In the last five years, the average property tax bill in Jersey City has increased by over 50% to more than $10,000 per household, with a significant additional increase coming this year. This is unacceptable, and hurts all of us whether we own our own home, or get hit with the increases through higher rents. How has this happened? Jersey City residents are paying a huge corruption tax. Developers have gotten long-term tax breaks in exchange for campaign contributions, politically connected contractors like our trash collector get paid handsomely while providing dismal service, and powerful politicians in Trenton have balanced the state budget by punishing Jersey City schools, slashing our state school aid by two-thirds. These developers, contractors, and politicians are the strongest supporters of Jim McGreevey’s campaign.
The current City Administration has also engaged in incompetent budgeting, setting the next Mayor up for significant fiscal challenges. They have borrowed heavily to cover short-term budget deficits, and used other gimmicks to get more revenue today at the expense of the future, including a $35 million sale of valuable city land this year alone. Jim McGreevey used similar practices extensively when he was Governor, resulting in multiple New Jersey debt downgrades and structural deficits that still contribute to higher property taxes for all of us 20 years later.
James Solomon has been a lone voice on the City Council fighting against these practices and waste and fraud, and working to raise more revenue without raising taxes. He has voted against every single budget the Administration has proposed, fought sweetheart deals for developers, and investigated and exposed clear malfeasance, like the million-dollar “boat payments” that some retiring local officials have illegally received. As Mayor, James will make sure the City lives within its means. He will stop the large tax increases and stabilize the budget, by imposing responsible budgeting and cracking down on waste, fighting for fair school funding, and making sure that developers pay their fair share. He will:
