LETTER: Jersey City is only hurting itself by not fully funding council offices

In a letter to the editor, Jersey City Heights resident James Rosenstein-Hopkins explains why he feels the city is only hurting itself by not fully funding the City Council offices.

Dear Editor,

As a Jersey City Heights resident, I’m taken aback by some of my neighbors coming out against a fully-funded staff office.

For years, Jersey City has understaffed their council offices, which means that at most, three people (including the council member themselves) would be serving the needs of 50,000 people.

That’s not tenable and City Hall knows that’s not tenable, either.

Despite the “gentleman’s agreement” to understaff each office, then-Councilman Solomon still had a fully staffed office. There was a communications director, a legislative director, a constituent services outreach director, and a chief of staff.

The results were clear.

Mayor Solomon had the best constituent services and public communications program in the city as a councilman — outpacing then-Mayor Fulop — precisely because he was forced to work around this arcane gentleman’s agreement.

That agreement had limited the City Council’s own effectiveness and power.

In contrast, if the city funded these positions and paid fairly, we can all follow Mayor Solomon’s example and deliver the kind of constituent services our city’s residents deserve.

I hope everyone wanting to hold elected office would agree that Jersey City residents deserve more than understaffed council representation.

James Rosenstein-Hopkins
Jersey City Heights resident