By Dan Israel/Hudson County View
“Throughout this year’s budget process, I have prioritized funding for our most vulnerable residents through vital investments in county social programs,” Guy said in a statement.
“This budget amendment strengthens these programs by providing additional funding for legal services, rental assistance, and food security initiatives in a fiscally responsible manner. Our work does not stop here. We will continue working closely with community advocates and our non-profit partners to provide resources to our residents who need them most.”
The move follows a repeated ask by immigrant advocates for $2 million for legal and rental assistance to help individuals impacted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions in Hudson County, though Guy didn’t specifically mention that.
The advocates renewed their calls headed into the first two of the budget hearings, which were largely dominated by commissioners pressing department directors on where they can makes cuts or transfer funds for this initiative.
At the final budget hearing earlier this week, Hudson County Counsel Alberico De Pierro read the announcement from Guy to the board of commissioners.
Under the amendment, the Hudson County Law Department will receive $150,000 for constituent legal services; the Office of Food and Health Equity under the Department of Health and Human Services will receive $160,000 for food pantry providers helping to fight hunger in Hudson County; and the Office of Family Services and Reintegration will receive $1 million for rental assistance programs.
“These additional funds will help families remain in their homes, expand access to critical legal services, and support the food pantry providers working every day to fight for food security in our communities,” Board Chair Anthony Romano (D-5) added in his own statement.
“I commend County Executive Guy for continuing to prioritize compassionate, responsible investments that deliver real support to Hudson County residents, and for working collaboratively with the Board of County Commissioners to do so.”
Commissioners Bill O’Dea (D-2) and Fanny Cedeno (D-7) also spoke out in favor of the amendment.
After that announcement at Tuesday’s meeting, Deputy Board Clerk Wilfredo Ortiz noted that the board of commissioners would not being adopting the budget tonight, so therefore there would be no hearing.
Instead, the only item to have a hearing on the agenda was a resolution authorizing the county to exceed the budget cap, which passed unanimously (9-0) after no public speakers came forward.
The next resolution was only authorizing the budget to be read by title, which also passed unanimously.
When Ortiz said that there was no more business for the night, O’Dea highlighted there was a budget hearing scheduled.
Romano said they already held the hearing, but Hudson County Administrator Abe Antun pointed out that was for the budget cap.
O’Dea echoed Antun, and held up the meeting agenda to note the budget hearing was among the two items.
Ortiz complied, albeit confused: “We’re having on a hearing on the budget today? Okay.”
When he started to say that speakers would have a three-minute time limit, O’Dea noted that is not the case for budget hearings.
“I’m sorry commissioner, that’s just what I was informed,” Ortiz said.
“I don’t know who informed you that, but I know the law pretty well. And unless we vote to limit the time, there is not a limit on a budget as opposed to other line items that we vote on,” O’Dea replied.
Romano then asked for commissioners to make a motion to set a time limit.
“It can’t be unlimited,” he said.
O’Dea suggested five minutes and the made motion, which passed unanimously.
After brief discussion about laid off employees from the Hudson County Schools of Technology Community Resource Center, residents took to the podium with their thoughts on the budget.
Jersey City resident Courtney Walker was among those who spoke to thank the commissioners for their work on the budget last week, going through it line by line to find additional funds for ICE-impacted families.
“I appreciate the additional funds found for this programming. I want to encourage the administration to work with us as advocates, particularly with where the funding for food assistance and legal assistance ends up going,” she stated.
“We need to be able to know how to access those resources from those additional funds and get creative, especially with the additional dollars for rental assistance. Since this is our money, we can be creative- as I know that the department is- in finding new ways to get people assistance.”
According to Walker, the county can create its own rules on how to administer the funds, who is eligible, and how they’re able to prove their source of income, as well as not including citizenship requirements – only residency.
O’Dea told Walker that Department of Housing and Reintegration Director Frank Mazza is the “best person in the world” to work with on rental assistance.
“He will figure a way to make sure, to the greatest human degree possible, that it gets into the right hands and helps the right people. I can’t say anything bad about Frank and what he does,” he said.
On the issue of legal fees, O’Dea said there will be a request for proposals that will be shared with advocates before it is sent out.
He added that the Immigrant Community Safety Committee does not end with the reallocation of these funds, noting that they might however shift to meeting monthly as opposed to twice per week.
“We need to continue to talk, because that’s how we find things out. I think that the proof of that is in the resolution. But once we commit for the services that will be proved with that money, while theres $150,000 in the budget, and I’ll give the county exec and the administrator some credit on this,” expressed O’Dea
” … Once we’re providing this service, then we don’t say ‘Oh, the money’s gone. Sorry.’ We will have to figure out a way to continue to provide that legal service. I think that’s as, if not more, important than an exact dollar amount.”
While Walker and other advocates were pleased with the funds, some pushed the board for more money for legal assistance to meet the original demand of $2 million.
“I know $150,000 was, I’m sure a lot to even carve out in this amendment, but at the same time, I know that’s two lawyers’ salaries maybe, and we saw five abductions alone from just Union City, West New York, and North Bergen alone yesterday,” said Weehawken resident Maya Ponton Aronoff, a member of Estamos Unidos and the Union City Community Garden.
She said immigrants are facing issues showing proof of income to receive assistance since ICE has been targeting family breadwinners in their raids.
“I know at the Hudson County Welfare Office, there’s a sort of catch22 happening where you’re supposed to demonstrate ongoing ability to pay and a lot of folks- maybe they’re the mother left behind with two kids after the father is taken and abducted by ICE- they don’t have an ongoing ability to pay because they’re looking for work for the first time. The breadwinner is now in detention or has been deported.”
In addition, those that can show proof of income can’t make it down to the office to apply since they work a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job.
Meanwhile, other intersectional issues arise like those who don’t have a formal lease to show for rental assistance because they might be improperly subleasing a room.
Aronoff also asked that lawyers hired for the legal assistance will help file visa applications as well as represent clients at court dates for active asylum process.
When finished, O’Dea asked for a transcript of her remarks to utilize when forming the RFP for rental assistance services.
