SCHOOLS CHIEF IS UP FOR A RAISE
Monday, August 21, 2006
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Jersey City's $220,000-a-year schools chief, state Assemblyman Charles T. Epps Jr., is due a pay hike - somewhere between $9,400 to $37,700.

According the terms of his latest three-year contract with the state, Epps became eligible for a pay increase ranging from 4.5 to 16.5 percent on July 1.

State Commissioner of Education Lucille Davy is still awaiting data to determine how much of a raise Epps will receive, said Richard Vespucci, a spokesman for the department.

Some of the data relates to test score information, which will be finalized at the end of the month, and the number of special education students in the district now taking classes with the general student population, Vespucci said.

The 4.5 percent pay hike ($9,473) is based on "satisfactory performance as determined by the commissioner of education," according to the contract.

Another 12 percent ($25,262) would be tacked on if the district meets three performance markers - each worth a 4 percent pay bump.

The first incentive bonus sets as a goal increasing the number of special-ed students in general-ed classrooms by 10 percent.

The second bonus clause aims to reduce the number of special-ed students who spend less than 40 percent of their time in general-ed classes by 5 percent.

The third incentive bonus targets a 10 percent hike in the passing rates of students in the 3rd-, 4th, 8th-, and 11th grades on the standardized language test.

In addition to his salary, Epps, who lives in Society Hill, also receives a $1,000-a-month housing allowance.

The nine members of Jersey City's advisory school board recently completed an evaluation of Epps' performance as superintendent. They refused to make the report public, saying it is a personnel matter. But some board members did discuss their views of the six-year superintendent.

Board member Angel Valentin said his opinion of Epps' job performance became "mixed" once Epps took on the second job of assemblyman for Jersey City and Bayonne in January.

"He has to spend two days (a week) in Trenton," Valentin said. "We need a senior staff that is going to be on the same page five days of the week, not three."

Former Jersey City Mayor and Board member Anthony Cucci gave Epps a "positive evaluation."

Cucci chalked up a much-publicized trip Epps and an associate took to England two years ago that cost taxpayers nearly $21,000 as a "mistake." Epps and the associate eventually paid back roughly half the money.

"It was wrong," Cucci said. "But he (Epps) handled it in a proper manner by admitting it and making reimbursement, and saying it wouldn't happen again."

What about some sun safe sade for the kids play area, since nothing is set in concrete yet?

http://www.shadeports.com/playgrounds.php?CategoryID=1

Brewster,

I will do my best to get some info before the meeting but I don't want to promise that I will post the drawing. I am not sure best course of action, as you can see even on this thread that this is deemed " a battle for Hamilton Park". I am trying not to inflame a contentious neighborhood situation far before the meeting.


The initial drawings are based on the community survey including, type of lighting, gazebo, dogrun, improved childrens' area, gardens... Importantly though, as Mcwilliams pointed out, nothing it set in stone and the purpose of the meetings are for the community to guide the process and changes that they think are important

Steven Fulop

Quote:

On the dog / dog run issue...

If there?s any lesson learned from VVP ?virtual? dog run, is that you shouldn?t declare a ?pet free? lawn and put up a sign until a dog run is complete and open for business. Any other alternative is practically unenforceable and unfair to conscientious dog owners.

There?s already quite a bit of pressure between dog-owners and other occasional users of the parks. Another ?pet-free? area without a real, viable, recognition of the needs/wishes of the dog-owner community will just make things uglier.

amen minnie! thank you, thank you, thank you for telling the truth about how that vote was fixed. i just wish people really knew how things went down.

property tax payers in hamilton park shouldn't be forced to support a politically correct choice made by the handful of people that "count" the votes.

Quote:


portmanteau

n 1: a new word formed by joining two others and combining their meanings; "`smog' is a blend of `smoke' and `fog'"; "`motel' is a portmanteau word made by combining `motor' and `hotel'"; "`brunch' is a well-known portmanteau"


You can figure the root words of mine :)

Australian:

"Do we know what the infringement / penalty is, or is it 'cost-effective' to ignore city orders?"

Basically, this'll happen any time the dvlpt co. calculates that they'll make more rev off the construction than they'll lose in fines and penalties. As has been mentioned, JC admin has already set a precedent that they are not going to make waves against the same developers they've been courting for the last few years in an effort to catalyze commercial and new residential construction in the area. They've made their bed, and now we have to lie in it.

