City of Hoboken announces:

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Local children from Connors Elementary School and a neighborhood child care center joined Mayor Dawn Zimmer and Director Pellegrini this afternoon to cut the ribbon and re-open Jackson Street Park. The park was upgraded with new playground equipment and safety surface as part of a city-wide parks improvement project.

“The year of the parks is well underway, and we’re looking forward to upgrading more parks and building new ones,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “I thank the children for joining us today, the City Council for supporting these parks upgrades, and I invite everyone to come and enjoy this beautiful park.” Read More...

Last night, Tim Occhipinti’s quest for more of your money ended in failure.  Occhipinti valiantly tried for almost a month as he inquired on the legislative process and how to submit an amendment.  In short, Tim really wanted to finally learn how things work in the City Council.

Occhpinti said his request was just a “small amount,” although it’s not clear what the amount was and no doubt Occhipinti hoped to grow it better than the garden he planted by the Boys and Girls Club he let die a few weeks later. That was the idea of course.  No, not the publicity for an unkept garden but to get a hook into the taxpayers and then approve additional funding so he can send out home mailers to people who will accept at face value his ceaselessly taking credit for the work of others.  (As an aside, the Jackson St. Park playground renovation is officially reopened today at 1:00.  No word if Occhipinti can steal away for the photo op.) Occhipinti complained the mayor has sent out newsletters, so why not him.  Finance Director Nick Trasente pointed out it’s normal for a mayor or a designated administrator to send out a newsletter as she’s serving Hoboken in a full time role.  In the video you can hear Councilwoman Terry Castellano’s reaction, negative of course.) The bottom line is Tim Occhipinti’s attempt to get more City dollars into his pocket failed.

Tim Occhipinti – demanded more of your tax money for self-promotion

=&0=&: Tim graciously agrees to disagree as he clearly sees himself as a part time legislator being equal to the mayor.  She has money for a newsletter and so should he.  Of course the mayor is serving all of Hoboken and Occhipinti is looking to serve Occhpinti.   After refusing to take responsibility for needlessly costing Hoboken $4.5 million last November and =&1=&, the last thing Occhipinti deserves is to be rewarded with more taxpayer money.  The unmitigated gall of this guy. Of course logic matters not to Timmy, so we’ll agree to disagree. As soon as Occhipinti writes a check to Hoboken for $5,000,000 or thereabouts, we’ll reconsider his proposal – not a second before. Original graphic courtesy of Grafix Avenger.  Her latest story on Timmy’s chutzpah: =&2=&

The budget amendment passed 5-3 and there was no surprise in its passage as the council majority was clearly pleased to do so.

Only two members of the council minority were present and they voted against it signaling they will do so again on final vote as is typical of their standard operating procedure.  As no reason was given by them, the most exciting part of the meeting arose when Council Vice President Peter Cunningham addressed amendments presented to him as chair of the subcommittee. Read More...

The full one hour meeting above.

Will an amendment to give taxpayer monies to Council members to send mailers be presented and approved?  Tim Occhipinti is hoping so and has asked for those monies as what he is selling the public on his Facebook account is apparently not enough.

Councilman Peter Cunningham has requested such a proposal be presented with offsetting cuts.  Why bother?  No council member in their right mind would sign on to such a political stunt.

Well those who respect the taxpayers anyway.  Tune in at 7:00 for live coverage. Read More...

A meeting of the City Council is planned for Monday night for a public hearing on the proposed $102 million 2012 budget.

This is the public’s first opportunity to speak to the details of the budget.  Taxes are flat, a minor disappointment overshadowed with the sabotage of the proposed refinancing of the hospital garage in midtown.  The missed opportunity last November cost Hoboken $4.5 million and would have added $50,000 to the City due to the lower finance charges.

Some of the lost millions could have been used for additional tax relief. Read More...

Dear Horsey: I am writing in response to the glowingly self-congratulatory
letter last week from Fourth Ward Councilman Timothy Occhipinti. Mr. Occhipinti
is always quick to itemize very real, laudable accomplishments, very few if any
are his for which to claim credit. I wish to offer a different perspective on
Mr. Occhipinti’s “service” to the ward.

For the past 16 months, our ward has endured what can only by the
most generously loose definition pass for representation by someone who has
proven to be a developer shill and corruption apologist. Read More...

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This is a big weekend for many folks and MSV would like to extend best wishes to our Jewish brothers and sisters who are celebrating Passover.

In a letter to Da Horsey, former CFO Michael Lenz demands a retraction from the accusation he was CFO when a million dollars in parking meter monies were looted from the City of Hoboken.

It has come to my attention that Councilman Michael Russo falsely claimed at last night’s meeting  that the theft of quarters from the parking utility occurred while I was CFO.  This is completely false. The parking Utility was formed January 1, 2003.  According to the Hoboken Reporter on January 30, 2004 [article attached] =&0=&

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The City Council meeting was anti-climatic in limited misspent energy with the business of Hoboken moving forward and a frustrated council minority clearly suffering to pick a fight on something, anything in a desperate bid to get traction and point a finger at anyone connected to the Administration.

This is a group without ideas or policy other than hiring more City employees.  Councilman Michael Russo’s grandstanding resolution (no. 2) was deemed illegal, non-binding and ejected for good measure by Councilwoman Jen Giattino. Read More...