STATEMENTS FROM MAYOR BHALLA OPPOSING CITY COUNCIL’S EFFORT TO ABOLISH OFFICE OF CONSTITUENT SERVICES AND ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

City Council ordinance to eliminate Office of Constituent Services:

On Wednesday, the Hoboken City Council will consider on second and final reading, an ordinance to eliminate the Hoboken Office of Constituent Affairs.

The Office of Constituent Services, consisting of Caroline Caulfield and Migdalia Pagan Milano, has assisted over 1,000 residents, many with critical issues, during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, the Office of Constituent Affairs serviced approximately 2,500 requests from residents, assisted with 50 cases in coordination with the tenant advocate, oversaw 1,050 requests through the Hoboken 311 system, and sent over 6,000 emails on behalf of constituents. The office was re-opened by Mayor Bhalla and Ms. Caulfield in 2018 to better assist residents.

Statement from Mayor Bhalla opposing the elimination of the Office of Constituent Services:

“I’m proud of the incredible service our Office of Constituent Services has provided to our City during the COVID-19 pandemic. From assisting residents with unemployment claims, coordinating volunteers to serve thousands of meals to our seniors in self-isolation, and connecting tenants to the Hoboken Food Pantry for meals due to food insecurities, Caroline Caulfield and Migdalia Pagan Milano have been the heart and soul of Hoboken’s response to COVID-19. That’s why I’m extremely disappointed that the City Council is even considering a law to abolish this office, right in the middle of this national pandemic.

During a crisis, Hoboken residents reasonably expect politics to be put aside to do what is best to keep our residents safe. The City Councilmembers voicing support for this ordinance are not just playing politics with one of the most effective departments in City Hall, they’re undermining our frontline response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s unfortunate that any Councilmember would want to abolish an office serving vulnerable residents with critical services, at a time they need help the most.

I strongly urge the Councilmembers who voted in favor of this ordinance on first reading to put politics aside during this pandemic and remove the ordinance from consideration.”

On first reading, Councilmembers Mike DeFusco, Jen Giattino, Michael Russo, Ruben Ramos, Vanessa Falco, and Tiffanie Fisher voted in favor of the elimination of the office, while Councilmembers Jim Doyle, Emily Jabbour and Phil Cohen voted in opposition.

Attached are four letters of support (with last names and addresses redacted), out of dozens submitted, for the Office of Constituent Services that were requested to be submitted to the City Clerk for the record.

City Council ordinance to abolish engineering office and eliminate cost savings for Hoboken: 

On Wednesday, the Hoboken City Council will consider on second and final reading, an ordinance that would eliminate the Office of Engineering, which has achieved six-figure cost savings for Hoboken taxpayers and the City.

Statement from Mayor Bhalla opposing the elimination of the Office of Engineering:

“Kimberli Craft, a professional engineer, has single-handedly achieved for the City six figure cost savings, by overseeing critical projects in-house as opposed to contracting with outside engineering firms. The City Council’s ordinance to eliminate the office would force the City to expend more taxpayer dollars to hire much more expensive firms at a time we must be saving every dollar possible due to COVID-19. This is a nonsensical, politically motivated ordinance to target the very office that keeps projects including the Northwest Park, paving of our roads, and most recently, the business recovery plan supported by Councilman DeFusco, on track and moving forward. Any Councilmembers voting in favor of this ordinance are doing a disservice to Hoboken taxpayers and unnecessarily adding hundreds of thousands of dollars to the budget in an incredibly challenging fiscal year.”

The Office of the Business Administrator yesterday sent a letter to the City Councilmembers, highlighting the major cost savings the Office of Engineering has produced for the City, as well as the efficiencies that would be lost without the office. The office was created by Mayor Bhalla in 2018, with the support of the City Council, resulting in the hiring of Ms. Craft, who has overseen projects of every scope and size in Hoboken.

On first reading of the ordinance, Councilmembers Mike DeFusco, Jen Giattino, Michael Russo, Ruben Ramos, Vanessa Falco, and Tiffanie Fisher voted in favor of the elimination of the Engineering Office, while Councilmembers Jim Doyle, Emily Jabbour and Phil Cohen voted in opposition.