UPDATED—Hoboken Sees A Decline in Tax Increase; Roughly 10 Percent Lower Tax Bill

An extensive report by the Newark Star Ledger has shown that the average Hobokenite's tax bill was about 10 percent lower in 2011 than in 2010.

According to the data, the amount on tax bills dropped by about $767.49 to an average of $6,762.98. On average, in 2010, Hobokenites paid $7,530.49 in taxes.

The tax levy in Hudson County increased by roughly 1 percent, the Ledger reported, while the state average is around 2.5 percent.

City Spokesman Juan Melli said that Hoboken is sixth in the state in largest percentage drop, and fourth in the state in terms of the biggest drop of the cash bill.

A Hobokenite's tax bill is made up of schooltaxes (26 percent), county taxes (34 percent) and municipal taxes (40 percent).

The Star Ledger reported that all of New Jersey's tax payers paid roughly $25.6 billion in taxes in 2011, 2.5 percent more than in 2010.

a plan that drew support from Mayor Dawn Zimmer.

In a brief phone interview on Monday morning, Zimmer said she is proud of lowering the taxes, through a budget without "gimmicks." The mayor also said that the city's surplus contributed to maintaining lower taxes in 2011.

The city's suprlus has been the center of a discussion in the city council since, with some council members who want to "return the surplus to the taxpayers, while others want to keep it for future tax relief and "a rainy day."

Zimmer said also that the surplus is needed to improve the city's bondrating. "Right now," she said, "we can't bond on our own." She said she wants the city to be in a position to "bond independently if we have to."

Zimmer said that new police and fire contracts, internal audits and the city's budget surplus contributed to the tax decrease in 2011.

At the school board level, Hoboken is at the minimum tax levy possible,

On the municipal level, tax cuts are always on the forefront of the discussion. In 2010, Zimmer proposed a plan to lay off 36 city workers—18 in the police department, 18 in other city departments— The lay offs—ultimately no cops were laid off, but city workers from environmental services and other city hall workers lost their jobs—happened at a time when the city had a roughly $11 million surplus. Business Administrator Arch Liston said that some tax relief was expected in the 2011 budget, because of that surplus.

On Monday, Zimmer said that the city is

"That's still in process, that didn't go away," Zimmer said. Zimmer didn't specify a timeline of the plan.

This article has been updated to include Mayor Dawn Zimmer's comments.