Surplus should be invested back into the community

Dear Editor:
I would like to thank Director Leo Pellegrini and the City of Hoboken for extending the use of the community pool, located at the Boys and Girls Club, so that the children of Hoboken could continue to use the pool before starting the new school year.
I will continue to advocate that the city fully fund this pool for the full summer schedule in next year’s budget, since it is a nominal amount that benefits hundreds of children. I look forward to working with our administration to ensure the children enjoy the pool all summer long.
Additionally, I would like to request that the administration revisit the fees charged for youth recreational activities in the city of Hoboken now that the administration has found a multi-million dollar surplus. I think we can all agree that the last thing we want is for a child to be left out of playing sports if they cannot afford the fees.
As it stands now, the law in place makes no concessions for any of Hoboken’s needy children, and if a child participates in multiple activities, the fees can add up to a few hundred dollars per family – a staggering amount for many families.
I would also like consideration to be given to upgrading two city parks – Church Square Park and the park next to the Boys and Girls Club. Currently, both projects are being led by parents and residents to fundraise for the new equipment and renovations. While I believe public partnerships are essential to our city, now that the city has a significant surplus, I would like to see these capital improvement projects moved forward and be included in the 2010 budget.
While it is unfortunate that tax payers have been grossly overtaxed, the least this administration can do is to invest some of that money back into the community for the benefit of all.

Tim Occhipinti
4th Ward Council Candidate
www.occhipintiforcouncil.com

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