Quote:
Actually, it's the police who shut down unpermitted jobs. If a neighbor had made the call in time it might have been stopped. It's unlikely though, I am familiar with the house and it could have been taken down in less than 5 min with the machine they have on site. They are in the process of building two brick $hithouses directly across the street from this one. The house in question has been abandoned for many years, I'm surprised it lasted this long. Never realized it was as old as they say.
BTW - wish I knew what a portmandeau is. Is it anything like a Woop De Damme Dieu?

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The fact is... the majority of the community does not support the basketball court. It's supported mainly by the community group HPNA, the Dept. of Recreation and perhaps the City of Jersey City because tar and asphalt is less upkeep than grass and flowers. There are some local kids that use it, but there is another court in Hamilton Park which is underutilized on Brunswick St. If the court in Ham. park were taken out... the kids would only have to walk three blocks to this other court.

Remember... Green Acres grants are being sought and there is nothing green about asphalt. And err.... does anybody realize the trees in that area would be coming down to make room for it??? thetruth is right.... don't be stupid.... save our trees. If the court stays... it should stay right where it is. But these kids don't live locally. If you don't believe me.... just ask them.

Don't forget, it wasn't too long ago that I worked with the HPNA and worked on this park renovation balloting. I know all the tricks used to get the 202 votes to support it. It's not democracy... it's trickery. Underage voters at the schools (14 year olds) were rallied and allowed to vote.

I know any improvements to the park are welcome, even by me. But let's not let go overboard. Our needs must come first, before the boys from the other neighborhoods. Our needs must come first.

The top three items on the HPNA's own balloting efforts were:

1) Solve the dog issue/dog run/pet free areas
2) Grass, Flower Gardens, Open Space, Trees
3) Updated Childrens Playground

If you don't believe me, read the comment section from Vote # 1. It is the section that applies to public comment and asks for their top three needs. Although I thought this question should have been narrowed done to ask for only their # 1 need.... (not top 3 needs)... the answers are black and white. Baskeball court ranked very very low. In a nutshell, the community desires a passive park. A nice place to sit and sip coffee, read the paper, listen to a walkman, socialize, bring their pets, bring their kids, and admire nature... so close to our homes. It's not rocket science. Go the the park and ask people and hear the answers.... no balloting needed!

The battle for Hamilton Park is on now. These are the critical meetings to be present at. These are the only ones that matter and have ever mattered. Take them seriously.

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Not likely.

There is a portmanteau that comes to mind or when I think of the City of Jersey City:




fuctards

That's great news. Too bad about the public atrium but things have changed since it was planned. They've just started construction on their HQ right across the river and doubling down on JC may make sense in that context. As their leases expire I hope more jobs migrate to JC.

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This is good advice. Also, if you are going to park on the sidewalk, you should do so next to an already existing obstruction. For example, behind a tree cut-out in the sidewalk both far enough from the curb to not block car doors and close enough to the curb to not block pedestrians any more than the tree cut-out does.

Common sense does generally prevail on this issue in JC; unlike NYC. At one point NYC actually ticketed motorcycles for parking too close to each other on the street instead of taking a whole space! In retaliation the bikers parked far enough from each other to take an entire space and locked up the parking for blocks. The city relented but that's the kind of thing that can happen when common sense does not prevail.

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What is the drama?

The city issues a stop work order, Sacks realty ignores the order and demolishes the building.

The city should fine the company, its directors and even the demolition crew (this should make people more accountable and follow procedures - no demolition guy will take the risk if the green light is only given by the builders) with whatever the penalty is.

The city then (as part of the penalty) allows Sacks realty to clean up the site, but enforce an order that no construction is allowed for 12 months.

This will be financially straining to Sacks realty.

Once the building was demolished its too late, but the penalty for the breach should hurt the hip pocket.

Do we know what the infringement / penalty is, or is it 'cost-effective' to ignore city orders?

It sounds like the city council is a bull dog with no teeth, if it can't work out what to do with this issue.

Maybe they need a simple flow chart that helps them make a decision?

PS: Doesn't the City have Building Inspectors to enforce stop work orders and the like?

wow - that tshirt is my email summed up visually!

