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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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Quote:

radryan03 wrote:
I have this odd feeling there might be a correlation between the JC budget and the development that has taken place in the past 16 year - but keep in mind, it's just a hunch.

Can I suggest more metered parking and later into the evening? More ticketing too...

Quote:

Yvonne wrote:
I brought up the increased spending at the last council meeting. The budget was $314 million in 2000 now it is $553 million. Councilwoman Coleman said. "Things go up." When I first started attending council meetings the budget was $90 million and it took 300 years to get to that $90 million. Yet it took 16 years to go an additional $239 million. I am not even including the cost of schools and county government.

It's impossible to make an intelligent suggestion about cutting costs without having a good idea of how expenses are increasing. The city is not a static place - IMO, it's not realistic to try to compare city budgets from 30, 20 , even 10 years ago - even if one laid them out side-by-side in todays dollars. Some durable goods are significantly more expensive, labor is more expensive as a result of the local building booms.

The question, in my eyes, is where is JC arguably paying too much for any give line item? If the city needs more workers to manage a changing economic/built/political environment, so be it. But are we getting the best value for the money?

And, I agree with you - the need for ensure we are full use of revenue sources is critical. There is another post about parking laws being enforced. I walk from my place in the Heights to JSQ to get the PATH every morning - I see enough moving and parking violations to fund someone's salary!

Posted on: 2016/3/18 18:22
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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JerseyCityFrankie wrote:
Whenever this topic comes up I wonder why the most obvious course of action has net been pursued: Enforcement of the existing automobile related laws. Whenever I walk out my door I am assured of seeing dozens of Moving Violations and parking infractions of every kind. The laws are there on the books, enforcing them would generate revenue. SO why not act? Fear of voter backlash I suspect? The amount of leeway allowed motorists in this town is ridiculous and needs to be curbed. Yes it will anger motorists but the quality of life for the rest of us will improve and those of us who do not drive ALSO vote.


That's an easy one... this city enforces the law when it's convenient to do so and ignores it when it's not. There are laws on the books that, with a few exceptions, require every city employee to live in the city of Jersey City. We all know not all city employees have a Jersey City address and nothing has been done about it (not under Healy and not now either). The law also requires city contracts for over a certain amount (I can't remember how much, maybe $10K) to go through a formal bid process. Yet I see no-bid contracts get awarded all the time.

As for traffic tickets, this city could make a mint by enforcing the existing laws but I guess the voter backlash would be too inconvenient.

Posted on: 2016/3/18 14:33
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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Whenever this topic comes up I wonder why the most obvious course of action has net been pursued: Enforcement of the existing automobile related laws. Whenever I walk out my door I am assured of seeing dozens of Moving Violations and parking infractions of every kind. The laws are there on the books, enforcing them would generate revenue. SO why not act? Fear of voter backlash I suspect? The amount of leeway allowed motorists in this town is ridiculous and needs to be curbed. Yes it will anger motorists but the quality of life for the rest of us will improve and those of us who do not drive ALSO vote.

Posted on: 2016/3/18 13:48
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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brewster wrote:
Quote:

caj11 wrote:
I have never heard of part-time job, anywhere, other than in Jersey City government, that has health benefits. Most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. Am I ignorant here or are there other part-time jobs out there with health benefits? Oh, maybe at Starbucks, but you still have to work there at least 20 hours a week.


My wife managed to find a few PT social work gigs w health when the kids were small. Wasn't easy. I recall one was like 30 hrs.


Alright, but 30 hours is getting close to a full-time 40 hour per week gig. If I recall correctly, a lot of these part-time city jobs are no more than a few hours a week or even per month.

Posted on: 2016/3/18 12:02
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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caj11 wrote:
I have never heard of part-time job, anywhere, other than in Jersey City government, that has health benefits. Most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. Am I ignorant here or are there other part-time jobs out there with health benefits? Oh, maybe at Starbucks, but you still have to work there at least 20 hours a week.


My wife managed to find a few PT social work gigs w health when the kids were small. Wasn't easy. I recall one was like 30 hrs.

Posted on: 2016/3/17 23:05
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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I'm with Yvonne. It really sucks when people get jobs.

Posted on: 2016/3/17 19:08
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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There has been 316 new employees since Fulop has been in office as mayor, some are new police officers but others are just political hires. Councilman Fulop made a promise when running for office there would be zero based budgeting. That has not happened. Also we need to know how much affordable housing cost in terms of school and county services. Those budgets also affect our pocketbooks.

Posted on: 2016/3/17 18:34
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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DanL wrote:
from Citizen's Campaign - http://www.jointhecampaign.com/people ... kit/peoples-tool-kit.html

Below is the Complete People's Tool Kit.

1) LOCAL INSURANCE REFORM for both Municipal and School District Health, Casualty, and Workers? Compensation Insurance. Model proposal requires greater competition and transparency in the health insurance procurement process.

* Citizens? Presentation Kit includes a sample records request to identify current insurance procurement policy, a sample presentation, a model ordinance for municipalities or model resolution for school districts, and a background memo prepared by the Law & Policy Task Force.

2) ELIMINATING BENEFITS FOR PART-TIME ELECTED OFFICIALS and professionals. In health insurance costs, this would be a savings of between $12,000 and $20,000 per person depending mainly on whether the benefits were individual or family. (If co-pays are required those numbers would be somewhat reduced.) (Vineland is saving $90,000 annually)

* Citizens? Presentation Kit includes a sample records request to identify current cost of health benefits for elected officials, model presentation, and a model resolution eliminating benefits for part-time elected officials.



I am totally with you on most of these, especially #2. I have never heard of part-time job, anywhere, other than in Jersey City government, that has health benefits. Most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. Am I ignorant here or are there other part-time jobs out there with health benefits? Oh, maybe at Starbucks, but you still have to work there at least 20 hours a week.

Posted on: 2016/3/17 16:25
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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I have this odd feeling there might be a correlation between the JC budget and the development that has taken place in the past 16 year - but keep in mind, it's just a hunch.

Can I suggest more metered parking and later into the evening? More ticketing too...

Quote:

Yvonne wrote:
I brought up the increased spending at the last council meeting. The budget was $314 million in 2000 now it is $553 million. Councilwoman Coleman said. "Things go up." When I first started attending council meetings the budget was $90 million and it took 300 years to get to that $90 million. Yet it took 16 years to go an additional $239 million. I am not even including the cost of schools and county government.

Posted on: 2016/3/17 14:49
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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I brought up the increased spending at the last council meeting. The budget was $314 million in 2000 now it is $553 million. Councilwoman Coleman said. "Things go up." When I first started attending council meetings the budget was $90 million and it took 300 years to get to that $90 million. Yet it took 16 years to go an additional $239 million. I am not even including the cost of schools and county government.

Posted on: 2016/3/17 13:49
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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the city's budget continues to expand, previous tax increases have not been reversed. the spending cannot all be attributed to public safety, which is not fully staffed. there were numerous good ideas on this thread. what happened to them?

Any cost savings can be reinvested into city infrastructure and services.

Quote:

DanL wrote:
Please share your ideas here on cost cutting and revenue generation to help match Jersey City's expenses with revenues in efforts to control our property taxes.

In addition to posting here, please do not hesitate to submit any and all ideas to the Mayor and/or City Council.

We have also started the same discussion topic titled - City Budget Suggestion Box- Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas on the One Jersey City Facebook group discussion board here:

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=37126317047&topic=11630

for ideas, see Citizens' Campaign's Platform for the People - Local Cost Cutting Measures: http://www.jointhecampaign.com/model- ... ces/model-ordinances.html

Thank you, Dan

Posted on: 2016/3/17 9:25
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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from Citizen's Campaign - http://www.jointhecampaign.com/people ... kit/peoples-tool-kit.html

Below is the Complete People's Tool Kit.

