3/15/2010 UPDATE:

Hoboken tax cut promises vanish

Beware – the Ides of March, and “reform” politicians promising tax cuts. In case you missed our recap of last week’s Special Council Meeting, the proposed Hoboken city tax cut for FY2010 has been revised downward to 0.5 percent. That’s not a typo. The decrease is only a half-percent, and that’s an overall average. If you didn’t successfully challenge your tax assessment last year, your taxes will be going UP.

But wait, I was promised a 25% tax cut!

Dawn Zimmer and her council candidates Ravi Bhalla, Carol Marsh and David Mello, all claimed they had “a detailed plan to cut municipal taxes by 25% in the first year alone.” Instead, they plan to give you nothing. In response to criticism of their broken tax promises, the Mayor’s message minions are now trying to sell the idea that Zimmer and Co. never actually promised to cut taxes. For those trying to re-write history, we present this piece of original campaign literature as a reminder of promises made, and promises broken.

Not happy with a 0.5% tax cut? The city holds its official public hearing for your comments on the FY2010 budget Wednesday night at 7pm. It’ll happen right after “Cake Boss” Buddy Valestro gets a proclamation from the City Council.

Still not convinced Dawn Zimmer actually promised a 25% tax cut? Hear it from Mayor Zimmer herself after the jump. Also hear Councilman Michael Lenz explain how the public really didn’t want a tax cut anyway. Yeah, right!

2/3/2010 Update:

Oh my, how they’re changing their tune!

Lenz defends Zimmer Team’s broken promise to cut taxes 25%

The 1st and 2nd quarter city tax bills started showing up in mailboxes this week.

Once again there’s no tax relief in sight, and people are getting angry. Voters promised a 25% property tax cut by Dawn Zimmer and her “Change That Works Team” are feeling betrayed.

Hoboken Dawn Zimmer Campaign Promise Tax Cut FAIL

Are taxpayers upset? Not according to 4th ward Councilman Michael Lenz. At last weekend’s farcical all-day “budget workshop,” Lenz said he didn’t think people voted for his allies on the City Council “to reduce taxes,” so taxpayers won’t be upset when their bills don’t drop after last year’s 47% tax increase:

That might come as a surprise to you if you believed Dawn Zimmer when she made a 25% property tax cut the lynchpin of her Mayoral campaign. Here’s Zimmer’s budget statement during the POG debate:

Nothing about the FY2010 budget has significantly changed since Zimmer made that statement. Facts in evidence about the budget then are the same ones today. There have been no surprise unknowns that have derailed her alleged plan “To reduce municipal taxes by 25% in the first year alone.” What does Lenz have to say now about that 25% tax cut?

The bottom line is: there is no tax relief in this budget.

Just take a look at your tax bill. It’s all there in black and white, as the city takes more of your green than ever. But not to worry. Michael Lenz says you weren’t really voting for tax relief so you won’t be surprised when you don’t get any.

Is he right or wrong? Share your thoughts below in the comments section, and see more truth about the budget after the jump!

1/8/2010:

The Hoboken budget debacle keeps getting worse!

If you believed the hype you’d be getting a substantial tax cut this year, think again!

Hoboken411 has been warning your that the city’s political power players have been misleading you with their tax relief promises. Now – over halfway through the fiscal year – they are finally coming clean with the reality that has been on THIS website all along.

You expect a tax cut? Fiscal Monitor Judy Tripodi is now channeling Judge Smails, “You’ll get nothing and like it!”

No Hoboken Tax Decrease Judy Tripodi baxter

Here are the updated (and increased) numbers coming out of City Hall based on an “average” property assessment of $160,000:

  • FY2009 (July 2008-June 2009) City Taxes: $3,285
  • FY2010 (June 2009-July 2010) City Taxes PROPOSED: $3,024
  • FY2010 City Taxes INCLUDING additional $4.2 million charge: $3,244

That’s right. The supposedly “temporary, one-time” 47% tax hike is here to stay. Add the $32 open space tax (which was only collected part of last year) and your city taxes on $160,000 assessed value will total $3,276. A mere 9 dollars separates the average FY2009 tax bill from FY2010. How did this happen?

Tripodi leaves $4.2 million bill out of her budget

The political games played by Tripodi, Mayor Dawn Zimmer and the City Council are about to hit you in the wallet, again. You were promised a 25% Tax Cut by Zimmer and Councilpersons Marsh, Mello and Bhalla. Now the latest word from City Hall is your tax bill won’t change much at all. Why? Because the post-election budget numbers Tripodi finally had her hand-picked Finance Director Nick Trasente present to the council had a glaring $4.2 million omission.

It was almost a year ago the State of New Jersey told the City of Hoboken that it would be on the hook for the $4.2 million cost to the state incurred by the early retirement incentive plan billed as a “cost cutter” by former Mayor David Roberts. Tripodi has known about this bill longer than anyone because she was the one who blew the whistle to the state. The question has always been not if, but WHEN the bill would be paid.

Not a surprise at all!

The pension penalty has been there for almost a year…

Zimmer – who approved the buyouts with her vote on the council – issued a statement last February saying she was concerned the $4.2 million bill would have had to be paid as soon as last spring on top of the 47% tax increase caused by years of Roberts’ overspending. The state pension fund has been waiting or payment for nearly a year, but Tripodi and Trasente left the money OUT of their FY2010 budget proposal. Why? Critics say it was so they could introduce the myth of an 8% tax cut for the year. After all, Tripodi had been embarrassed by people who were calling her and Zimmer out for “hiding” a budget that should have been introduced months before the November election. As pressure on Zimmer became almost too much to bear ahead of the election, Tripodi throw the Acting Mayor a life preserver by saying taxes would be cut and that Zimmer wasn’t “hiding” the budget. She timed this just days before the election.

Zimmer budget cut debacle no hoboken tax cut 2010 NJ

Ineffective Tripodi double dips with salary & public pension

Remember Tripodi was the choice of former Department of Community Affairs Commissioner – and disgraced HCDO powerplayer Joe Doria for the Hoboken Fiscal Monitor position. Tripodi was allowed to retire from her $93,925 a year state government job to take the $130,000-a-year contract in Hoboken. A bureaucrat who first enrolled in the state pension system in 1981, Tripodi is now enjoying an annual pension of $50,383 a year on top of the $130k from Hoboken taxpayers, as well as the power to unilaterally hire colleagues like Trasente, who makes $125,000 a year, and new Tax Collector Sharon Curran, among others. Two years in Hoboken will yield Tripodi $260,000 plus public jobs for those she hired. She was also in the unique position to say and do things that could effect elections.

You surprised? Not if you were paying attention!

You can’t say nobody warned you. While Hoboken411 was bringing you the facts as best as possible about Tripodi and the budget, Zimmer and her campaign team were launching pathetic smear blogs and co-opting tax “reform” groups for political gain. People who actually looked at the numbers and called a spade a spade were slandered and libeled in the name of “reform.”

Will the public come to the upcoming budget hearings and demand the tax cut they were promised? Or just roll over again just like they did for Dave Roberts for so many, many years?

Time will tell. The clock is ticking.

Hoboken NJ

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