I think my JC t-shirt sums it up.

how about everyone take the time to let Sacks Realty know how you feel.

info@sacksrealty.com

People, should this be a surprise in a city where developers rule? Fines? The developer will file suit and bully the city into a settlement ala 110 and 11 first street. The precident has been set and the development community knows the city has the spine of an overcooked noodle.
Except when it comes to enforcing parking laws against its residents ;)

Quote:

Quote:

wonder why a low turnout? here's why:
All of this discussion is preceding a possible City Council vote on Wednesday, August 16th at 10am
This is a favorite trick of government not just in JC but all over the state. Schedule the meeting when most people are at work or in the throws of commuting. That way you keep down the opposition and say that you satisfied the letter of the law by holding a meeting the people didn't show up to.
Except the projects supporters
Who probably were bused in
At taxpayers expense
Now that should be a reality TV show!

Quote:

Call these council members and let them know you're against the warehouse. Downtowners especially can call Willie Flood.

Michael Sottolano, Ward A Councilman (201) 547-5098
Mary Spinello, Ward B Councilwoman (201) 547-5092
Viola Richardson, Ward F Councilwoman (201) 547-5338
Willie Flood, Councilwoman-at-Large (201) 547-5134
Steve Lipski, Ward C Councilman (201) 547-5159

well, of course there is a dire need of parking in this fair city.

Charles Epps should be forced to rebuild it after his limbs are cut off.

Controversial developments at council meeting

No vote yet on AMB warehouse; 111 First St. removed from historic designation

Ricardo Kaulessar - The Hudson Reporter - 08/19/2006

The City Council failed to vote Wednesday to either approve or reject a controversial warehouse project for an old landfill site off Highway 1/9, but did designate the area "in need of redevelopment" so it can be studied for further use.

The matter drew nearly 200 people to the meeting, which was held at a community center away from City Hall.

In a separate matter, the council voted to remove two properties, 110 and 111 First St., from being bound by the development constraints of the historic district they're in, so that property owner Lloyd Goldman can build tall condominium towers there. The matter was part of a controversial settlement that allowed Goldman to drop lawsuits against the city (see sidebar).

The main issue on Wednesday's agenda was a proposed 883,000 square foot warehouse, to be built off Highway 1/9 by the San Francisco-based AMB Company as a distribution center for items brought from ports in Newark and Elizabeth.

There is disagreement among the mayor, the City Council, and county officials on what should actually be built on the 41-acre site.

Mayor Jerramiah Healy has been a staunch proponent of the warehouse because it is expected to bring about 300 permanent jobs for local residents, operating on a 24-hour, seven-day weekly schedule. It also would bring more than $1 million in taxes.

The project has faced intense opposition from residents living near the site, who claim that trucks going to the location will increase traffic on Highway 1/9.

Hudson County officials want the land to host a golf course and have actually voted to pursue public funds to acquire the land.

In order for the warehouse to be approved, the council would have had to vote Wednesday to amend a city land-use ordinance to allow for a high cube warehouse to be built on the site. Since March, the council had put off voting either for or against the ordinance.

As of Wednesday, the council was still too split to have the five-vote majority needed for a decision.

Four people are currently in favor of allowing the warehouse to be built - Michael Sottolano, Mary Spinello, Viola Richardson, and Willie Flood, and four are against - Mariano Vega, Bill Gaughan, Peter Brennan, and Steven Fulop. Steve Lipski would have been the undecided vote.

Instead, the council voted for a study of the proposed warehouse site and adjoining land located off Highway 1&9 near the Hackensack River, designating the region an "area in need of redevelopment." The studied area will be known as the Hackensack River Edge Study Area.

Councilman Sottolano, also on the Planning Board, lobbied successfully for a redevelopment plan to be drawn up along with the study. The study and the plan will be undertaken by the city's Planning Department and completed by the beginning of October. The Planning Board and City Council will then review it.

The study stems from a compromise proposed by City Council members Spinello and Lipski to deal with the furor over the warehouse issue, by looking at all the potential land uses for the entire landfill area before there is any vote to changing the area's zoning.

What they'll study


Of the 87 acres at the old PJP Landfill site, 54 acres are owned by the Archdiocese of Newark were put up for sale to AMB. The other 33 owned privately by the Siegel family, with a tracking facility occupying the land. The study would determine the appropriate uses for the land besides a high cube warehouse and trucking storage.

"The redevelopment plan, we believe, allows us to look at not only the interested site, but a larger area, so that could be a deliberate process by the Planning Board to go through that and make some recommendations," said Vega.

Currently a cleanup plan is in the works for the entire PJP Landfill site by Waste Management, a trash disposal firm that once dumped on the site. This was ordered by the state's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Spinello said the DEP has ordered a cap of 30 feet of soil be placed on top of the landfill site for no future use of the land. But Spinello went on to say that if any entity looks to develop the land in the future, they will have to remove the cap and clean up the contaminated land.

