When Mayor Dawn Zimmer decided not to push ahead with her rolling revaluation program in Hoboken, she did her opposition on the City Council a big favor. Although the council is split five to four in favor of pro-Zimmer members, all nine of the council originally voted for the measure. Then, apparently hearing outrage from the public that would be most hurt by revaluations, the four opposition council members tried to backpedal to claim they were opposed to the revaluation in the first place.
While there is disagreement over the tax impact of the revaluation that Zimmer pushed through last year, there is no doubt that her supporters benefited most from it. The lack of a revaluation for years allowed the property owners commonly called “Old Hoboken” to get the benefit of increased value of their property due to rising sale prices, and yet to pay taxes based on old assessments. New Hoboken residents who bought property later paid taxes on an assessment much closer to the true value of their property, and so got stuck paying a greater portion of the overall taxes.
The rolling revaluation, a followup to last year’s revaluation, would have started this year and reassessed a quarter of properties in Hoboken each year so that assessments would never be more than four years out of date. This would reduce the number of tax appeals the city faced annually. It also would reduce the large disparity between the lower taxes Old Hoboken pays as compared to the taxes based on those who have bought recently.
Zimmer, however, yanked the plan off the table in favor of doing a revaluation every six years for the entire city, a system more closely aligned to state recommendations that revaluations be done every seven to 10 years. She said she reversed course because of the negative reaction from the public, something new for a mayor who previously has focused most of her decisions on supporting her own political base.
None of this, of course, changes the impact of the revaluation that took place last year, which raised the assessments of older properties to be more in line with what their true value is.
The fact that four anti-Zimmer council members voted first for the rolling revaluation, then changed their minds, now becomes a moot point since the new revaluation will likely become history.
Who will run against DeGise?
The word on the political street claims someone is going to run against County Executive Tom DeGise in next June’s Democratic Primary, but nobody is saying just who it is – except that it won’t be Freeholder Bill O’Dea.
Most likely, O’Dea will remain a freeholder until Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop runs for governor, and then O’Dea will take a shot at becoming mayor.
While DeGise is racking up political endorsements among Hudson County’s heavyweights, some in the rank and file are still hoping for a change at the top.
One of the key pieces of the opposition is the massive debt the county is about to take on to pay for several large construction projects, including a new school of technology in Secaucus and a new court house complex in Jersey City.
But the political landscape has changed, and with the power of the revitalized Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) behind him, DeGise could be unbeatable.
Most people are crediting the rebirth of the HCDO to its chairman, Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto.
“This man walks through a lot of big doors, and nobody turns him away,” one source said.
The political landscape in Hudson County has also changed and will continue to change.
The county has a new generation of mayors with Fulop in Jersey City, James Davis in Bayonne, and Michael Gonnelli in Secaucus, and a batch of new freeholders that include Junior Maldonado, Anthony Vainieri, Caradad Rodriguez, and Kenneth Kopacz.
The big question is: what will they change in the county over the next year, or are they going to be sucked into the old system the way so many former political figures have been in the past?
Roque in the drivers’ seat?
The recent success of candidates supported for the Board of Education in West New York by Mayor Felix Roque shows a renewed strength in the mayor. But he may be faced with challenges similar to those being faced by Gonnelli in Secaucus and Fulop in Jersey City.
Helping to get candidates elected is one thing, but keeping them in line once they’ve been elected is a whole different kettle of fish. This should be a warning to Mayor Davis in Bayonne and next year’s Board of Education elections. Davis would have been better off keeping to an appointed board.
More immediately on hand, however, is the municipal elections in WNY, where Roque has to fill the seat vacated by Rodriguez’s move to the freeholder board.
Potential candidates are currently being interviewed.
Changes in the state Assembly predicted
Changes are expected in the Assembly races in all three Hudson County districts.
Rumors suggest that Assemblywoman Angelica M. Jimenez may be replaced in the 32nd District – which includes Secaucus, North Bergen and West New York. During the height of the war in North Hudson, Jimenez was a powerful bulldog for State Sen. and North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco. She became a sharp critic of Roque and even powerful state Senator and Union City Mayor Brian Stack. But now that peace has been declared with Stack, Sacco, and Roque on the same side, not everybody wants her around, proving once more that loyalty doesn’t always count when it comes to politics.
In the 33rd District that includes Union City, Weehawken, Hoboken and half of Jersey City, Reports that Assemblyman Carmelo Garcia will be replaced in favor of someone a bit less controversial seem to be mistaken. According to sources close to Stack, Garcia may be able to achieve something few have done recently, and may well be able to keep the seat for more than one two-year term. Rumors of Garcia’s early demise may have been fueled by the fact that he has a fundraiser coming up, and opponents would like to reduce how much he raises.
In the 31st District, which includes half of Jersey City and all of Bayonne, it is possible both Assembly members will be replaced. Incumbent Assemblyman Jason O’Donnell is seen as too close to former Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith, and will likely lose the slot to Nicholas Chiavallotti, while incumbent Charles Mainor could be replaced with Jeremiah Walker. This week Joe Conte, chairman of the Jersey City Democratic Party, also threw his hat into the ring for the 31st District assembly seat.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.