There was extensive reporting a few years back about a similar trend in Brooklyn. I didn't pay attention to the details or logic (if such a thing can be logical), but the conversion to single family was raising tax rates. To something like triple what they had been.
Anything that might cause your home to be revalued could be risky as well.
Best check it out with a real estate lawyer or some other professional who really knows before going to the city.
Just in case.

If you have a 2 family house that is being used as a 1 family, what tax rate do you pay? I know you pay more for a 2 family, but does it revert back to the 1 family tax rate if the property is used as a 1 family? If so, how do you go about getting the tax rate changed?

Thanks! I will call city hall too, but thought you might be able to give me some info here.

The gang of kids wearing white t-shirts on bikes roaming Hamilton Park are keeping clear of a new gang that has emerged and in control of Van Vorst Park. Let the turf war begin! The gang from Van Vorst Park are know as the 'Park Masters', and here is a picture of them caught on CCTV.

I thought I would let people on this list know about this new group being started. It sounds very promising and has a lot of very energetic and determined parents already setting up information sessions and resources.

JC Family fully supports this effort and hopes that anyone concerned with the JC School system join in the effort.

Althea
cfijc.org


To anyone concerned:

Jersey City Families for Better Schools (JCFBS) has been founded by community parents, who are deeply concerned about the shortage of quality public schools in Jersey City. We have come together with a love for our community and a desire to raise our children with the highest quality of education possible.

Where as, it is no longer acceptable that the choices before us are only a few good public or charter schools, already over burdened by various needs, or an expensive, private education, we will no longer stand idly by while our friends and neighbors move away in search of a better educational system in the suburbs.

Therefore, we challenge the political and educational leadership of Jersey City, in conjunction with concerned individuals and families, to make genuine and significant reform to our public education system. This will afford all residents of Jersey City the opportunity to give their children a valuable education, as well as, raising the quality of life for every resident.

We look not to be passive players on this issue, but plan to organize all concerned to work with us on effecting real change. In addition, we would like to promote a working relationship with hard working teachers and administrators, who are also committed to raising the standards of the schools and, of course, all of the parents who are willing to give their time and effort to this issue.

We look forward to listening to all of your concerns and hope you will support us in our efforts. We believe through networking, organizing, researching, assisting, and the dissemination of information, this change is not only possible, but inevitable.

You can join our group by sending an email to jcschools-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jcschools/

If you have any comments, problems, or suggestions, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Shelley Skinner
Group Organizer
sleepygirlproductions@comcast.net

From News12:

Camera eyes expanding crime watch in Jersey City

(03/08/07) JERSEY CITY - Closed circuit surveillance cameras are no longer used only to capture violent crimes in Jersey City.

According to Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) Deputy Director Juan Perez, the cameras will also be used to combat quality-of-life crimes. Perez says the types of crimes the CCTV hopes to catch are ?people in corners, individuals walking their dogs and not picking up, guys illegally parked? and other similar infractions.

CCTV is a neighborhood watch program funded by sales tax. The group is working hand in hand with the police department to catch any and all crimes. So far, there are a total of 68 cameras located in the north, south and west districts of Jersey City. CCTV is planning to install another 65 throughout the city?s streets.

soshin, I might have cracked a rib laughing!

I'm just goof'n around pinko.

Quote:



Thanks Althea, hope I was able to answer your question. BTW, Junior hired me because I was his biggest pain in the arz constituent, when I called him about an on going problem, he said "well come on board and help me fix it", and so I did!

Truthfully it was one of the most satisfying jobs that paid me close to nothing! Putting aside the jerks, I met some of the most incredible people and walked away with a tremendous amount of respect for many of the folks who work 24/7 for their causes. ie: the Kesslers, Maureen Crowley, Jenny Meyer,The folks from the HPHNA ( what an amazing bunch) the downtown neighborhood watch group...started by pchops. Bright Moment, Stella Burgess from Holland Gardens, and the very special mom to our own ?mouse?, who on a daily basis makes a difference in so many peoples lives at Grace Church!


ps- METS RULE!

Quote:

My friend Chet wears the same dress

I always thought a council person's aide was like a 'tea lady'.

Quote:

C- Very boring, failure to use punctuation

Quote:

Get one of these on the park on WAYNE STREET

Althea wrote:
Quote:

Hoooo.... boy.

Can o' worms.

Quote:

Althea, A council person?s aide is an assistant to the Councilperson.
The position is appointed and voted on by Council, the Aides term end with the Councilperson. By law a Councilperson?s aide is also required to do a full disclosure of real-estate holdings, financials and others sources of income.

