Dear Editor:
The supreme arrogance of Mayor Rudy Garcia was on display once again in your September 13 newspaper. Instead of talking about undoing the terrible fiscal crisis he created for thousands of Union City families, Rudy was talking about campaign headquarters.
The issue isn’t headquarters, the issue is that Rudy Garcia has made a terrible mess of our city government.
• He allowed a $4.5 million deficit to grow to nearly $12 million in only 2 1/2 years.
• He aggravated the city’s budget by recklessly spending and hiring, by relying on every one-shot budget gimmick he could find, and by making many costly fiscal mistakes with our tax dollars.
• He embarrassed our city as the very last mayor in all of New Jersey to submit a budget to the state.
• And when the Commissioners offered meaningful solutions, such as seeking State assistance and tax relief, arrogant Rudy blocked their efforts.
Rudy alleges that the Board of Commissioners helped Union City First by settling a deal for back taxes owed by the previous bankrupt landlord of our new headquarters. Once again Rudy is way off base.
After looking at a number of locations, Union City First decided to open its Recall Rudy headquarters at 2200 Bergenline Avenue. This property had not been on the city tax rolls for the past 11 years. In 1989, the previous owners, North Jersey Secretarial School, Inc., filed for bankruptcy. From then on, unpaid taxes began to accrue on the property. On January 9, 2000, the property was sold to Annabella Diamonds, Corp. At that time, the principal for the debtor approached the city to negotiate a deal to pay the back taxes. On August 22 of this year, the Board of Commissioners approved that deal.
If Rudy had a problem with this deal it was hard to tell. Rudy failed to show at the Bankruptcy hearing he was required to attend. And when the final deal was reached with the City, Rudy was silent and abstained on the vote.
The facts are the Board of Commissioners did not approve this deal to help me. They approved the deal because it was good for the city. It brought $133,000 in unpaid taxes into the city budget. It also put the property back on the city tax rolls where it will once again generate much-needed ratables for the city . The new owners pay $29,000 annually in property taxes to the city. And Union City First pays $3,200 a month in rent. Those numbers do not seem like a special deal to me.
If Rudy was doing his job as Mayor, and not worrying about such nonsense, the city would not face a multi-million dollar deficit, the people would not face unbearable tax increases caused by Rudy’s mismanagement and failed leadership, and Rudy would not face a disgraceful Recall from office.
By the way, over 1,500 residents showed up at the grand opening of the Union City First headquarters promising to work on the Recall campaign.
Freeholder Brian P. Stack
Union City First