala voting no, as HCV first reported.
While their budget presentation indicated the tax increase is only two percent, utilizing the $82,148,763 bank cap would effectively create a 20 percent tax increase, though the county must still review and approve it well before the final board vote.
“As a member of the Board of Education, I filed a lawsuit in 2019 against the state of New Jersey to challenge this planned massive reduction in state aid. Six years later, we still haven’t seen justice for our children,” Ali continued.
“What’s more, almost no legislators have acknowledged that this budget will result in a $90 million tax increase for hardworking homeowners in Jersey City. This is unacceptable. Every elected official representing Jersey City must write to our legislators in Trenton, demanding an end to the chronic underfunding of our schools … Legislators must be transparent and honest about the true magnitude of this problem when discussing the school budget.”
He concluded that education will be a top priority of his administration if elected mayor, noting that there must be a collaborative spirit between City Hall and the BOE for children to succeed.
Ali gave the school board the benefit of the doubt when asked about presenting the tax increase as just two percent, stating it was probably an honest mistake since they have a new business administrator.
How much in property taxes can Jersey City endure??