Hoboken 1st Ward Councilman Paul Presinzano is prosing parking fee exemptions for low- and middle-income residents as the governing body prepares to vote on new fee hikes, and metered parking costs tomorrow night.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Every politician in Hoboken talks about affordability, but residents are still feeling the pressure. I am listening to those concerns and will try to help,” he wrote in a newsletter this afternoon.
“I am proposing exemptions from parking fee hikes for HHA residents, affordable housing tenants, and the middle class. This is a small step toward delivering on the promises made during the election and easing the burden on working families. I hope my colleagues will step up and join me in taking real action.”
Presinzano, who has previously said he is opposed to any municipal budget with a 20 percent tax increase, first made mention of the idea at yesterday’s virtual caucus (which isn’t available online yet).
His remarks came around the same time when Hoboken Mayor Emily Jabbour announced a hiring freeze that is estimated to save the city around $600,000, as HCV first reported.
At their April 9th meeting, the City Council voted 6-3, with Presinzano, 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher, and 3rd Ward Councilman Mike Russo, voting no on first reading for several new ordinances to increases parking fees throughout the city.
” … These are hidden taxes, I don’t care what the administration is gonna tell me, these are hidden taxes when we go after fees before we even have a budget of what’s been cut,” Presinzano said at the time.
“We haven’t had a budget and we’re already raising fees. And we haven’t talked to the stakeholders.”
The council will vote in real time on whether or not to make it a late addition to tomorrow’s meeting, which takes place at City Hall, 94 Washington St., at 7 p.m. The public session will also stream live on the city’s YouTube page.
City spokeswoman Marilyn Baer did not return an email seeking comment on Tuesday afternoon.
