City Council Fails To Approve $750K in Appropriations

For the second week in a row, the city council failed to approve roughly $750,000 in temporary emergency appropriations on Wednesday night, during a special meeting that was called by the mayor last week.

On Wednesday the resolution—which needed six votes—failed in a 5-3 vote, with councilmembers, and mayoral critics, Theresa Castellano, Michael Russo and Tim Occhipinti voting "no." Councilwoman Beth Mason was absent. 

The council minority says it doesn't want to pass any more temporary appropriations and wants to wait for the full 2012 budget. The budget, however, probably won't be passed until mid-April.

Before that time, officials say, the city of Hoboken will run out of money to pay its fire personnel and outside legal counsel. 

Fifth Ward Councilman Peter Cunningham called the city council minority's vote "irresponsible." 

The more than $750,000 in appropriations proposed by the city, includes about $200,000 in legal fees and overtime to fire fighters. It also includes $95,000 to potentially tear down the building on the corner of First and Jackson, which was destroyed in a Dec. 18 fire. Without passing the appropriations, that can't be done. 

The city will also run out of money to pay its legal bills, Tabakin said on Wednesday. Currently, there is about $99,000 left on that line item, said Assistant Comptroller Chris Baldwin. By state law, the city cannot overspend on a line item. 

"You're sitting on bills from January right now," Tabakin told the counsel. Hoboken owes about $100,000 in legal bills for that month. The approximate cost of the legal fees for January, February and March combined is about $336,000, which Tabakin said had been calculated based on the city's "track record."

While Tabakin said the city will run out of money, Russo maintained that the city will have enough to pay its bills. 

"In my estimation, we do not have an emergency before us," Russo said. "I don't think we should pass any additional money until we have finalized the budget." 

Because the appropriations failed, the city council then had to decide which legal battles to fund. The council unanimously voted to keep fighting the 27 cases that were presented on the agenda. 

Those suits include fighting the Monarch project; a law suit with former cop Angelo Andriani who is suing for his job back; a suit between the city and former public information officer Bill Campbell, who is also suing for his job back and many more. 

After about an hour of discussion on those matters, Council President Ravi Bhalla tried once more to get his council colleagues to approve the appropriations. 

"Now it's time to literally put money where our mouth is," Bhalla said. 

But, for the second time that night, the appropriations failed. 

"Tonight the City Council minority refused to fund to fight the Monarch project, defend the City against litigation, and pay our firefighters for overtime due to the recent fire," Mayor Dawn Zimmer said in a statement after the meeting. "This refusal is an irresponsible breach of their fiduciary duty to the City of Hoboken."

It's unclear what will happen next. While the city's lawyers will continue to do their work, it's not guaranteed that they will be paid for it, Tabakin said.