The Police Benevolence Association will hold a press conference Wednesday night at City Hall at 6 p.m. to oppose the city's decision to demote 19 and lay off 18 police officers and urge Mayor Dawn Zimmer to change her mind.
The PBA is calling the lay-off plan "ill advised."
The press conference will take place an hour before the first council meeting of the month, where the transitional 2010 budget will be introduced.
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"Zimmer is prepared to go ahead with these layoffs and demotions despite the fact that the City of Hoboken has a $20 million budget surplus," stated the PBA's release.
According to the Fiscal Year 2010 financial statement, there is currently a $19.9 million surplus. Of that number, $11.3 million is a cash surplus.
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According to Councilman Michael Lenz, the budget that will be introduced during tomorrow's meeting offers Hoboken's taxpayers a 5 percent tax break.
"In addition to the outright firing of 18 police officers, Zimmer's Layoff Plan also calls for demoting 19 superior officers," stated the PBA's release, "the overwhelming majority of whom currently work street duty."
Zimmer has said that the lay offs will not affect the amount of patrolmen on the street.
A study of the city's police force completed earlier this year concluded that Hoboken had too many police officers.
In addition to the 18 police officers, 18 city workers are also being laid off by Sept. 24.
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