1) LOCAL INSURANCE REFORM for both Municipal and School District Health, Casualty, and Workers? Compensation Insurance. Model proposal requires greater competition and transparency in the health insurance procurement process.

* Citizens? Presentation Kit includes a sample records request to identify current insurance procurement policy, a sample presentation, a model ordinance for municipalities or model resolution for school districts, and a background memo prepared by the Law & Policy Task Force.

2) ELIMINATING BENEFITS FOR PART-TIME ELECTED OFFICIALS and professionals. In health insurance costs, this would be a savings of between $12,000 and $20,000 per person depending mainly on whether the benefits were individual or family. (If co-pays are required those numbers would be somewhat reduced.) (Vineland is saving $90,000 annually)

* Citizens? Presentation Kit includes a sample records request to identify current cost of health benefits for elected officials, model presentation, and a model resolution eliminating benefits for part-time elected officials.

3) COUNTY COST SHARING TASK FORCE: A municipal advisory commission to identify and implement a shared services strategy with other municipalities, school districts, and county governments.

4) COUNTY DISPATCHING: Becoming part of or forming a regional dispatching service thereby saving funds in the area of dispatcher services. Or if your municipality still uses police officers as dispatchers and there is strong resistance to using regional dispatching move to using civilians as dispatchers. Montgomery Township is saving between $600,000 and $750,000 annually from the full regionalization of their 4 dispatcher services: 1) police 2) fire 3) EMS 4) 911.

5) PERFORM ENERGY AUDITS of municipal, school board or county governments. State grants are available for up to $50,000. Grant deadline is December 31st, 2010.

6) ENERGY AGGREGATION: Municipalities, School Districts, and Counties can save hundreds of thousands of dollars in energy cost by joining an energy consortium, third-party energy buyer.

7) SUNSHINE ON-LINE: Give online access to the budget summary, top 10% or salaries or top 5 salaries for each department whichever is greater, overtime per department and all labor contracts.

8) UNIFIED LAND USE BOARD: Merge Zoning Board and Planning Board for towns with less than 15,000 residents as permitted by the Municipal Land Use Law and condense redevelopment authority functions in the governing body and planning board.

9) CONTRACT OUT VEHICLE MAINTENANCE. Montgomery estimates they are saving about $200,000 annually by contracting out to First Vehicle Maintenance?a company that specializes in servicing government fleets as opposed to having an arrangement with a local garage or doing it in-house.

10) REDUCING THE NUMBER OF WEEKLY TRASH PICKUP days after the summer months (Memorial Day-Labor Day). This initiative can save towns thousands of dollars, since it reduces the money spent in fees for waste removal and frees up workers for park maintenance with less overtime costs.
Shared Services

11) SHARING OF COMPUTER ADMINISTRATION (network administrator) between the municipality and the school board-- share the cost of the contract. Savings in the $60,000 to $70,000 range depending on the size of the municipality. Formation of an on-going committee to explore potential cost-savings by implementing other shared service arrangements between the municipality and the school board.

12) CONTRACT WITH COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT for municipal road repairs, saving significant costs associated with bidding and private contractor oversight.

13) FORM MAYOR?S TASK FORCES on: (1) Municipal Service Efficiencies and (2) Community Service Supports.

14) SHARED SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR FIELD MAINTENANCE and other recreation areas between School Districts and Municipalities.

15) REGIONAL PURCHASING CO-OP for goods and services such as fuel, paper, and other materials.

16) SHARED SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR IT SERVICES between school districts and municipalities.

17) BEFORE/AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS and Summer Programs shared between municipalities and school districts

18) BUS TRANSPORTATION shared among neighboring school districts

19) PAVING AND SNOW REMOVAL shared among neighboring towns, school districts, and/or the County

Posted on: 2010/11/22 22:00
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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Anyone know where I can get a copy of the interim 2010 budget and then a draft of the latest 2011 budget that starts in 3 months.

