HOBOKEN–Fiscal Monitor Judy Tripodi said today that her conversation with the Hoboken Reporter about releasing the budget was referring to when it becomes ready for introduction, but not before that time.
Her second round of comments came only after the Reporter talked to her and then to Acting Mayor Dawn Zimmer about the budget for a breaking news item (see below).
Tripodi said she was misrepresented by the below post and that she agrees with Acting Mayor Dawn Zimmer’s stance that the budget should not be made public until the administration has completed its work.
“She’s waiting on me,” Tripodi said, referring to the acting mayor. “To release any portion of it would be bedlam. I’m not creating that havoc.”
When commenting about release of the budget not having an effect on negotiations, Tripodi was referring to the administration’s completed budget, set to be release in November.
Tripodi said any council members who are claiming they don’t know about the budget are lying.
“They know what’s going on with the budget,” she said. “This will be the most transparent budget process we’ve ever seen.”
She also said she may need to take control of the budget from the mayor and the council if either is not happy with her recommendations.
“If the mayor is not happy, I have to introduce it as my budget,” she said. “I can’t guarantee that the mayor or the City Council will agree.”
As far as negotiations, Tripodi said they tie in to the budget process and could have affected the outcome during some sensative points weeks ago, but that at some point the budget has to be introduced whether negotiations conclude or not.
As far as her stance for the city in negotiations, she said, “We would be foolish not to think we have to give some raises up.”
She noted that some sort of raise would most likely be awarded in binding arbitration should the two sides find themselves at a stalemate. — TJC