Dear Editor:
Failing significant action by local government, Jersey City will face unacceptable property tax increases that will destabilize our local economy and the long term health and well-being of our city.
We must act on (1) immediate rigorous cost-cutting initiatives that do not reduce services to the Jersey City public and do not have negative long-term financial repercussions; and (2) the establishment of a public budget commission charged with annual budget review and creation/maintenance of a five-year financial master plan.
We must cut costs. Structural initiatives must be identified, studied, and swiftly implemented to permanently reduce the costs of local government.
These items should be on the table: management structure, departmental consolidation, labor reductions, shared services, reduced employee benefits (including health, parking, motor vehicle use), and increases in revenue to the city from the semi-autonomous public authorities. Efforts must be initiated to obtain support at the state level for legislation to reform the public safety (fire and police) contract arbitration process and to prepare for increased local contribution for our schools, potentially an additional $125 million.
We must establish a municipal budget commission. Its members should be from equal parts government, business, and the general public and supported by relevant municipal departments. The commission will perform three primary functions: (1) oversee public review of the budget (2) provide recommendations for the current-year proposed budget and (3) prepare and maintain a five-year financial master plan matching revenues to expenses.
The commissions will both review and project revenue streams and analyze and evaluate expenditures. All property tax abatement agreements greater than five years in term will go before the commission for review and recommendation. The commission will also be charged with review and evaluation of the budgets for the semi-autonomous agencies, with the aims of cost control and increasing revenue to the city. An initial commission project will be to study and recommend the need for an independently elected city comptroller.
We must act and we must act now!
Daniel Levin