Finally, there's a city budget
Council introduces $463M plan

Ricardo Kaulessar
Hudson Reporter
03/15/2008

The City Council voted to introduce its 2008 fiscal year municipal budget at its Wednesday meeting, although it was due at the end of last summer. The proposed $463 million budget covers spending from last July 1 through June 30 of this year.

A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for April 10, and it is expected that the budget will adopted on the same day.

The budget is $20 million more than the amount in last year's adopted budget.

The reasons for the delay, as reiterated at the council meeting, were making sure the city would receive $15 million as part of a settlement with the Honeywell Corporation to clean up chromium-contaminated land on the western side of the city, as well as $8 million in "special aid from the state."

That $8 million aid request by the city earlier this year was approved by the state on Wednesday just hours before the meeting.

Mayor Healy issued a comment last week on the $8 million in state aid: "We want to thank Gov. Jon Corzine and his staff, particularly aide Patty McGuire, and DCA [Division of Community Affairs] Commissioner Joseph Doria for their guidance and assistance during this long process."

City Business Administrator Brian O'Reilly and city Budget Director Kathy Dealy were on hand to answer questions from the council about the budget at the meeting.

O'Reilly said some of the revenues that the city anticipates receiving will come from the sale of several city-owned buildings.

He also said some city departments are expected to freeze any hiring, but there will be some hiring of Municipal Court employees, which will not increase the budget from its present amount.

Taxes dip slightly in budget intro'd by Jersey City council

Friday, March 14, 2008
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

With just over three months to go before the fiscal year ends on June 30, the Jersey City City Council unanimously introduced a $463.9 million municipal operating budget Wednesday night.

This budget, whose final adoption is anticipated in the next five to six weeks, calls for $151.2 million to be raised by local property taxes - a roughly $11 million hike over the last certified budget.

This year's proposed budget is $20.8 million more than last year's $443.1 million.

But due to $200 million in increased ratables - and some so-called "one-shots," or infusions of cash - taxpayers can expect a roughly quarter of a percent municipal tax cut, according to city spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said.

City property owners have been paying municipal taxes at the clip of $25.47 for every $1,000 of assessed value. The new budget calls for a rate of $25.40, Morrill said.

Perhaps the biggest reason for the halt in municipal tax increases - which soared 21 percent in the last two years - is the expansion of non-tax-abated ratables in the city from $5.7 billion to $5.9 billion, city officials said.

The one-shots include $8 million in special supplemental aid from the state and $15 million from Honeywell International Inc. as a result of a lawsuit settlement.

With the state aid, the city has to seek state permission to hire additional personnel, create positions, or grant salary increases not included in bargaining agreements, said Business Administrator Brian O'Reilly.

A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for April 10, at 6 p.m., at the Frank R. Conwell Middle School 4, 107 Bright St.