To the editor:
I write to ask all Hoboken voters for their support this Tuesday.
I offer a sharp break from the policies and politics of the past 16 years. As Mayor, I will put an end to budget gimmicks, restore fiscal responsibility and reduce the tax burden. I have put forward a detailed plan to cut municipal taxes by 25 percent in my first year alone and put in place the budget cuts and cost controls essential to further reducing taxes during the rest of my term. After careful review of the operational audits I will make the tough decisions that need to be made to cut personnel costs, which represent much of our operating budget. This can be achieved through a combination of furloughs, wages freezes, benefit reductions, co-pays and some lay-offs. These measure are tough, but needed.
I will also end the use of abusive PILOT tax abatements, which have given developers big tax breaks and left the rest of us footing the bill. I am the only Mayoral candidate who voted against the ten-year extension of a PILOT tax abatement for Church Towers. I opposed the extension because I believe that better solutions exist that would have more effectively protected both those in need of affordable housing and the taxpayers.
I will bring a different approach to development that begins with what the community wants, including more active park space, affordable housing, and a place for artists who contribute so much to the character of Hoboken. It is time to stop letting the developers call all the shots.
And I will aggressively move to put in place new green initiatives, which promise major cost-savings in the areas of flood control, garbage disposal and energy costs. As 4th Ward Councilwoman I have worked with many experts on the flooding issue. My integrated green approach to prevent the flooding will not only cost-effectively solve the problem for the long term, but brings green jobs to Hoboken as well.
Despite our current difficulties, Hoboken remains a wonderful place to live and raise a family and has unlimited potential. I am running to preserve the small town community feel of Hoboken and to accomplish the goals that I began as a Councilwoman. Together, I know we can set a new direction for Hoboken and put it on a path to a better future. I ask for your vote this Tuesday for me and my Council Team of Carol Marsh, Ravi Bhalla and David Mello.
Sincerely,
Dawn Zimmer