Still a passionate issue


Of the nearly 200 people in attendance for the City Council meeting at the Mary McLeod Bethune Center on Martin Luther King Drive, a majority were waiting for an actual vote on the warehouse by the City Council.

Some supporters of the warehouse were handing out T-shirts that read "We need jobs"; referring to the 300 jobs AMB is promising to Jersey City residents when the warehouse is ever constructed.

Local resident Joe Conte exhorted the council to make warehouse a reality rather soon.

"If you give one person, one family a job that's needed, and you help them, then your mission is accomplished," said Conte.

But Daniel Sicardi said the land can have a future as open public space that would be another sought-after destination in the city.

"A lot of green space, a lot of valuable property in Jersey City was built on contaminated land," said Sicardi, referring to such locales as Liberty State Park and Newport.

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com
==================
Sidebar
==================
Powerhouse Arts District plan amended to allow high rises

A developer of two properties that used to house artists is now one step closer to building condominium towers on his property.

Before, Lloyd Goldman was prevented from erecting tall towers at 110 and 111 First St. because they are in the Powerhouse Arts District Redevelopment area and the Warehouse Historic District.

But because the owners were suing the city for the right to build there, the city made an agreement in June to deal with the issue out of court.

The council on Wednesday voted 7-2 to amend the Powerhouse Arts District Redevelopment Plan. The amendments will allow New Gold Equities to build two towers on their 111 First St. property and one tower on their 110 First St. property.

The towers could range in height from 40 stories upwards to 60 stories in an area where most of the residential buildings range from 12 to 14 stories.

The First Street properties will be placed in their own special zone known as the "Power House Arts Residence Zone."

The amendments would also prevent the city's Historic Preservation Commission from protecting the 1870s era 111 First St. building from demolition.

Those voting against the amendments were council people Steven Fulop and Viola Richardson, who also had voted against the settlement in June. - RK

Unhappy with state 9/11 memorial

250 attend public meeting in Liberty State Park

Ricardo Kaulessar
Reporter staff writer 08/19/2006

About 250 people attended a public hearing and rally Wednesday in Liberty State Park regarding a proposed statewide memorial for the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Some feel the project will be too big and block precious views of Lower Manhattan.

The memorial, titled "Empty Sky," will be made up of two 30-foot high and 200-foot long stainless steel walls on a grassy knoll. A jury of 9/11 victims' family members chose it out of 320 entries submitted in 2004 as part of the New Jersey Memorial Design Competition initiated by former Gov. James McGreevey.

The memorial will be dedicated to the more than 700 New Jersey residents who died in the attacks.

The nearly $12 million memorial has met with opposition because the 10-foot high knoll portion that is already on the memorial site blocks the Manhattan skyline. The site is located close to the Hudson River near the ferries that transport park visitors to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

It is also the area where survivors of the 9/11 attacks on Lower Manhattan were brought to receive medical care, and where people viewed the World Trade Center crumbling. Wednesday's meeting was organized by the Friends of Liberty State Park, a Jersey City-based volunteer group that is not opposed to the memorial itself, but to its design and location. They received state permission to hold the meeting.

Tanya Chauhan, who lives with her husband and her two children in Jersey City's Bergen-Lafayette section, worked at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11.

Chauhan looked back on that day when she lost co-workers and friends.

"My feeling upon seeing the hill is one of loss," said Chauhan. "First the Twin Towers and so many friends were taken away, and now the great view of Downtown New York [is] being taken away."

Local resident Jean Ward was very blunt about her feelings. She called upon Gov. Jon Corzine to "tear down this mound."

Officials opposed

Officials on city and state levels also weighed in on the negative aspects of the memorial.

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy said he used to bring his kids to play on the field near the memorial site and to look out at the Hudson River.

"This has always been a natural attraction, a place to see the Hudson River, the city skyline," he said. "There's not a vista like this anyplace on Earth. Put the memorial where no view is obstructed."

State Assemblyman Louis Manzo (NJ-31st Dist.) said that he has spoken with NJ Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts about fast-tracking a bill through the Assembly and State Senate that would require local hearings prior to any major development for recreation, conservation and construction purposes at any state park.

