Council Meets To Discuss Budget

Passing the 2010 budget in Hoboken seems to be just as hard as getting into Carlo's City Hall Bake Shop on a Saturday. 

As the line to get into the bakery grew and even wrapped around the corner Saturday afternoon—forcing fans and customers to wait in the frigid cold—City Council was locked inside City Hall all day during a special budget workshop. 

The directors of different departments, including Police Chief Anthony Falco and Fire Chief Richard Blohm, presented their budgets to the council, after which council members got a chance to ask questions. Each department was alotted 45 minutes, but in reality, most departments took longer. 

"The citizens of Hoboken deserve a budget," said Councilwoman Beth Mason during the Public Safety director's presentation, "but what is it we're reducing it to?"

Also present were Fiscal Monitor Judy Tripodi and Financial Director Nicola Trasente.

Tripodi, who is state-appointed, is the one who ultimately has to approve the budget. She spoke up during the last couple of minutes of the day, in a back-and-forth with 4th Ward Councilman Michael Lenz. 

"I'm very frustrated," Tripodi said about the process of passing the budget. 

The majority of the budget is made out of mandatory personnel costs. That's the area where cuts are likely to be made. Tripodi said that more than 70 percent of the budget is contractual.

"I intend to negotiate a fair contract for the employees and most certainly for the city," Tripodi told the council members Saturday. 

Lenz urged her to include city council and the mayor in the decision (something that technically is not required). 

"And I'd like nothing but that," Tripodi answered. 

Not all department heads got the chance to present their budgets, which will most likely happen in separate, public meetings. 

Although members of the public were invited, there was no public portion. Council members had received some questions from concerned citizens beforehand and asked those to the individual directors on their constituents' behalf. 

When Falco presented his 2010 budget for the fire department, he discussed issues such as overtime and equipment. 

He mentioned also the importance of renovating the Fire Headquarters, which is an 85-year-old building. 

Council members also expressed their wish for a state audit of the fire and the police department. The difficulty of predicting budgets for fire and police, is that there are some costs that cannot be accounted for in advance. Firefighters may have to replace their gear after a big fire. A police car can break down. 

Blohm said that department directors often have the urge to spend all the money they have left in a fiscal year, in fear that the following year will provide them with less funds. 

"I have demonstrated fiscal responsibility," the fire chief said, explaining that he had between $75,000 and $100,000 left in operating expense, but did not spend it.

"I promise you that as long as I am the fire chief," Falco said, "I will believe it was my own money and I will treat it as such."

After a roughly 8-hour day, city council members left City Hall, their heads undoubtedly full of numbers, while across the street, the line in front of Carlo's Bake Shop was still growing.