Hoboken taxpayer seeks budget-slicing suggestions

Jonathan Metsch, one of the founders of HobokenRevolt.com, submitted this letter:
It’s time to develop a Hoboken Citizens’ Virtual Austerity Budget!
Last night, for the third meeting in a row, despite the pleadings of citizen speaker after citizen speaker, the City Council did not discuss budget reductions or how to roll back the recent egregious tax increase.
Council members say they are helpless to act, that the State Fiscal Monitor has total authority. Wouldn’t you think the Council would try to reestablish its credibility on the budget by preparing an austerity budget and making it possible for the State to remove the need for a Fiscal Monitor?
Instead – blame the Mayor (where is the Mayor anyway?), blame the union contracts, point fingers at each other and further demean respect for the Council, debate silly resolution after silly resolution to make believe they are governing. Simply ignore the reality that the Council and Mayor have brought Hoboken to the brink of “bankruptcy.”
So, it’s time to develop a Hoboken Citizens’ Virtual Austerity Budget!
I’ll start with one idea.
Here is a proposal to provide bridge revenue to complement immediate major expense reductions so as we reduce the Hoboken budget from $120 million to $80 million as quickly as possible, taxes can be rolled back immediately:
When any new construction project starts, the developer should immediately begin paying property tax or PILOT anticipation fees equal to one third of projected annual taxes upon completion. These advance payments would be offset against actual property tax or PILOT payments over the next ten years after opening.
But more importantly, share your ideas on how to reduce expenses and increase revenue so we can together assemble a Hoboken Citizens’ Virtual Austerity Budget!
Please post your proposal on www.hobokenrevolt.com under the Discussion “Hoboken Citizens’ Virtual Austerity Budget.”
Let’s get started!
Jonathan Metsch