HOBOKEN — After a more than hour-long discussion in a special emergency meeting addressing budget appropriations on Monday evening, the Hoboken City Council voted unanimously to pass the temporary budget appropriations that will cover the finances of the city up until March 1.
The appropriations amount to $22.8 million, or 17.5 percent of the total appropriations of the current fund in the fiscal year 2010 budget.
On Jan. 5, the administration of Mayor Dawn Zimmer proposed a temporary budget that would have covered the city’s finances until the end of March. Then, Councilman Michael Russo proposed his own changes which would take Hoboken only through the first six weeks of 2011, in order to put the administration’s “feet to the fire” to present a 2011 calendar budget to the council. The administration and council seem to have come to a compromise, settling on March 1.
The discussions on Monday evening turned personal after members of the public took to the microphone. Some blamed individual council members for the budget situation, but Councilman Nino Giacchi said he hoped the meeting was going to be an amicable agreement on the budget.
“There’s no animosity; no good guy, bad guy,” Giacchi said. “We’re all working together. I thought that was the objective.”
For now, it’s back to business in the city of Hoboken with appropriations approved.
The next council meeting is scheduled for Jan. 19. – Ray Smith
Hoboken City Council passes temporary budget appropriations