Apparently Jersey City needs help slashing the budget.

Thanks

FG

Posted on: 2010/9/30 21:27
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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New Jersey does charge fees for car registration. And it is more than $30. Do you mean that Jersey city should charge additional fees?

Posted on: 2010/9/29 17:37
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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Just wondering... Has New Jersey ever thought of charging its residents for car registation? A nominal fee of about $30 dollars. It would be a great source of income and probably save some jobs. Just wondering...

Posted on: 2010/9/29 15:33
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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from - http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... y_councilwoman_calls.html

"The council will hold a public hearing and is expected to vote on a $97.15 million six-month budget tonight. The budget will serve as a transition from a July 1, 2010 fiscal year to a 2011 calendar year budget cycle."

"City officials have said they are facing an $80 million budget deficit .... "

Budget hearing and possible vote tonight, 9/29 at City Hall.

to date the mayor/council have not acted to deal with the pending and growing budget deficit. efforts have been mostly limited to closing library branches and laying off low paid library and recreation employees that provide critical and low cost services to the public.

many of the actions that need to be implemented are above in this discussion thread. the city must act now to cut spending.

the public may speak during the budget hearing portion of the council meeting and it is not necessary to sign up in advance.

its your city - speak out.

Posted on: 2010/9/29 13:36
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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Christie: High police salaries 'can't be sacrosanct' in budget-cutting process

Friday, March 19, 2010
Last updated: Friday March 19, 2010, 6:41 PM

BY JOHN REITMEYER
State House Bureau

Governor Christie said Friday that towns could reduce the high police salaries that help make property taxes so expensive in New Jersey by using the spending cap he proposed with the new state budget this week.

Police officers and their salaries "can't be sacrosanct in this process," Christie said while discussing the budget with The Record's editorial board.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/03091 ... dget-cutting_process.html

Posted on: 2010/3/20 2:39
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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Great posts, everybody! How do we make sure some of these suggestions get a better shot at being enacted? Another round of attempts to get citizens onto various JC boards and agencies? Develop a better support network for potential Council candidates?

I do want to contest a point raised by Brewster, though. I work for a local city government, and from my experience I heartily concur with the need to eliminate waste and making sure municipal employees really earn their salaries. My question for Brewster is do we really want to perpetuate the private sector model, which is a race to the bottom? I am surprised more private sector types - seeing what unions do for their members - don't rebel against having any their retirements trashed, health care disappear, etc. Unions, for all their faults, are a last reminder of our country's middle class aspirations!

Quote:

brewster wrote:
Bravo! That's following the money, rather than office supplies and whatnot. It's the fat payroll and contracts that make our taxes disappear.

I recently saw the statistic that 60% of all unionized workers in the country work for the various levels of government. There's 2 classes of workers in this country now, government employees with fat pensions, benefits and lifelong tenure on our tax dollars, and everyone else whose contracts are defined by the market not by political horse trading.


Posted on: 2010/3/3 18:50
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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we need our state reps to wake up and get on it!

from OneJC site -

http://onejerseycity.org/?p=804


Your Taxes ? Fire and Police Contracts

Reform Arbitration Process for Public Safety Employee Contracts

Inevitably, when dealing with our municipal budget, our city officials throw up their hands and say that public safety makes up around 45% of our operating budget and there is nothing that can be done about it. Under the current process, city administration and unions negotiate labor contracts. After two rounds of counteroffers, unions can push the negotiations to binding arbitration. The arbitrator must be agreed upon by both parties.

The current process has a strong bias in favor of the fire and police unions and does not give adequate consideration to general economic conditions or the supply and demand for such public safety jobs. Nor is benchmarking permitted with comparable communities across state lines. Arbitrators should be free to compare labor contract terms with those in places like New York City to gather data on regional compensation.

Now there is something that YOU can do to improve the binding arbitration process so that YOUR city can negotiate fair and appropriate public safety contracts.

