Mayor News
I am writing to update the community on the progress we are making towards acquiring land for new parks in Western Hoboken, including a large Southwest Park, the Pino site at 7th St. and Jackson St., and the BASF site at 11th St. and Madison St. With Hoboken’s growing number of young families, our senior community, and active recreational community, the neighborhoods in Western Hoboken need more active and passive park space. The City is focused on acquiring land to provide large active space for residents at a fair market price in the interest of Hoboken taxpayers.
Includes Funding for Redesign of Washington Street and Sinatra Drive
For the third year in a row, the Zimmer Administration is introducing a budget with a reduction in municipal taxes. The 2013 calendar year budget holds the municipal tax levy approximately equal to 2012, which will result in an estimated 2% reduction in the municipal tax rate due to an increase in the ratable base. The budget includes funding for the planning process for complete street redesigns of Washington Street and Sinatra Drive.
“Without the responsible rainy day surplus that we fought so hard to maintain, the $10 million toll from Hurricane Sandy would have been devastating to the City’s finances,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “Just as we need to build a more physically resilient city, years of prudent planning have made us more financially resilient. After all our residents and businesses have been through this year, I am glad that not only will we not have to raise taxes, but that we can provide a modest tax decrease while we make investments to improve our quality of life, such as the redesign of Washington Street and Sinatra Drive.”
Mayor Dawn Zimmer delivered her third State of the City address on February 13, 2013 at the DeBaun Auditorium on the campus of the Stevens Institute of Technology. Her prepared remarks and a video of the State of the City are available below.
Mayor Dawn Zimmer’s next scheduled open office hours will take place in Southwest Hoboken on Monday, August 6 from 5pm-7pm at Mission 50, located at 50 Harrison Street, Suite PH in the Hoboken Business Center. Mission 50 is Hoboken’s first coworking space. Office hours visitors may park for free in the Hoboken Business Center parking lot during office hours.
The following office hours will be on Monday, September 10 from 5pm-7pm in the Mayor’s office on the second floor of City Hall, 94 Washington Street. No appointment is necessary.
Despite legacy costs and retroactive salary payments going back to 2007, the City Council adopted a budget tonight with a $900,000 reduction in the municipal tax levy and a 3.6% cash surplus level. The municipal tax levy has been reduced by approximately $6 million since 2010.
“Thank you to Council President Bhalla, Finance Chair Cunningham, and Council members Marsh, Mello, and Giattino for their support as well as my directors and the finance department for working so hard to create this strong, responsible budget,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “I am proud that our teamwork enabled the budget to be adopted in the shortest timeframe in over a decade and will continue working to provide city services as effectively and efficiently as possible.”
Pearson will maintain a New Jersey workforce of 1,750 with the completion of the 500,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art, sustainable office and retail building
Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno, Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer, and other dignitaries today joined Pearson’s Rich Glicini, Senior Vice President for People and Social Responsibility, and SJP Properties’ CEO Steven J. Pozycki, to announce a lease agreement to relocate New Jersey employees from the world’s leading learning company to a new, state-of-the-art office building on Hoboken’s waterfront.
Pearson signed a lease for more than 200,000 square feet at SJP Properties’ 500,000-square-foot Waterfront Corporate Center III, the final site within Hoboken’s 26-acre waterfront, mixed-use master plan, and the last phase of SJP’s 1.5-million-square-foot, three-building office and retail complex.
“Pearson’s decision to stay is just one of many examples where we’ve successfully intervened to keep and create jobs in New Jersey,” said Lt. Gov. Guadagno. “The Christie-Guadagno Administration’s policy of assertively protecting and pursing jobs for New Jerseyans is a major reason why the New Jersey Comeback is underway.”
Pearson will occupy five floors starting in 2014 and is relocating approximately 900 employees from its current offices in Upper Saddle River and Old Tappan, N.J.
Mayor Dawn Zimmer will hold open office hours on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 from 5pm to 7pm in her office on the second floor of City Hall, 94 Washington Street. No appointment is necessary.
Office hours will also be held on Wednesday, March 7, 2012 and Wednesday April 4, 2012 from 5pm to 7pm.
At her second State of the City address, Mayor Dawn Zimmer highlighted the City of Hoboken’s progress on fiscal, infrastructure, and quality of life issues, and announced plans for 2012.
Mayor Zimmer identified a 10 percent reduction in municipal taxes and the saving of Hoboken University Medical Center as two key achievements in the last year.
“Together we saved our City from financial destruction with the successful sale of Hoboken University Medical Center,” said Mayor Zimmer, who noted that the City would have been responsible for paying a $52 million bond if the sale had not been successful.
During her first State of the City address, Mayor Dawn Zimmer emphasized her three priorities for her Administration: to operate as fiscally responsibly and cost-effectively as possible in order to reduce and stabilize taxes for the long term, to address Hoboken’s significant infrastructure challenges, and to improve the quality of life for all Hoboken residents.
The address was streamed live online and is available for viewing in its entirety at the link: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/12875366. It will also be played on Channel 78 on Cablevision and Channel 47 on FiOS.
Mayor Zimmer proposed bonding $20 million, to be paid for completely from the Open Space Trust Fund, to purchase land for new park space for the underserved areas along the western side of Hoboken. In addition, the City has developed a capital investment plan to improve parks and is developing a master plan for the maintenance of the City’s neglected water main system and a maintenance manual to cost-effectively maintain the City’s waterfront for the long term.
Mayor Dawn Zimmer will hold open office hours on Wednesday, December 15th from 5pm to 7pm in her office at City Hall.
�I invite residents to come by and let us know how we can be more helpful and responsive to their needs,� said Mayor Dawn Zimmer.
Directors and other members of the administration will be available to assist in addressing resident concerns.