Father of victim supports it

Englewood resident Bruce Kane lost his son Howard, who was the comptroller for the Windows on the World Restaurant on 9/11. Cain exhorted the audience to see the value of the memorial to help him and others families of New Jersey 9/11 victims to cope with the pain and loss of that day. Kane was among the victims' family members who chose the "Empty Sky" design.

"Please, two things to have in your hearts - compassion and understanding," said Kane. "This is all that these people have, there are 727 names going up on this memorial. It's taken roughly five years to get to this point, and it has not been easy."

John Watson, Deputy Commissioner for the State's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which oversees Liberty State Park and the memorial project, told the crowd that the project would go ahead as planned, prompting considerable booing.

After his speech, he was cornered by two longtime Jersey City residents who disagreed with his stance.

Future plans


Sam Pesin, President of the Friends of Liberty State Park, said Thursday that a transcript made of the public meeting will be sent to Gov. Corzine and DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson. He also said that a meeting is being organized for October to update people on this issue.

In the meantime, those who want to know more about the issue can call (201) 792-1993 of visit www.folsp.org.

Pesin also expressed disappointment that the Friends group were billed for nearly $1,000 for the use of the field, two park police officers, and a maintenance person to keep bathrooms in the nearby CRRNJ Railroad Terminal open for the public.

"The DEP told us we had to pay like any other group," said Pesin. "I would say if we had a meeting to agree with the commissioner, then we would have not had to pay,"

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com

It's August - Do you know where your budget is?

Four Hudson County towns are always late - and your wallet suffers

By Ricardo Kaulessar - The Hudson Reporter - 08/19/2006

LATE – Four Hudson County towns are consistently late with their budgets. This means they may be forced to scramble for funds at the last minute, costing the taxpayers money.

Hoboken approved their 2006 municipal budget 10 months late.

Jersey City was nine months late.

Bayonne was 11 months late, and Union City was also 11 months late.

Since the year 2000, late budgets in these four towns have cost local politicians their jobs, forced tax hikes, and in one case, shut down city government completely.

The fiscal year starts in these towns on July 1, but for years, all four towns have been exceptionally late passing their budgets, meaning that by the time the full City Council gets to see them, it's too late to offer further budget-cutting measures.

And most of the money for the year has already been spent.

In 2005, Hoboken's city government had to shut down completely because the City Council refused to approve a late budget with a controversial revenue deal to plug a gap.

And in 2000, then-Union City Mayor Rudy Garcia lost his job because a budget gimmick that didn't come through in time forced a last-minute tax hike in his 11-months-late budget.

A Hudson Reporter probe has found that often, the only people involved in putting a city budget together are the mayor and the city's finance department. The City Council's budget committees, when they exist, do not hold public budget workshops or offer cuts until quite late in the game.

"The one glaring advantage of introducing any budget early is that if the City Council opts to reduce spending by eliminating services or abolishing positions, it allows the administration to formally [lay off] fewer staff members," said Richard England, Hoboken's business administrator. "The longer decisions are delayed, the more people are put at risk to meet the financial obligations."


The state and most local cities run on a fiscal year from July 1 to June 30. In Hudson County, only Secaucus runs on a regular calendar year.

According to New Jersey statute, towns must introduce their budgets at a City Council meeting by Aug. 10 and approve them by Sept. 20 - a far cry from what is seen in most local towns.


Late revenue deals


Budgets are often delayed while city officials negotiate complex one-time deals to fill gaps, rather than making new cuts or raising taxes. But sometimes, those deals fall apart at the last minute, or are scuttled by council opponents when they finally see the late budget. The delays can result in a greater tax hike down the road.

Take for example Bayonne, where the city was expecting to balance their budget in the past fiscal year with a $25 million advance payment by a pair of development companies, J.R. Horton and Trammell Crowe, who were to purchase land in the Bayonne Bay section of the former Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne (MOTBY). The Bayonne City Council approved the municipal budget in anticipation of the $25 million in May, already quite late, only to see part of the deal with the development groups fall through when J.R. Horton backed out. The city got a little over half the amount from Trammell Crowe to build luxury rentals.

Bayonne's $105 million municipal budget came in $12 million short and 11 months into the fiscal year. City Business Administrator Terrence Malloy said Bayonne will be operating at a deficit until the $12 million is recouped during the following year, or residents will have to make up the difference in property taxes before the 2007 fiscal year ends next June 30.

Bayonne City Councilman Anthony Chiappone, a known opponent of Mayor Joseph Doria, said the pullout by J.R. Horton was something he saw coming, and had registered his opposition when the deal was first proposed. "You don't include revenues in the budget that don't yet exist," said Chiappone. "Deals break down, just like in the business world."