Three bills pending in the state legislature will help reform the current flawed process of negotiating and awarding public safety contracts:

A2971 requires Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) arbitrators to make certain financial disclosures public. By insuring transparency of arbitrators? financial holdings, their impartiality will be reinforced.

A2972 requires arbitrators to be randomly selected by PERC rather than by the bargaining parties. This will avoid the ?blacklisting? of arbitrators by either party in the arbitration.

A1829 requires the arbitrator to consider eight criteria, including total compensation, economic conditions, and impact to the taxpayer. The bargaining parties are given the opportunity to present testimony on the ability of the county or municipality to afford the financial terms of an arbitrated contract.



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T-Bird wrote:
Good commentary on binding arbitration and the power of the police union.

Full article (with tables) is here

BlueJerseyDotCom

The Police State: Will Gov. Christie take on Jersey cops?
by: Scott Weingart
Mon Mar 01, 2010 at 03:08:35 PM EST


Posted on: 2010/3/2 23:48
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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Great article T-Bird. Especially in light of the fact the Jersey City Police contract is about to be voted on and the cops will get at least 3% raises per year for the next 4 years. While other City employees are furloughed or fired.

Posted on: 2010/3/2 18:14
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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Good commentary on binding arbitration and the power of the police union.

Full article (with tables) is here

BlueJerseyDotCom

The Police State: Will Gov. Christie take on Jersey cops?
by: Scott Weingart
Mon Mar 01, 2010 at 03:08:35 PM EST


With state and local budgets in crisis and a new governor in office vowing to slash labor costs, public employees are undoubtedly worried about their salaries and benefits, if not their job security. Just days into his term, Governor Chris Christie's transition team released a report suggesting that public employee wage freezes would apply to teachers. Last week, the State Senate passed a package of bills that would limit pensions for new government hires and require that public employees pay at least 1.5% of their salary for health insurance premiums.

However, there is one group that looks like it will come through the crisis mostly unscathed: local police officers. Going after police officer compensation is not a politically popular move, and elected officials in both parties, especially at the state level, go to great lengths to avoid angering police unions. Even Governor Christie, who eagerly picks fights with the NJEA and generally terrorizes public employees, refuses to criticize the compensation of police officers in New Jersey. The first three items on his campaign's "fact vs. fiction" page talk about how he will protect police and firefighter pensions, how Jon Corzine won't, and how Christie will oppose any shift from defined benefit to defined contribution in police and firefighter pensions. The new governor has shown relatively little interest in reforming the binding arbitration system that League of Municipalities chairman William Dressell calls "the primary reason for the continual increase of the cost of government".

New Jersey's police officers are the most well-paid in the nation. The average law enforcement officer in the state earns $79,790 per year. New Jersey police officers make 64% more than the average worker, which is second only to Nevada. New Jersey teachers, a favorite punching bag for the Republican Governor, make just 26% more than the average worker, which is equal to the national average. Even after we account for the above-average number of charter and private schools in the state, New Jersey teacher pay relative to the average worker still ranks safely outside of the top 10. Unlike law enforcement officers, New Jersey teachers must have a bachelors degree, which requires four years of time out of the workforce and (often) a significant amount of money to obtain. If, as Chris Christie seems to believe, New Jersey teachers are overpaid, then New Jersey cops are egregiously overpaid.

The only way to get police salaries under control is to reform New Jersey's binding arbitration law. Binding arbitration ensures that the interests of police and firefighters, who are not allowed to strike, are protected in labor negotiations. New Jersey's binding arbitration system regularly produces results that are more than favorable to police officers. Last January, when job losses were piling up at record pace, an arbitrator awarded Closter cops 4% annual raises for four years. Police raises under the binding arbitration system have long exceeded increases the consumer price index and average earnings. Inflation-adjusted police salaries have skyrocketed ever since the binding arbitration law was passed over 30 years ago.

