Dear Editor:
Recently, Mayor Zimmer introduced her 2011 budget to the Hoboken City Council. While this budget uses $9.6 million of Hoboken’s $25 million budget surplus, only $4 million provides property tax relief. Thus, our inflated tax rate remains the same. I believe purposely over taxing our residents is wrong.
Last year when the City Council adopted the 2010 transition year budget, Finance Chairman Michael Lenz stated the state only allowed a maximum tax cut of 5 percent unless the city requested permission. I still don’t understand why Lenz and the administration refused to ask the state for permission to return more of the surplus.
This meager 5 percent cut compared to the 25 percent promised occurred only because members of the public demanded one. This was after Business Administrator Arch Liston, who doesn’t even live in Hoboken, said my calls to return the surplus were “totally irresponsible.” This statement is insulting when you consider Liston makes $150,000 a year from Hoboken taxpayers while doubling¬-dipping to concurrently receive a publically funded pension.
Now this year with no restrictions from the state, another negligible cut of 5 percent is being offered. The administration claims I have never suggested ways to cut the budget, but as the public knows that is simply not true. Raising issues where there is significant wasteful spending, having leaders set an example by addressing double dipping and salaries that are out of line and offering additional revenue sources makes this not only false, but implies they did not like what I proposed and choose to ignore them because they want to create political rhetoric rather than doing what’s right.
When I proposed cutting salaries for the mayor, City Council, and department heads by 25 percent the former Zimmer Majority on the City Council voted against it. When I opposed giving 35 percent raises to aides in the mayor’s office the administration found ways to justify it. When I attempted to negotiate a salary lower than $150,000 for Mr. Liston the administration did not support it. Instead I was chastised by Liston for asking him to take a lower salary in public instead of “negotiating” in a back room somewhere in City Hall. Or, when I didn’t support the salary of Director Sachs who received more than a 20 percent increase from his last full time job it was ignored.
These are some of the reasons why a surplus left unchecked in the hands of politicians will be spent on waste and patronage. It is time for City Hall to return the surplus, cut our inflated tax rate, and fulfill promises to the tax payers. Do it now.
As your watchdog on the City Council, I fully intend to put an end to this wasteful spending and return as much of this surplus as possible – this year – and to cut the tax rate. Last year we stood together and forced City Hall to cut taxes, and working together this year we can deliver an even bigger tax cut. It’s time to lower taxes and put people first.
Beth Mason
City Council Representative, 2nd Ward
City Council President