“UNACCEPTABLE:” COUNCILMEMBER JAMES SOLOMON’S STATEMENT ON 2022 BUDGET

JERSEY CITY, NJ—Today, after voting no on the City’s 2022 fiscal year budget, Councilmember James Solomon released the following statement:

“This budget is unacceptable. It raises taxes while slashing critical programs, and it is months overdue—a clear indication of the failure of this entire process.

“Let’s be clear about the situation we’re in. First, we’re voting on the 2022 budget at the end of the year, meaning we’ve already failed at the most basic responsibility at City Hall: making sure we’re getting things done on time.

“Second, the budget slashes critical programs, including nonviolent community crisis response and city planning, while still increasing taxes on working families—and the problem is set to get worse the next time we vote on the budget. This year’s budget is patched together with $70M in one-time revenue from the American Rescue Plan that will no longer exist next year, which means that working families will be on the hook for that shortfall the next time we convene for the budget unless we change course.

“My commitment is to hold this administration accountable and ensure the basic principles of good government. In voting “no” on this budget, I am upholding that commitment and demanding better from City Hall, whose number one priority should be easing the burden on Jersey City families. We cannot afford this budget, and we cannot afford to continue allowing working families to pay for our government’s mismanagement.”