Most towns are hesitant to bear the legal costs associated with arbitration when they face such a high risk of losing. Furthermore, small towns are ill-equipped to take on police unions who have much more experience in arbitration than they do. Municipalities often offer their local police officers generous annual pay increases in order to avoid binding arbitration. Frustration with the process has led local and county elected officials like Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo to call for abolishing the system altogether.

For all the budget cutting measures he has demanded or enacted in his first month in office, Christie waited until last Wednesday to call for reform to the binding arbitration system. He has made no specific reform proposals. Shortly after his election, Christie told mayors in Ocean County who begged him to address binding arbitration that he was "willing to listen, but I can't see eliminating [it]," before conceding that the state might need to "revisit what the exact rules are." James Ahearn of The Record slammed Christie for backing away from arbitration reform, but Christie was never really behind it to begin with; during one of the gubernatorial debates, he insisted that he opposed significant changes to binding arbitration.

Christie likes to talk about his intention to "govern like a one-termer" who is willing to take on powerful public-sector unions. He will continue to not only demand for cuts in pay and benefits to teachers and other public employees, but demonize their unions as well. But don't expect him to do anything more than voice general support for arbitration reform. Christie is afraid to do anything that might hurt his reputation as a "law and order" governor, and he's not terribly eager to annoy the police unions, either.

Posted on: 2010/3/2 17:13
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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Is there a way to leverage the proposed gas pipeline for an influx of revenue: http://jclist.com/modules/newbb/viewt ... =ASC&type=&mode=0&start=0


Are there any other easements JC could allow for revenue?

Posted on: 2010/2/24 14:47
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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From Steve Fulop's email today:

Benefits for Council, MUA, & JCIA
I am proposing the elimination of health benefits for members of the City Council and politically appointed boards (cost savings of approximately $500,000 per year). Health benefits, especially to the boards that amount to 12 meetings per year, should not come with health insurance that costs the taxpayers between $8,000 and $20,000 per year, per board member. I am proposing the Council be one of the first bodies to step up to the plate and show that along with the taxpayers they can tighten their belts.

Posted on: 2010/2/23 15:41
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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There are so many threads, I'm not sure which is best place to post this! Councilman Fulop just sent out an email asking for suggestions for the budget : http://www.stevenfulop.com/budget

Posted on: 2010/2/23 15:29
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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Cut Costs, Generate Revenue, Protect Services

Failing significant action by local government, we will face unacceptable property tax increases that will destabilize our local economy and the long term health and well-being of our city.

We demand (1) immediate rigorous cost-cutting initiatives that do not reduce services to the Jersey City public and do not have negative long-term financial repercussions; and (2) the establishment of a public budget commission charged with annual budget review and creation/maintenance of a five-year financial master plan.

Read more at - Cut Costs, Generate Revenue, Protect Services

Posted on: 2010/2/23 13:23
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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I wonder if someone has done the math for what the city would save by cancelling all sick day carry overs ? I can't understand paying for this.

Posted on: 2010/2/23 3:44
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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Would love to see a similar audit of the JC police department - or fire department.

Long-delayed Hoboken police audit recommends major staff cuts
By Mark Maurer/The Jersey Journal
February 22, 2010, 9:53AM

Following a wait of several months, the operational audit of the Hoboken Police Department has now been released to the city. The audit makes recommendations for significant staffing cuts of approximately one-third of the force.

The report said the staffing needs for Hoboken Police Department are one chief, three captains, 12 lieutenants and 60 or 70 officers/detectives depending on the methodology applied. This determination reflects a staff reduction from 158 to 112 or 102 depending on the methodology applied, the report said.

Mayor Dawn Zimmer said she received the finalized audit from Division of Local Government Services Director Susan Jacobucci late Friday afternoon.

The report is intended to act as a blueprint for Zimmer, the City Council and the police department, offering recommendations with regard to staffing, operations, administration, fleet and facilities. The audit said that the police department should have periodic meetings to ensure the recommendations in this report are made in a timely manner.

