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From the desk of Councilman Peter Cunningham:

Cunningham Spearheads County Tax Cap Resolution

Our Councilman Peter Cunningham was one of the leaders of the successful effort to persuade the City Council to call on the Hudson County Freeholder Board to voluntarily comply with the same annual 2% cap on property tax increases that applies to cities and towns. The amendments (Introduced by Councilwoman Jen Giattino) was championed by Cunningham who called specifically on Freeholder Anthony Romano to promptly introduce the measure for voluntary compliance with the 2% tax cap and for the County Freeholders to adopt it. Romano is Hoboken’s representative on the Freeholder Board. The amendments, also called on the Governor and State Legislature to extend the 2% tax cap to all 21 county governments in the same form it now applies to all New Jersey municipalities. Peter Cunningham said, “We are calling on Hudson County government to tighten its belt as we’ve done here in Hoboken. In a more than $500 million county budget there is plenty of room to find cost-efficiencies and to root out waste” Since 2010, Hoboken’s municipal tax levy has actually declined by 6%, while the County of Hudson’s tax levy has risen by 20%, an average of over 4% per year.

With not much more than a week before the City Council elections, residents of the sixth ward report a flyer addressing the controversial problematic record of Carmelo Garcia in the Hoboken Housing Authority surfaced in mailboxes.

An incomplete sample is seen below stating, “Why Garcia was fired from the HHA” listing a number of factual problems uncovered leading into the termination of his contract in August 2014. Ironically, the political flyer comes out as an expected story from the Hudson Reporter is anticipated to stir up the election more focusing on early 2013 emails of HHA members and the mayor’s husband, Stan Grossbard. Although the emails discussed measures to deal with Garcia’s intractable procurement methods some HHA commissioners found problematic, the legal counsel for the HHA at that time, Charles Daglian created the generous terms pointing to what Garcia said was his unilateral authority in procurement decisions. Garcia would attempt to renew Daglian’s HHA contract at least a half-dozen times with the HHA commissioners frustrated at the contract being continually rammed down their throat over months. One of those commissioners at the time, Eduardo Gonzalez is a running mate of Garcia with the Russo faction. As an HHA commissioner, he voted at every opportunity approving Garcia’s attempt to renew Daglian’s contract. Mention of an idea put forward by Grossbard suggested renegotiating the lopsided contract terms for Garcia by terminating and updating it with the more typically measured terms in other housing authority contracts in NJ. The HHA commissioners at that time did not act on the suggestion and Garcia even refused to turn over a copy of his contract to current board members. (MSV would later obtain and publish it in an OPRA to Trenton.)

In the following year and a half, a board of reconstituted new members installed Dana Wefer as chair leading to numerous problems uncovered of an illicit nature further undermining the board’s trust in Garcia’s heading the agency. Some of those findings by both the board and an independent audit are highlighted in the flyer. Read More...

The Tim Occhipinti for council campaign announces:

Friends and Neighbors, Last night, the City Council voted to pass the twenty-year easement agreement with the property owner at 1st and Jackson Streets creating new open space in our neighborhood!  The city maintains an option to purchase the property at market rate plus $1. In the near future the city will begin a public planning process to program the two lots on the west side of Jackson Street pictured below. Perhaps a new community garden is just what the neighborhood needs. I’d like to thank Mayor Zimmer, Corporation Counsel Alysia Proko, and my council colleagues for working together to bring us new open space in the 4th Ward! 

  

Vacant Lots at 1st & Jackson Street to become Open Space

As part of the negotiated agreement, the property owner is required to demolish the vacant burned-out building within six months. We are requesting that an aesthetically

 pleasing fence be constructed surrounding the property. Read More...

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Dear Friends, There are only 12 days to go before the November 3rd election, and we have much work to do to spread the word to ensure high voter turnout. We need your continued support to be able to build on the steady progress made in the Hoboken district schools over the past several years. Help Tom, Sheillah and Addys raise the remaining $7000 they need to reach their fundraising goal by Friday Oct. 23rd. Our all-volunteer campaign needs financial help to reach as many Hoboken voters as possible — especially with the printing and postage for a city-wide mailing on the eve of the election.  No amount is too small and every dollar counts. Your contribution will ensure the visibility of our candidates and allow our message — a message of positive leadership and commitment to school improvement — to be heard. Please consider a contribution to Reach Higher Hoboken. You can donate online at http://contribute.reachhigherhoboken.com Or make checks payable to “Reach Higher Hoboken” and mail to:  Reach Higher Hoboken  c/o 515 4th Street, #309 Hoboken, NJ 07030 Follow the campaign to get the latest news and “like” the page to help spread the word: https://www.facebook.com/ReachHigherHoboken And don’t forget to cast your three votes on November 3rd for Tom Kluepfel, Sheilla Dallara and Addys Velez . . . Column F, 2-4-6! Copyright © 2015 Reach Higher Hoboken, All rights reserved. You are on this list because you have received email from previous years’ Hoboken Board of Education election campaigns. Our mailing address is: Reach Higher Hoboken 515 4th St. Hoboken, NJ  07030 News Council meeting @ 7:00: Taxes from the County reviewed? 10/21/201501/22/2021 by SmartyJones1 Min Reading Tonight is the last City Council meeting before the legislative body sees the November 3rd election changing its composition by Hoboken voters. Meaning, it should offer some fun and games. Cousins Michael Russo and Terry Castellano propose a resolution requesting the State of New Jersey undertake a study of its formula on HudCo taxes on the Mile Square City. (Resolution #17) No doubt Gov. Christie and the legislative bodies will jump at this request. Well no matter what, studies take time and require funding to underwrite. Read More...