The West New York Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a $75.6 million budget for the 2014-2015 fiscal year at a special meeting Thursday evening, boasting no tax increase for residents from the previous year.
By John Heinis/The Hudson County View
Out of the roughly 20- person crowd, Â only two members of the public, residents Patrick Cullen and Angel Barquin, asked questions on the matter. As a result, the meeting only lasted for about 40 minutes.
Dr. Count Wiley, the Commissioner of Parks and Public Property, continued his outspoken ways and criticized the money being bonded for town hall repairs.
” … I don’t agree with the bidding and the excuses you keep giving the public, that’s not it. I want to see the monies we have here used for the purposes (that) there for,” Â Wiley said prior to the budget’s approval. “I don’t see the repairs that were supposed to be done – after the department was ripped out of my hands – and it was DPW (workers) in there (the town hall) fixing the roof where they have no qualifications to do so.”
” … Now, you’re gonna tell me about using the money or saving the money, I don’t get it, where the money is going? You’re telling me you’re bonding again for new repairs? For a town hall we just bonded for last year? I’m sorry, I don’t agree with this guys, there’s something wrong here.”
The board also approved a shared services agreement with the board of education, as well as authorizing shared services with Secaucus, Guttenberg, North Bergen, Weehawken, Bayonne and Harrison for “health officer services.”
Gina Diaz is the Director of Health Services in West New York and makes approximately $80,000 annually, with only a handful of other employees in her department.
The agreement between West New York and North Bergen is now official, since North Bergen unanimously approved the measure at their board of commissioners meeting on Wednesday.