The Hoboken Police Department audit said the DLGS staff found the department in need of consistent and reliable leadership, amended staffing numbers and technologically sufficient needs to meet Hoboken?s policing needs. The new positions of police chief and director of public safety were untested.

Zimmer said she grateful that the audit can now be made available to Hoboken?s government officials and to the public.

?I look forward to working with the public safety committee of the City Council, Public Safety Director Angel Alicea, Police Chief Anthony Falco and the DLGS to determine the best course of action to implement the recommendations contained within the report,? Zimmer said.

Falco told The Jersey Journal he will refrain from commenting until he has thoroughly read the 55-page document.

Zimmer had said Jacobucci told her she would have a final draft of the audit by Jan. 8, though that was not the case. In the interim, Zimmer and state-appointed Fiscal Monitor Judy Tripodi had only seen an August draft of the report, which they were not legally permitted to release.

Posted on: 2010/2/22 18:08
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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Quote:

Charon wrote:
One way to cut costs is to eliminate City administrators who basically DO NOTHING !

Among these :

Kabili Tayari, Deputy Mayor making $100K

James Bolden, Assistant Business Administrator

Sabrina Harrold and the entire CitiStat Office who DO NOTHING !

Greg Corrado, Assistant Business Administrator who takes long leaves of absence to work on his "career in the cinema"

FranK Lorenzo, Assistant Director of Recreation who has a full Police pension and a no show job at Recreation.

GET RID OF THE DEAD WOOD NOW !!!


BINGO! Focus on the better fish to fry instead of a crossing guard making 31 thousand, at least the crossing guard is saving children's lives from some of the lunatic drivers running amok in this city.
Mr. Corrado owed back rent from his failed moochie bar, how convenient, was it that the library got a leased space 11 yrs. ago from the same owner of the dwelling he owed back rent to. The lease for this property has skyrocketed to 200,000 + a yr.... One of the many hidden places for your precious tax dollars. Mr. Corrado was hired by Bret Schundler, remember? Making a pretty good salary back in the day...just saying...

Posted on: 2010/2/21 19:33
I am a rock, I am an Island... and a rock feels no pain and an island never cries...Simon & Garfunkle
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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Quote:

Carmine101 wrote:
On the way to the gym every morning at 5:00-6:00 AM I see a City Hall Messenger car parked illegally in front of the police station on Erie and Bay.


Agree with everything you say, Carmine - but here is my even more basic question: whether legally parked or not, why the hell do we have a fleet of messenger cars??? The day of the corruption arrests, there were seven of them idling next to the City Hall parking lot, drivers leaning up against them awaiting their cargoes. This seems to me to be another embedded cost of corruption - our mayor doesn't use e-mail, so he has a fleet of messenger cars to shuttle paper around that doesn't leave an electronic record. He knows how to use computers - he has a Facebook account.

So rather than faxes, e-mails of pdfs and the like, we have a fleet of cars and unnecessary people on the payroll, each of whom, no doubt, is there as a favor to someone. How much does that cost a year??? And of course there's the ridiculous irony of the "Green Mayor" using cars to communicate.

When.
Will.
It.
End???

Posted on: 2010/2/21 18:05
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Re: City Budget Suggestion Box - Cost Cutting and Revenue Generating Ideas
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One way to cut costs is to eliminate City administrators who basically DO NOTHING !

Among these :

Kabili Tayari, Deputy Mayor making $100K

James Bolden, Assistant Business Administrator

Sabrina Harrold and the entire CitiStat Office who DO NOTHING !

Greg Corrado, Assistant Business Administrator who takes long leaves of absence to work on his "career in the cinema"

FranK Lorenzo, Assistant Director of Recreation who has a full Police pension and a no show job at Recreation.

GET RID OF THE DEAD WOOD NOW !!!

Posted on: 2010/2/21 17:39
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