HOBOKEN — In a change from her frequent criticism of Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer, Councilwoman Beth Mason actually complimented Zimmer’s shared services plan with Weehawken for municipal garage storage operations (see earlier story below on www.hudsonreporter.com).
In a letter e-mailed to constituents Monday afternoon, she wrote:
“Today Hoboken and Weehawken announced a shared services plan for a joint Department of Public Works Garage. This plan will keep the Public Works Garage out of residential neighborhoods, off of our waterfront, and will provide substantial cost savings for the taxpayers of both Hoboken and Weehawken.
I have always been an advocate of using shared services to cut Hoboken’s budget. In fact, on May 18 I was interviewed by CBS News regarding the re-location of the Hoboken Department of Public Works Garage. During this interview I stated that taxpayers would be better served by Hoboken entering into a shared services agreement with a surrounding community rather than placing the DPW Garage in a residential neighborhood or on the waterfront.
Thousands of residents agreed and we came together to protect the small town feel of our neighborhoods — a public works garage does not belong in the neighborhoods where our families live and our children play. Fortunately, our voice was heard and we found an innovative and dynamic way to solve a problem that was inherited from prior administrations.
I would like to take this opportunity to commend Weehawken Mayor Richard F. Turner and Mayor Zimmer for working together to put taxpayers and residents first, especially in these tough economic times.”