Hoboken Councilmen Paul Presinzano and Mike Russo are proposing municipal budget changes to get the 18.9 percent tax increase in the initial budget down to a range of about 3.2 to 5.3 percent.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“When a normal Hoboken family faces high fixed costs, they adjust their variable costs accordingly. We expect the same from our government. I have said it every year: there is no real plan to fix this. This year, we are the plan,” Russo said in a statement.
“The one core theme is that residents are just done with hearing that costs are out of our control. They elect us to give solutions, not reasons. So I have spent many late nights working on a fiscally responsible budget and pushing for structural changes, because that is the only answer that actually works,” added Presinzano.
The City Council voted 6-3 to introduce a $152,128,410.25 municipal budget with a nearly 19 percent tax increase last month, seeking to address a $17 million deficit that Mayor Emily Jabbour brought to the public’s attention in March, both as HCV first reported.
Presinzano, Russo, and 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher voted no.
The Russo-Presinzano amendment package identifies between $9.5 million and $11 million in levy reductions through structural levers, none of which require laying off a single employee or eliminating a single city service, they said Friday evening.
“No department should be budgeted at more than 3% above what it actually spent in 2025. Applied consistently, this one principle produces between $3 million and $5.1 million in savings,” the 1st and 3rd Ward council representatives argued.
“The general liability insurance line alone was budgeted at $3.26 million against 2025 actual spending of $1.58 million. That is a 107% overstatement on a single line.”
The councilmen are also suggesting healthcare plan restructuring to save $2.5 million, reviewing municipal salaries, overtime, and compliance by combining, restructuring, and/or eliminating positions to save $1.5 million.
Further, Presinzano and Russo recommend selling naming rights for Hoboken’s parks and piers, along with sponsorships on municipal vehicles and the HOP, auditing every city lease, and calculating city ratables correctly, which could add up to another $2.5 million saved.
They also explain that if $3 million in operating expenses are cut, the tax increase would be 5.3 percent, a number that goes down to 3.2 percent if $4.5 million in expenses are cut, with full implementation of the plan bringing the tax hike to just below three percent.
For the average Hoboken homeowner, the difference between the administration’s introduced budget and this amendment can mean hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a year that stays in Hoboken households, not in a budget padded well beyond what actual 2025 spending justifies.
“Hoboken is not broke. Hoboken is not unmanageable. Hoboken has a spending problem, a management structure problem, and a habit of calling structural failures unavoidable. They are not. We have the data. We have the plan. Now we need the votes,” Russo concluded.
“Residents elect us to solve problems, not to explain why they cannot be solved. This package does exactly that. The savings are there. The will to find them is what has been missing,” noted Presinzano.
In response, Jabbour called out her former colleagues for political gamesmanship, saying their suggestions were sent to the City Clerk at 4 p.m. today without sharing them to the mayor’s office or having meaning dialogue with the rest of the council.
” … It is political theater that Hoboken soundly rejected. These are ideas built on assumptions that do not reflect the reality of the City that they dressed up as a plan. Hoboken residents deserve an honest conversation about revenues, expenses, contracts, services, and long-term fiscal responsibility. And selling naming rights to public assets is not a budget strategy,” she declared.
“Hoboken is not going to balance its budget by slapping corporate logos on every park bench, playground, and public building until the city looks like Times Square. My administration remains open to productive conversations with any council member who is interested in working collaboratively to address the very real fiscal challenges we face in order to deliver a responsible budget to Hoboken residents.”
The public budget hearing is set for Wednesday’s council meeting at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 94 Washington St., which will also stream live on YouTube.
These two are snake oil salesmen who wouldn’t know fiscal responsibility if it smacked them in the face.
Russo went bankrupt and can’t keep a job.
Paul just wants to be loved by a guy who is going to tell him he is pretty and Russo loves doing that. Just ask sheillah and Chetali.
Paul and Russo want to burn it to the ground so they can rule the ashes. At least tiffanie actually proposed something. Hoping Ruben doesn’t follow these clowns
Supporting Paul’s efforts. Let the discussions happen on the council and see the mayor agree because Hoboken is overdue on this. Councilwoman Fisher had a good proposal too. This sounds even better.
Mayor Emily should listen as she didn’t bring much to the 2026 budget table. She didn’t reduce Hoboken government by a single job. Nada-One!
If Russo wanted to co-sponsor, fine. At least he’s actually doing something to get the budget under control for a change.
“ No department should be budgeted at more than 3% above what it actually spent in 2025.”
Yet Russo supported Police contract that raised salaries above that
Of course…his brother is a cop…
Oh No! Paul don’t follow Russo to the bottom…
Ask Beth Mason how that goes
Hoboken is facing a severe $17 million budget deficit driven heavily by expensive, long-term police contracts that lock in a 43% raise through 2031, costing taxpayers an extra $22 million when adding yearly longevity bonuses. This financial strain includes hefty raises for supervisors and a $315,000 salary for the Police Chief, all originally approved by city leaders. Now, the situation has turned into political theater as Councilman Mike Russo consistently votes for these high-spending deals, yet acts completely shocked when the final bill arrives. To hide this spendthrift history ahead of his mayoral run, Russo is using the fiscally conservative reputation of Councilman Paul Presinzano as a shield, teaming up with him to introduce last-minute budget cuts that whitewash his record while trying to slash a looming 18.9% property tax hike.
I read this over and over and STILL can not find any suggested cuts?
THis is a dog and Phony show.
Presinzano & Russo are a joke. In one breath you’re saying you aren’t looking for layoffs but then you propose restructuring, and/or eliminating positions. Eliminating positions is hurting an employee and taking their job away! You both are full of it. Thinking you’re going to “save the day”! Gimme a break. How about removing medical benefits from council members?? Now that’s a BIG cost savings! You want to stop being so “top heavy”. Well start with yourselves and prove that you are willing to make a sacrifice. No other Part Time employees receive medical benefits so council should NOT receive them either! You all voted yes on those insane PBA and PSOA contracts and now want to blame the previous Administration for it. YOU are ALL to blame for the financial crisis Hoboken is facing! Political Theater at its finest! Come up with a REAL plan. This is a complete joke!
Remove all of Russo’s friends and family from the payroll…budget balanced.