Chiappone said Bayonne does not, unfortunately, have a council Finance Committee that looks at the budget at an early stage. However, there was a committee in the summer of 2004 to look at the 2005 fiscal year budget, with 11 members including Chiappone.

But Chiappone said the committee was short-lived and their recommendations went unheeded by the Doria administration.

"We put out a report; unfortunately a lot of recommendations were not implemented," said Chiappone. "This is where politics gets in the way of streamlining government."

Chiappone went on to say, "I am advocate of early budgets. Budgets really should be adopted in the first quarter of the fiscal year, because you are spending without approving a budget."


The day City Hall shut down


In Hoboken, city government was forced to shut down completely for two days in 2005 when a budget was received seven months late, and a council faction voted against a controversial revenue deal to fill a gap. With no available funds to pay city employees, City Hall was closed for two days and municipal workers were sent home.

The opposing council faction, which was politically at odds with Mayor David Roberts, didn't want to depend on revenues from the sale of the municipal garage property on Observer Highway, arguing that the city's administration was shoving through a budget that didn't make substantial cuts in salaries or freeze contracts.

Waiting so long to offer up the budget was really tempting the political fates, since it was the final stretch of municipal election season, and two of the council members were running against Roberts for mayor in May. After several emergency meetings, the opposing council faction reluctantly compromised and passed a $70.9 million municipal budget in April 2005, including the garage deal.

Some blamed the crisis on the council members who voted against the late budget, saying they should have made their own suggestions for cuts earlier in the year, but others said that historically, the council and public are rarely included in Hoboken's early budget process.

"When I was the president of the City Council, we had workshops for three City Council members at a time, during the process, in the summertime," said Councilman Ruben Ramos, a current member of Hoboken's council budget committee who served as council president in 2003 and 2004. "But not everyone showed up, or offered substantial solutions."

And those meetings aren't held every year. Some towns don't involve council members in the process at all until they are asked to vote on a budget they've barely seen, constructed mainly by the town's finance department. Michael Lenz served as Hoboken's chief financial officer from 2002 to 2003, until he was terminated after political differences with Mayor David Roberts. Lenz argued last week that the Hoboken City Council does not conduct any budget workshops for council members. Rather, the council approves temporary budget appropriations every three months until an actual final budget is presented to them near the end of the fiscal year.

"Every year, they need to raid the piggy bank by cashing out a fund, selling a garage," said Lenz.

So after the last-minute crisis in 2005, did things improve in Hoboken?

Not much.

This past year, Hoboken got an early start by introducing their $73.2 million budget in September of 2005. But the steady pace was not to last.

The budget was not passed until this past April, 10 months into the fiscal year.

Ramos said that the second phase of the garage deal had to await bids from developers, as well as approval from the state. The city was counting on more garage funds, as the garage property had been leased back to the city by the county agency that purchased it. The city planned to sell it to a private developer and keep the profit, but two bids were rejected by the City Council in a 5-4 vote because the amounts weren't high enough to make a good profit.

The city found itself having to bond to make up over $5 million in the city's budget deficit.

Ramos said that the situation will improve when Hoboken stops depending on "one-shot" revenues.

"The next fiscal year could be the first time in over 30 years that our budget does not have to depend upon one-shot revenues," Ramos vowed, although other Hoboken officials have vowed that in previous administrations. Ramos said he is optimistic that the upcoming budget will be approved before January, which would be the earliest he has seen in his eight years on the council.


One late budget stymied a political career


One local mayor was booted from office because his revenue deal did not come through in time for his budget, resulting in a major tax hike.

In 2000, Union City Mayor Rudy Garcia, a rising star in the Democratic party, hoped to fill his $67.5 million budget with two land deals - the sale of a bus depot property at 27th Street and Bergenline Avenue to a private developer, and the sale of Roosevelt Stadium to the Union City Board of Education. He kept waiting. By the end of the fiscal year, the bus depot deal went through, but the Roosevelt Stadium deal did not, and he was forced to raise taxes.

Immediately, Garcia's political rival, then-Hudson County Freeholder Brian Stack, seized the opportunity to begin a recall movement. Stack held a rally in late June and proclaimed, "Union City can no longer wait. We cannot go any further without a recall election."

Garcia resigned in October, 2000, and Stack took over. Stack remains mayor to this day, while Garcia, a former assemblyman, is a private citizen.

