In June of 2008, the ire of Trenton crashed down upon the city of Hoboken. The state was frustrated after a five-member City Council majority opposed then-Mayor Dave Roberts’ budget and declined to pass the spending plan. The state ultimately took Hoboken’s finances out of the hands of local officials and into the hands of a state-appointed fiscal monitor.
This week, local officials may get their purse strings back.
After meeting several criteria agreed upon by the city and the state, Hoboken officials will present the city’s case for returning to home rule at a meeting of the state Local Finance Board in Trenton this Wednesday.
Last week, the council completed the fifth and final criterion, which was to pass a resolution authorizing the city’s release from state monitoring.
“I don’t know exactly how [the board will] vote.” – Dawn Zimmer
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Since September of 2008, Fiscal Monitor Judy Tripodi has acted as the city’s business administrator, but Mayor Dawn Zimmer recently hired former Mount Holly Police Chief Arch Liston to fill the job. Although the council could not agree on Liston’s salary, he is currently working in City Hall and receiving the maximum salary allowed by the city’s salary ordinance, roughly $140,000.
Budget control
“Yes, I’m prepared and hopeful to be released from state monitoring [on Wednesday],” Zimmer said last week in an interview. “I don’t know exactly how [the state board will] vote. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Zimmer said the city has made all of the preparations necessary for the move. “They were impressed with all we’ve done in Hoboken to change things around here,” she said.
Councilwoman Beth Mason, a frequent critic of Zimmer, said in an interview that despite Zimmer’s comments, the city still has fiscal problems.
But Mason also said, “I never wanted the state monitor to come in the first place.” She said she never expected that failing to approve the budget in 2008 – she and Zimmer were two of the five votes against the budget – would have resulted in the monitoring.
“I went down there [to Trenton] and told them that we didn’t need it and could do it ourselves,” Mason said.
At the time, she recommended that the city hire professional firms to handle the financial turnaround.
The verdict on whether Judy Tripodi was entirely helpful to the city differs depending on whom one asks. But many of her deeds helped better organize and prepare the city for financial order.
Now there is a consensus that the city needs to handle its own affairs.
“It’s time to take the training wheels off,” said resident Scott Siegel at the meeting.
Year to year
The city is considering changing its budget year from a fiscal year, July 1 to June 30, to a calendar year, Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. This will align it with the state, which runs on a calendar year and distributes state aid early in the calendar year.
The recommendation came from a city audit, according to Zimmer, and the council approved the measure for first reading last week. It will come up for a final vote at their next meeting along with a presentation from the auditor.
Proponents like Councilman Michael Lenz said the move will eliminate the need for estimated tax bills, which will be more understandable.
A memo provided to the public from the city auditor states that the city would have to approve a six-month transitional budget (July 1 to Dec. 31) to make the change, which would also frontload 12 months of state aid into a six-month timeframe and potentially allow for budget flexibility in the short term.
But just eliminating the need to send out estimated tax bills will save $30,000 per year.
Mason said at the meeting that she spoke with officials who oppose the calendar year scheduling. But she was cut short of explaining further because ordinances for first reading are not up for discussion.
City garage
Also at the meeting, the council again tabled an ordinance to bond for almost $2 million to build a temporary municipal garage somewhere in town, since the city’s current permanent structure was sold to a developer three years ago. The city is still occupying the building but intends to do environmental cleanup and then vacate the building by the beginning of July.
“Most of the work has been done,” Zimmer said.
As yet, the city has not made public where they intend to build the temporary garage and some residents were concerned about this last week.
After crossing guard Margaret O’Brien asked where the garage will be built, she was told by the council that the city attorney believes revealing the location could potentially jeopardize the city’s negotiations.
“I can’t fathom why there’s a potential conflict with the public knowing where the site is,” Councilman Michael Russo said at the meeting.
Some believe the location is being withheld to avoid politically harming the administration in the intended neighborhood where the city’s new public works garage will be.
Timothy J. Carroll may be reached at tcarroll@hudsonreporter.com.
Other city business
● Councilwoman Beth Mason introduced an ordinance to require a disclosure of political contributions from any member of the public applying for a seat on any municipal board. The council called her ordinance “accusatory” and tabled it for adjustments. The measure was in response to claims that Zimmer’s administration has been rewarding campaign supporters with local board seats, like on the Zoning Board, Planning Board, or Library Board.
● The city approved the Uptown Farmer’s Market to be held this year on Tuesdays from June through October on Hudson Street between 13th and 14th streets.
● The council approved the hiring of a second municipal judge, since the city has the fourth highest municipal court volume in the state and is well below average by having only one judge. Hoboken sees more municipal court cases than all municipalities except Newark, Jersey City, and Paterson, officials said.
● Councilman Nino Giacchi, who chairs the council’s Quality of Life committee, said his committee will be scheduling a public meeting to discuss the enforcement of the Alcohol Beverage Control regulations. Some bar owners have reported inconsistent enforcement of the laws, which Giacchi said may need legislative adjustments.