Staring down a $57,407,809 deficit, the Jersey City Council introduced a preliminary $697,509,540.10 budget with a two percent tax hike at last night’s meeting.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“We are now in debt over $57 million dollars, this city. Do you know why? Because you don’t know how to manage your money. You keep on spending on crap and meanwhile you’re taking away from the public,” said Jeanne Daly.
“So we need to know what is going on and why did this happen and how did it happen … This is a disgrace, I’m sorry, I’m very angry tonight.”
The overall budget is down considerably from last year, when the annual municipal spending plan was at $724,818,603.02 and came with an over $1,000 tax increase per home assessed at $470,000. That budget didn’t receive a final vote until October.
However, city officials estimate that they lost $92,939,388 during the COVID-19 pandemic and had three related resolutions to try to offset the deficit with small tax increases from now until 2028.
One resolution was for an emergency temporary appropriation of $313,501,341.05, with another asking the state Department of Community Affairs to certify they lost the aforementioned dollar amount due to the pandemic.
The fourth and final resolution related to the budget sought to certify three- and five-year special emergency appropriations related to COVID-19.
“That the total emergency appropriation shall be provided for in the budgets of succeeding years beginning in 2023 by the inclusion of not less than $11,481,562 (must be at least one fifth of the total amount),” the local legislation explains.
The budget introduction and the temporary appropriations were approved unanimously, the DCA certification resolution voted in favor 8-1, with Ward E Councilman James Solomon voting no, and the final measure okayed 7-1(1), with Solomon voting no and Ward C Councilman Rich Boggiano abstaining.
At the beginning of the year, Solomon unveiled a plan to combat tax increases and wasteful spending and the council approved an ordinance to require overtime spending reports from each department at the end of January.
Ravi Bhalla is the greatest mayor EVER. He only hikes our taxes 7% a year and thankfully so we can hire more town spokespeople who remain quiet about the daylight DWI in which a driver t-boned another car right outside the police station.
#visionzero #winwin
Where can I find the Jersey City budget at? This should be public ,correct.