Garcia was a Union Hill High School All-American football player who graduated from Columbia University and New York University School of Law. Currently he is a lawyer and still is mentioned in political conversations, but he has not run for office again.

But Mayor Stack's budgets have not been early either.

Union City introduced its last budget in September 2005, and it was eight months before it was adopted this past May.

The budget came to $80.2 million, an increase of about $2 million from the previous fiscal year.

The city's treasurer, Doug Gutch, blamed the increase on a number of issues, including the usual rise in costs in gasoline and health insurance, and high police and fire salaries.

Gutch said last month that they will introduce and possibly adopt a new budget in August or September, as city officials have been meeting with Mayor Stack every two weeks on the plan.


Jersey City - A $423 million headache


Of the towns in Hudson County with budget problems, perhaps the most troubling is Jersey City, since it is the second largest city in the state and has a whopping $423 million budget.

Jersey City has, for the past 10 years, not passed a budget before Jan. 1. This past fiscal year, the budget was passed in March.

As the state's second largest city in terms of population, with over 240,000 people, Jersey City has not seen any state penalty for its lateness. Just as with Hoboken, much of the delay in the recent years comes from working on "one shot" revenue deals to avoid raising taxes.

But that came to an end this past year.

This past March, Jersey City did the unthinkable - passed an 18 percent tax increase on to property owners. The budget had increased from $391 million in the previous fiscal year to $423 million this past fiscal year. The public barraged City Hall with criticism over the move, but Mayor Jerramiah Healy pointed to what he called a "perfect storm" of circumstances that made residents' overall tax burden even more painful: a cut of $7.5 million in state aid for the schools, and a $10 million tax increase for Hudson County.

A plan to restructure the city's debt took some time to put together and saved the city $19.5 million in debt service payments now, but will cost more down the road.

Critics such as City Councilman Steven Fulop and local activist Mia Scanga, a private accountant, have cited Jersey City's inability to pass a budget early enough, allowing for unchecked spending. By the time a budget is passed, it is too late to cut funds that have already been expended.

And the city has no Budget and Finance Committee to allow any of the nine City Council members to study it early, complained Councilman Steve Lipski.

Lipski said that he has requested that a City Council committee be formed to review and revise the preliminary budget.

"Jersey City is unique," he said, "but it is not so unique to stand outside the area of good finance."

City Councilman Michael Sottolano said last week that he would also like to see a city budget introduced early and adopted before the end of the year.

"I am not opposed to it being early," said Sottolano. "Every year the budget has been passed so late that it's historical."

City Business Administrator Brian O'Reilly, when interviewed last week, said he expects to see the budget introduced in September and adopted before January.


State not happy but will live with it


The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) is the agency that monitors city budgets and works with municipalities who are running late by meeting with city officials numerous times at the DCA office in Trenton.

Chris Donnelly, the DCA spokesperson, said, "In terms of municipalities not passing their budgets on time, town councils could face fines, but because the DCA works closely to make sure budgets are passed on time, that type of action is rarely needed."

There have been local city councils, including Hoboken's, whose members have been threatened with fines of $25 per day for every day they did not pass a budget.

Donnelly could not say if Hudson County municipalities were any worse than their counterparts in other counties.

"Each municipality's budget is different, so any problems they might incur from late passage would be unique to that municipality," said Donnelly.

The state also has a role to play in budgets being late, since municipalities have to wait for the announcement of state aid amounts. The state also must approve certain controversial revenue deals to plug holes, as well as increases in spending above a certain percentage. But some towns overspend and rely on unusual revenue deals more often than others.


What can be done


In Jersey City, the past years' budget problems have spurred officials to make an effort to get this year's budget done early.

The city's chief finance officer, Donna Mauer, said the administration has been sitting down with department heads this summer to determine their departmental budgets for the upcoming fiscal year.

Mayor Jerramiah Healy has put together a committee of academic and financial experts to study how Jersey City can produce more revenues.

If the city does create a council subcommittee to study the budget, it will spread the responsibility among more council members, and avoid last-minute posturing before the spring elections.

Hoboken activists have suggested that towns conduct all-day budget workshops early in their fiscal years, where a council committee and members of the public can sit down with finance officials and better understand the budget. There was no evidence of that happening in most Hudson County towns, even the ones who file their budgets on time.

Some officials also said that the state has to get its own fiscal house in better order, so the state can release aid figures earlier and have more time to approve controversial deals for cities.

