The Hoboken Tax Reform Coalition submitted this list of 12 financial goals for the city at the council meeting last night.
Incidentally, they also recently received a letter back from the state, outlining what the city should be doing about a reval. (Not everyone agrees with the goal of a reval, though; check out our letters section this Sunday for more!)
The Hoboken Tax Reform Coalition
The Hoboken Tax Reform Coalition is drafting an “Omnibus Financial Responsibility Austerity and Transparency Resolution”, a set of principles including, for example:
1. A balanced municipal budget effective July 1, 2009, benchmarked against similar NJ municipalities; with a parallel reduction in the municipal tax levy.
2. A markedly reduced Board of Education budget reduced effective July 1, 2008, based on enrollment of Hoboken children, with staffing benchmarked against “best practices” and with further school consolidation.
3. That the Revaluation be funded and started immediately and completed and put into effect no later than January 1, 2011 (or be retroactive to that date).
4. That benefits for all municipal employees, particularly medical, be benchmarked against “best practices” and reduced if appropriate; that vacation time must be fully used each year with no carry-over; that there is no payment for unused vacation or sick time upon retirement; and that pensions are calculated using only full-time pay (excluding “bonus” pensions by calculating in over-time).
5. That the Hospital is converted back to not-for-profit status, and the City guarantee be removed from the Hospital bonds (and the property tax increase exposure if the hospital fails be disclosed immediately).
6. That the budget making process be changed so the Mayor must submit a proposed balanced budget by a March 1st and a balanced budget must be passed by June 30th; and that the Mayor make all requested necessary budget work papers available to the Council and the public for its review and deliberations.
7. That all existing PILOTs be fully disclosed, that the terms of th e agreements be reviewed to ensure that the City of Hoboken is receiving the correct revenue from each, and that a moratorium be passed on any additional PILOTs.
8. That police, fire and education structure and staffing be benchmarked against “best practices” and then be immediately modified as appropriate.
9. That cuts in state appropriations must not automatically be rolled into the City budget rather additional spending cuts should be made if necessary.
10. The County should not pass expense increases or state reductions on to the City.
11. That the State monitor all facets of the Hoboken budget (municipal, county and school) to make sure annual increases are necessary and annual increases caps are not breached.
12. That the State Commission of Investigation looks into the mismanagement of Hoboken City Government.