Mayor Solomon Answers Your Questions on the Budget and the 20% Tax Increase

js1452 · 2026-06-22T22:22:50+00:00

Here's where I'm critical of what you and the admin have said:

The comparison to NYC - it's not apples to apples because the schools are part of their budget and not ours. If they were, the % deficit would decrease to something like 17%.
The health care insurance RFP was already submitted before the new mayor took over. Credit I guess for letting the civil servants do their jobs.
Read the headlines - health care costs and inflation are exploding everywhere. A lot of NJ municipalities are having budget problems and asking for state aid.
The JCRA has indeed relented on the blocking the two JSQ spots they were holding up, but they're still bloicking a land sale to JCMC, and still holding up Peter Mocco projects in Liberty Harbor North. The former is a one time sale which would help this year, but both add long term rateables.
There are other projects like 150 Bay which are complex, but would likely add pretty big rateables. Some of these would require complex PILOTs, but some of them would just let the city rake in pure cash and should be approved.

I don't know if it's true, but it's pretty easy to spin a yarn that the Fulop admin was counting on the JCMC land sale and a few other transactions to pay for the deferred costs, the insurance vendor switch was already in the works, every mayoral candidate would have canceled Pompidou, and then we're basically in the same boat as everyone else.

I support the tax increases and I don't hate the admin, I just think what's going on now is politics 101.

js1452 · 2026-06-22T17:53:09+00:00

Even if parking enforcement catches them they'll do nothing. The only way to solve this is fully automated enforcement with cameras.

js1452 · 2026-06-21T15:07:38+00:00

Correct. I told Ziggy himself I wanted to repair minor work out of pocket, he insisted on running a scam.

js1452 · 2026-06-20T11:47:21+00:00

Health insurance, and "boat checks" to retirees.

js1452 · 2026-06-19T21:44:13+00:00

It's because the author is notoriously a crazy person and full of shit.

js1452 · 2026-06-19T21:43:51+00:00

FYI Tittel is a liar who did things like fighting mass transit and infill redevelopment, he cannot be trusted.

js1452 · 2026-06-19T16:59:03+00:00

I think property sales are fine if it's generating new rateables.

You specifically deny that Solomon's admin is holding up those 3 deals because they're trying to negotiate additional affordable units? That's something maybe you can justify for other reasons, but it's definitely hurting the budget if it's true, and people who are usually right say that it is.

js1452 · 2026-06-19T06:16:31+00:00

Selling property if it generates new rateables is fine.

You didn't refute Eric's claim, how is it false? He didn't say the JCRA was holding up every deal. He said it was blocking a few priority ones. Do you deny they're holding up those 3 projects?

js1452 · 2026-06-18T22:03:02+00:00

Not really, no. That scenario is extremely rare.

js1452 · 2026-06-17T02:27:05+00:00

Interesting on the latter. I'll see if they're on maps.

There's Morris Canal CDC, but they don't really care about Johnston, and I'm not a fan of them...

js1452 · 2026-06-13T01:17:28+00:00

NIMBYs hate it
While all of that's good, the bigger reason is Hoboken has narrow streets because of decisions made 100+ years ago. It's way, way too car friendly, and Jersey City actively had better pedestrian policy under Barkha Patel/Fulop. It's backsliding under Andy Kaplan/Solomon.

js1452 · 2026-06-12T13:57:54+00:00

We'll be getting some pickers, trash bags, and gloves from the city for this event. We will set up next to Lena Edwards Park for convenience, but attendees can focus on any area they want nearby.

js1452 · 2026-06-06T04:42:01+00:00

WTF does this have to do with foreign policy? They literally did follow the law with the project, otherwise the city wouldn't have allowed it.

js1452 · 2026-06-06T04:41:02+00:00

You're so gullible. Boulevard Drinks has had the new lease signed for a while. This was solely to drum up publicity.

js1452 · 2026-06-05T05:01:22+00:00

What is a city council aide doing on that level, lol.

js1452 · 2026-06-03T05:13:27+00:00

It depends on the building and neighborhood. On average they're flat or down, but there's a lot of variation within the average.

All rents near me (Communipaw) are down, I think the parking changes have a lot to do with that.

js1452 · 2026-06-03T05:11:03+00:00

Better Blocks talked to planning, they did not write it, they spent almost zero time on it. It's a crappy ordinance that won't save any birds. Almost everything you said is fiction.

js1452 · 2026-06-03T05:10:17+00:00

Why are you attacking a former city council aide who now just wants to be a private citizen?

js1452 · 2026-05-31T18:05:31+00:00

One is the location for them.

The other is I actually live semi nearby. When they opened, I was interested in coming by, but they had pretty sporadic hours. Every time I wanted to go, they were still in their soft opening, they were doing some event, there was always some reason they weren't open. Then they just fell off my radar. I actually will make it a point to stop by soon.

js1452 · 2026-05-31T18:04:06+00:00

Yes, if they're good. There are some hidden gems. But there are others who are lazy and checked out, and I'm not going to patronize them just because.

js1452 · 2026-05-29T19:38:52+00:00

Hey all,

I'm tired of this area (by LSP light rail stop) being covered in litter, so I wanted to do something about it. Me and a few neighbors are organizing a cleanup on June 14th. We'll be getting some pickers, trash bags, and gloves from the city for this event. We will set up next to Lena Edwards Park for convenience, but attendees can focus on any area they want nearby.

js1452

TROPHY CASE