Jersey City Mayor James Solomon will host community budgets meetings in all six wards, which comes after he announced a roughly $254 million deficit at a City Hall press conference last week.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Every resident of Jersey City deserves a seat at the table when it comes to decisions that affect their community,” he said in a statement.
“These meetings are about more than just presenting numbers—they’re about listening, engaging, and working together to find solutions. We are committed to ensuring that every voice is heard as we chart a responsible path forward.”
Phase 1: Community Leader Meetings — February 2026
Beginning Saturday, February 14th, Solomon’s team will host initial meetings in each of the city’s six wards.
These sessions will bring together community leaders, neighborhood association representatives, Special Improvement District directors, faith leaders, and elected officials for focused, facilitated conversations.
Each session will be capped at 40 attendees and limited to 90 minutes to ensure productive, meaningful dialogue, according to the mayor’s office.
Rather than traditional Town Hall formats with open-mic public comment, these meetings will use a facilitated dialogue model.
Phase 2: Open Community Meetings — March 2026
In March, the administration will expand its outreach by hosting community meetings, which will be live streamed to the public and open to all residents in every ward.
Advance registration will be available through Eventbrite, and the city will provide phone-in registration assistance for seniors and residents who need support.
Those meetings are tentatively scheduled as followed, with locations to be announced soon:
Ward A: March 5 at 7:00 p.m.
Ward B: March 10 at 7:00 p.m.
Ward C: March 16 at 7:00 p.m.
Ward D: March 18 at 7:00 p.m.
Ward E: March 24 at 7:00 p.m.
Ward F: March 26 at 7:00 p.m.
Furthermore, ward council members are partnering with the mayor’s office to conduct outreach and ensure robust community participation.
To that end, each council member is responsible for engaging community leaders in their ward and helping to ensure that meetings reflect the diversity and priorities of every neighborhood in Jersey City.
After Solomon declared he would take a $1 salary for 2026 in light of the anticipated financial woes, Ward D Councilman Jake Ephros agreed to pull a resolution that would allow all nine members of the governing body to hire four full-time aides, both as HCV first reported.
The Jersey City Council will convene for a caucus meeting today at 4 p.m. at City Hall, 280 Grove St., with the public session also streaming live on Microsoft Teams.
We are going to be getting two property tax increases in one year. It is easier to swallow that way.
Politics 101. Blame your predecessor and get the big increase out of the way in the first year and while you still have a united council.
Just don’t be stupid about it like Florio’s toilet paper tax, because that gives the public something to remember.
See also: “Read my lips. No new taxes!”