Zimmer Introduces 2013 Budget

Mayor Dawn Zimmer is introducing a roughly $105 million budget to run the city in 2013.

A $104,742,373.29 will be introduced to the City Council on Wednesday night. Before the budget can be adopted — it needs five votes to pass — the city council will hold a round of public workshops during which all department heads introduce their own budgets.

The proposed municipal purposes tax levy for 2013 is approximately $51 million. The municipal tax levy makes up approximately 35% of a Hoboken property tax bill. County and School taxes make up the remainder, along with Library and Open Space taxes.

According to Zimmer, the tax levy is the same as in 2012. But, the mayor announced, it will "result in an estimated 2% reduction in the municipal tax rate due to an increase in the ratable base."

Zimmer is advocating to include a surplus in the budget, which in the past has been a point of contention between her and her political adversaries on the city council.

"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," Zimmer said in a statement.

According to the city, the budget includes funding for the planning process for complete street redesigns of Washington Street and Sinatra Drive.

Besides introducing the budget, the city is proposing  roughly $7 million in bonds for projects around town. While the budget needs five votes, bond ordinances need six votes. Currently there are only eight members on Hoboken's city council.

Zimmer is proposing $1.2 million for park renovations around town; $2.5 million for structural repairs at Pier A Park (according to the city, the South Waterfront O&M board has agreed to pay for the payments for this bond); $260,000 for municipal equipment; $3 million for pedestrian safety improvements and $500,000 for the construction of the city's 9/11 memorial.