However, there is a state-mandated opportunity for the public to contribute to the budget process. By state law, every town is required to hold a public hearing before their budget may be passed.

But some towns hold public hearings at the same meeting as the final council vote, so it is unlikely that a resident who questions spending at a council meeting at 7:30 will change the council's mind and coax them into postponing an 8 p.m. vote.


Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com
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How late is your budget?


The following are local towns, the size of their budgets for the past year, and how late they were introduced.

For this year, the town of North Bergen already has introduced their new $70.9 million budget for 2006-2007, setting the pace for other towns to follow.

Bayonne
Size of budget: $105 million
Passed: May, 2006, 11 months into fiscal year
Notes: Development deal fell through at last minute, leaving $12M gap.

Hoboken
Size: $73.2 million
Passed: April, 2006, 10 months into fiscal year
Notes: Will borrow to fill $5M hole after bids for deal rejected.

Jersey City
Size: $423 million
Passed: March, 2006, 9 months into fiscal year
Notes: Increase from $391M led to 18 percent tax hike.

Union City
Size: $80.2 million
Passed: May, 2006, 11 months into fiscal year
Notes: City says will introduce next one in Aug. or Sept.

Guttenberg
Size: $12.83 million
Passed: October, 2005
Notes: Hopes to introduce next one in Sept., adopt by Nov.

North Bergen
Size: $71.2 million
Passed: September, 2005.
Notes: Already introduced 2006-2007 $70.9M budget Aug. 9.

Secaucus
Size: $38.7 million
Passed: June, 2006, six months into fiscal year
Notes: Runs on calendar year from Jan. to Dec.

Weehawken
Size: $26.6 million
Passed: November, 2006
Notes: Town usually starts working on budget in July.

West New York
Size: $52 million
Passed: September, 2005
Notes: Usually introduced and past in Sept. - RK

The park renovation ballots are fairly comprehensive, but do not cover every aspect of the renovation of Hamilton Park. On the basketball court question - the courts staying or going - the results are unambiguous:


Q.6. Would you like to keep the basketball court in Hamilton Park?

A. Yes, I want the basketball court. (202 Votes)

B. No, I do not want the basketball court. (55 Votes)


202 to 55 in favor of BB Courts in the park.

There will be basketball courts in Hamilton Park. T&M will propose the location of the courts, which is not addressed in the survey.

I urge everyone interested in the renovation to become familiar with the survey results prior to the public meetings.

The ballots/results are located at:

http://www.parkrenovation.com

Individual comments which are part of the report presented to the city are not yet available online.


Quote:

in the name of god. let's not be stupid. the basketball court must go. 95% of the people that play on the court don't live in the hood, don't pay taxes, and finally the court attracts scumbags. l

ose the court, and crime goes down in hamilton park by at least 20%.
that's what i was told off the record by someone senior in the jcpd."

Quote:

Nothing is set in stone unless the community remains as quiet as a... mouse.

I would suggest that all concerned community residents... reschedule any plans that you have so that you can attend this important 'plan viewing' and give your input. You know... speak now or forever hold your...

I've been informed that the gardens will be ripped out as infrastructure would have to be addressed. But I've also learned that new improved gardens with fancy sprinklers and a proper fence may not be going in its place. I'm told they will interefere with a structure, and that a basketball court is destined for that area. I'm also told this is a rumor. We don't really know. We shall see! We shall hear.

The Garden Pre-School is voicing their concerns.. to meet their needs. And you should voice your concerns too... so that your needs are also met. Whether you have kids or not. Have pets or not. Whether you use the park, or not. Because if you don't use it now.... and don't speak up and tell the T&M/politicians what you want to see come out of the renovation.... then you may be unhappy and continue not to use the park.

Come and participate and don't be shy.

The best advice is to attend the meeting. Everything at this point is a... secret.

Quote:

Here here!

A person with some sense and some logic.

I applaud you.

Quote:


My suggestion would be to make the people responsible for demolishing the house to rebuild one exactly like the one the knocked down, OR pay a 500k fine of which the money goes to the preservation society (not the city because we know that it will be misspent)


I am so insanely pissed off right now.

Thanks for the signs, BrightMoment! Too bad no one makes decals anymore. If I was craftier with my printer I suppose I could whip out a batch but I'll save that for a rainy day (well, like tomorrow, supposed to pour I think).

In the meantime, I'm printing some out now and will distribute them at our next condo meeting too.