Dear Editor:
For years the citizens here have been insisting that the mayor be present at council, the reasons for this being that pertinent problems could be worked on by the cooperation and majority of the council. The public would be encourage to speak out as these issues arise and to see what plans or agendas are in place and exactly how cognizant those in charge are on the issues and what is being done about them.
The second reading has a place here, the public has already given their two cents worth, and the issue in whatever condition is voted on by democratic process and legal addition. (Lawyers who are well paid to make sure everything is done right). Committees are formed with interested members of the public taking their time to sit on them to move this town forward, and work alongside the council. These are called advocates and are sparse. Directors of various entities of the city are asked to attend and give their input, so that both the city and the council aren’t missing much.
Paperwork, charts, budgets, etc. all pass through this process and a VOTE is taken, and a follow through (which never happens anymore) should back up ALL that is said and done to make sure the work gets done and the budget, which is connected gets passed. At this time, and always at election time, this whole process gets flawed, and a stonewalling standstill sits in place until the election passes, then this process begins again, and again and again.
Connections have to be made with the planning board, zoning board, board of education, sewerage board, etc. in order to facilitate change. When the city voted itself the redevelopment agency all of this went by the wayside.
And we got a convoluted, haphazard approach to business in this city, including the budget …taxes reflected the “change” and city departments also…many scandals erupted, departmental and political…whoever brings it back the way it should be should be mayor! It is not rocket science to form a committee to do the development and take the onus off the city council so they can do the flooding, taxes, parking, payroll, budget, etc. And we can have our Hoboken back the way it should be.
Margaret O’Brien