In an editorial, Hoboken mayoral candidate Dini Ajmani explains why she believes the city council made a mistake in granting the police benevolent association (PBA) an eight-year contract last week.
Did the City Council of Hoboken just put us on a path to a smaller police force, fiscal unsustainability, and higher taxes? The answer: Likely.
Last week, the Hoboken City Council approved an eight-year contract with the Police Benevolent Association. Not a single council member voted “no,” two abstained.
I firmly believe our men and women in uniform deserve a fair wage. With inflation and rising cost of living, New Jersey is becoming increasingly unaffordable.
But the deal that was struck by the sitting members clearly didn’t account for an impact on current residents.
Under this contract, police officers will see an increase in their salaries starting with 3% in 2025 increasing to 10% in 2031. In eight years, Hoboken will be paying 43% more for the same service it receives today.
The salary increases will amount to an additional $22 million in spending for the city over this period.
Because of these increases in salaries, the city will need to make an even higher contribution to the Police and Fire Retirement System which could be an additional $9 million.
Contract negotiations with the firemen, police supervisors, and public employees are pending. It is highly likely these negotiations will result in similar increases in salaries.
Today, spending on just public safety salaries and benefits is $66 million, which is 45% of the budget.
If taxes stay at the current level, in eight years, these expenses will rise to 60% of the budget, leaving just 40% available for other critical needs, such as providing basic services – cleaning the streets, trash hauling, and park maintenance.
The Hoboken City Council faces some tough choices in the coming years with really only one outcome: if we keep the current level of services, there will be a tax hike of almost 40% over the next eight years.
In the end, it is the job of our council to think through these decisions. While I support any effort to make Hoboken affordable to those who serve our city, the council owes Hobokenites an explanation on how they plan to pay for it and exactly who pays for it.
This approval by the council will especially hurt our residents on a fixed income who cannot sustain such steep tax increases.
Right now, the council is applauding a short-sighted victory that could actually jeopardize our city and her safety in the future.
Does she make a sound?
Where has this politician come lately been?
Last we heard from her, she was gonna run for city council and then dropped out for a greener pastures with the federal government
No real record of doing anything for the community yet she decides to choose the highest office in the city
Has she ever examine the police budget or is she just spewing talking points now because she thinks it’ll make her popular with her millionaire neighbors and friends on Hudson Street?
She’s been running around Hoboken trying to get a crash course in civics issues and current problems
Interesting that she never reaches out to anybody west of Willow Avenue
Hoboken doesn’t need another $4 million homeowner that wants to turn everything into a one family house and push out economic diversity
Where was she on the rain control Referendum?
Where was she on parks
Where has she been critical of the current administration?
Where was she ?
Well she was U.S. Treasury Department Deputy Assistant Secretary. So just maybe she a better understanding of finances then the present Mayor who reportedly had his car repossessed and has declared bankruptcy.
Residents of Hoboken will see that taxes will be going up yet again making living here more difficult.
$4 million dollar single family homes are absolutely fantastic for Hoboken. They pay full taxes on the property, put little burden on the schools and City Services and increase the property values of their neighbors.
So she supports displacement… Gotcha
For the next six years we’re gonna be told, just like we’ve been told by Bhalla for the past 8 years, that our taxes are going up because of stuff “out of our control.”
The sad thing is that it will be true. Thanks to Bhalla and every member of this City Council – huge tax increases going forward are basically already locked in.
No member of this Council deserves to be Mayor. They all blame Bhalla but they’ve been complicit every fiscally irresponsible step of the way.
Self described “Budget hawk” Russo and Tiffanie the Deliberative Explorer sometimes talk the talk but when the rubber hits the road they are just as irresponsible as Ramos and the Bhalla rubber stamps.
Eight years virtue signalling and out of control spending while quality of life goes to hell in a hand basket.
Thanks Donna
here here
Ravi’s girl couldn’t stop Ravi doing what was best for Ravi. Zero cred.
Well, now we know where she comes from… A left wing millionaire socialist.
No more limo liberals that will only blight our city, push out the poor and turn it into SanFrancisco /Portland/Minneapolis of the east