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In the midst of a council meeting that lasted until 1 a.m. on Wednesday, City Council members criticized the city’s spending and the fact that the city budget is now nearly 10 months overdue.
The city’s proposed $94 million budget is currently being reviewed by the state. The council can not give it a final vote until it gets state approval – and it covers spending going back to this past July 1.
Fourth Ward Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer said Wednesday that she was disturbed about spending without a budget in place.
“I feel pretty strongly that we are bonding to cover operating expenses, which is illegal,” she said.
Four members of the council took a stand and declined to vote for a regularly appearing resolution to approve payment of city salaries and wages.
This prompted Business Administrator Richard England to say, “I’d like you to reconsider the vote, and if you can’t, I must shut this room down and vacate the building.”
This was not an idle threat, as three years ago, City Hall did, in fact, close down for two days because the city had not passed a necessary revenue measure to close the budget gap.
As some of the council members started to leave, others called for a revote.
Second Ward Councilwoman Beth Mason appeased the requests and motioned for a revote (the motion had to come from a dissenting member).
Some of the dissenters changed their vote, but the point was already made that members of the council have reached a limit.
The council questioned Mayor David Roberts and his city directors over whether or not they were respecting a spending freeze enacted in March that instructed the administration not to spend any money except on salary and wages from that point on.
England, Roberts, and other public safety officials said they were not able to pay vendors. They said that the city is getting a bad reputation among these vendors.
Hiring freeze?
Council President Theresa Castellano asked Roberts if the city had made any new hires recently. Then she said that she knew that the city has hired two new employees this month, and that one of them was hired to defend Roberts on various Web sites.
Roberts said in a later interview that there was an individual hired to deal with public relations, but that he was a replacement hire. He said that the claim about the employee’s role defending the mayor on the internet was unsubstantiated.
“We don’t allow anyone on the internet for personal or political activity,” he said. “That’s the city’s position.”
He said that since taking office, the total amount of city employees has only increased by eight.
Technically, the spending freeze did not cover salaries and wages, but Councilman Peter Cammarano later said that the recent hirings went against the spirit of the spending freeze.
“Frankly, Mayor, the contempt that you have for this council … is astounding.”
– Peter Cammarano
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Cammarano asked the city about who paid for a full-page advertisement appearing in last week’s Reporter promoting the official lighting of the Hoboken Terminal Clock Tower.
England responded that he wasn’t sure.
Roberts said he had paid for the ad personally. He also called Cammarano’s tactic unfair.
“That full-page ad is being paid for by myself personally,” Roberts said. “You could have found that out by calling me up and asking me, but instead you chose a sneaky, cowardly way of doing it.”
Cammarano responded, “Frankly, mayor, the contempt that you have for this council, meeting after meeting, is astounding.”
Other business
Also at the meeting, it was noted that a committee that was formed recently to study city cell phone and vehicle use had already met. The council approved a resolution for the city to purchase wireless communications from a state-approved vendor under local public contracts law, under recommendation from the committee.
The City Council approved resolutions concerning more spending for parks development at 1600 Park Ave. and the former Todd Shipyard, part of the Hoboken Cove Park.
They also passed a resolution to return schoolyards to the Connors and Demarest schools in the area, where for the last few years, teachers and buses have been parking.
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At last week’s City Council meeting, 6th Ward Councilman Nino Giacchi proposed a resolution encouraging the city to move four trees that were planted last November in Church Square Park’s small grassy section, replanting them on the side or perimeter of that section. This way, they wouldn’t be in the way of children playing.
For many months, parents have complained that the trees have impeded a play area for children in the park. But tree-lovers have fought against any replanting, saying this could harm the trees.
About 15 residents spoke at the meeting.
One resident, John Brown, offered to personally pay for the removal and transfer of the trees.
Many residents voiced concern over the amount of park space in the city, saying that the fight over this small area would not be occurring if there was more open space.
Roberts spoke before the council could take a vote, saying that the park is now 70 percent “active-use space,” so the area in question – now assumed to be passive space – should not be a problem.
At the end of his speech, Roberts concluded, “So, as the mayor, those trees are staying just where they are.”
The council then voted in favor of the resolution to move the trees, with only LaBruno and Councilman-at-Large Ruben Ramos dissenting.
The resolution was non-binding and merely conveyed the council’s encouragement. But it is unlikely to have an effect, since Roberts already said he won’t have the trees moved.
Roberts said later that he had just educated students about Arbor Day, so it would be hypocritical to move the trees. – TJC