I will not speak for the other Councilperson(s) and what they require of their aide(s). In my case when I worked for the former Councilman of downtown, I did the day to day operations in the office, the councilman?s scheduling, media/press releases, but mostly constituent services. I was hired because of my active role in the community and had/have no political aspirations, nor did I ?play on the computer in shout boxes?. My work ethics come from many years in private sector and it made for a very interesting transition into the world of ?government? Thank god I maintain the standards that I learned in the private sector. Councilman Maldonado took office in 2001 and hired me in 2003. During this time I had another job that had nothing or any connections to government etc.


Depending on who the Councilperson was/is, it could be a 7 day a week job, the problems especially those in downtown never took a day off. For the ward E Councilperson and their aide it?s a hard, thankless job, but at the end of the day very rewarding when you can fight for the constituents and help win the battle.

Quote:

frivilous posts??!!!
i thought this was part of JC's community outreach program.

An aide is usually a personal assistant and / or secretary and / or handle constituent relations. They are likely to be young politicos in the making, hoping to crack in the political world. Dedicated aides usually end up becoming advisors like "chief of staff" or "district director" if the politico moves up the chain to Assembly, senate, congress, governor, county executive, ect., which is why aides work for little money and long hours. They are usually someone who is close to the elected, either through dedicated campaign work (often they start out as campaign employees) or through personal relationships. Some will go on to run for office themselves, or to work as political consultants, or lobbyists, and many will be absorbed by county parties and become mid level civil servants.

This weekend should be a good time to whip up a batch of soup to freeze for NEXT WEEKEND'S SOUP SWAP!

I don't know, but I think Fulop's aide can do anything.

Traditionally, they were the 'muscle.' They would go around breaking thumbs and busting knee caps.

Those were the days....

In Hudson county they process brown envelopes filled with unmarked bills, and if you are good at your job you earn the right to the nickname "Scooter".

Among other things, they spend a tremendous amount of time writing frivilous posts on JC List shoutbox.

I have submitted the plans for the new Van Vorst Shooting Range.

It will be on the south side of the park shooting north. Please note that only handguns will be permitted in the western section, while all larger elephant guns and such must be kept within the eastern airlocks.

Happy shooting!

Pink, I know you will probably answer this for me, but I am deeply curious.

What does she or he do? Are they a girl/guy friday? What are their qualifications, etc.

Althea

The City is up against a deadline to apply for available funding(grants) for the Embankment park. They city council and Mayor will be meeting next Monday to vote on a resolution on whether or not they should submit the required paperwork for the funds. Now is the time to make our voices heard. If you are interested in helping them to make the right decision, please contact your councilpersons as listed previously in this thread. Time is of the essence here, so please write, call, email the Mayor and councilpersons before the end of this week.

Parkman-

Yes, she went over the weekend. I will let her know.

Thanks.

"Jersey City - Coming Soon"

Frankly CCTV is a disgusting invasion of privacy and not particularly effective at preventing crime, only moderately successful at prosecuting people. If you want to really reduce crime, start with adding more beat police, remove minor crime offenders like panhandlers, install more outdoor lighting, and enforce strict gun control laws.

Quote:

That's one rule i will not be following. I have two, one large pup type who wil stay in the big run , but one VERY old dog who can't play with the big boys as he is fairly frail and they play rough. It's the little dog run for me. We walk at seperate times and he will be using the small run. Look for me parkman, make a citizen's arrest. Dare ya.

CCTV only works well for trash violations not for crimes on personal property or persons!

Quote:

They basically made a bunch of excuses. The tape is still being used, they don't have anyone to review it, I wasn't qualified to use the machine, I didn't have the proper clearance to even get to the machine, the tapes are blurry so you can't make out the details anyway, it was at nght so you can't see much and probably a few more. This was years ago so I don't recall everything. After getting the runaround by three people I gave up.

At the time car break-ins were a problem near me (and maybe still are) so you'd think they'd take the opportunity to perhaps catch the responsible person, especially since I said I'd review the tape.

Parkman and everyone else involved, thanks for all the hard work. We have really enjoyed the dog run. I try to go at "off" times when the place isn't packed with the dog owner social club, and my dog usually gets quite a workout, actually. A few intense sprints after some sticks of a ball is a big energy release for her. So thank you. Many happy dogs around town since the run opened up, and it's brought quite a few more people to the park as well.

trp3- have you ever heard of dog shelters? Rescue groups? Unfortunately, most dogs don't have the luxury of choosing whether they get to live in Jersey City or in Short Hills. There are many happy dogs in Jersey City and I'm sure they're very thankful that they get to live in homes with loving owners rather than in some cage or put to sleep.