Month After Re-Election Win, Hoboken City Council Gives Itself Large Raises

HOBOKEN, NJ — Just a month after two members of the Hoboken City Council were re-elected on Mayor Ravi Bhalla's ticket, the council voted on Dec. 1 to approve raises ranging from 68 percent to 74 percent for all nine members. And this coming Wednesday night, the council is scheduled to take a final vote on allow them to get larger campaign donations if they run for local office again.

On Dec. 1, the council voted at a virtual meeting (with several frustrated residents turned away from City Hall) to raise the salary of the city council president — a part-time job that offers health benefits — from $26,541 to $40,000 early next year.

The council also voted to create a new position of City Council vice president, who'd earn $37,500, up from $24,130 for a regular member. Other members, who earn $24,130, will now earn $35,000 each.

The council also voted to increase salary ranges for several department directors and whoever succeeds Bhalla in the future as mayor.

Last month, city spokesperson Marilyn Baer explained about the new salary ordinance, "It was drafted to ensure the city remains competitive in attracting and retaining talented employees, as over the last few years several high-caliber directors have left the employ of the city after receiving higher paying job offers."

Bhalla currently earns $116,950 as a full-time mayor in Hoboken. The next mayor's salary would be $130,000.

Several past mayors of Hoboken have had another significant source of income while they worked full-time as mayor. Bhalla took an "of counsel" role at a law firm after his election for $60,000 per year.

Members of the public have complained about the raises, but couldn't do so directly at the last meeting, as City Hall is still closed to the public (except by appointment) until early next year — something residents also have complained about.

Paul Presinzano, a longtime Hoboken resident who ran unsuccessfully for council last month as an independent, was among those who went to City Hall two weeks ago to attend the meeting.

He said this week that he believes it was unfair to give large raises to officials after laying off city workers during the pandemic.

"The rank and file needs to get paid," he said. "They haven't had a contract in years. The only way to run a workplace is by setting examples."

City Hall announced last week that starting in 2022, the public may attend council meetings in person or via Zoom.

Large Campaign Donations

Meanwhile, at this coming Wednesday's meeting, the council will take a final vote to increase the amount that unions can donate to each local candidate — from a $500 cap to $7,200. The state allows donations that large, but city officials voted years ago to reduce the amount in order to lessen outside influences on government.

The potential change has not sat well with some residents and with critics of Bhalla, who won re-election last month with no opposition (except write-in votes) and a war chest of over $200,000 in donations.

Critics say that such a change would favor incumbents, who can make moves to satisfy unions in order to get future donations.

'The Most Important Email I Will Ever Write'

Hoboken Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher sent out an email to constituents on Monday about the potential change, calling her message "The most important email I will ever write to Hoboken residents."

She wrote, "Since 2004, thousands of Hoboken residents, [former] Mayor Zimmer and many other elected officials and community leaders worked tirelessly on reform legislation to rid corruption, outside interests and big money from Hoboken’s elections."

Fisher added, "If passed, the specific legislation would repeal a portion of Mayor Zimmer’s 2011 Campaign Finance Reform laws (aka Pay-to-Play) allowing primarily incumbent elected officials to access outsized campaign contributions from labor union PACs (political action committees)."

Influential unions have been criticized in the past for funding "smear flyers" in Hoboken elections.

Presinzano said this week that it didn't seem right to increase donation amounts from one kind of group and not others.

In fact, the mayor's allies on the council themselves have criticized colleague (and sometime Bhalla critic) Michael DeFusco for taking donations in excess of the limit from groups.

Wednesday afternoon, Councilman Phil Cohen, a Bhalla ally, sent a letter to DeFusco, saying he should recuse himself from the Wednesday night vote because of those past donations. Cohen made reference to a past suit against DeFusco.

And in his newsletter sent to constituents on Tuesday, Cohen said that since candidates can take larger donations with seemingly no reprisal, it's only fair to level the playing field.

Cohen wrote, "Hoboken’s current 'campaign finance reform' ordinance stands alone in New Jersey as the only municipality preventing unions from making donations to candidates up to the state’s legal limit, while rewarding candidates who ignore our local limits with no consequence. We should follow the independent legal opinion and advice given by the city, level the playing field for everyone, and not accept that only some candidates need to follow local campaign finance rules governing union contributions."

A legal opinion given to the city in 2019 said that the low local limit is likely unenforceable.

Cohen added, "If we had a level playing field ... then all Hoboken candidates would have the opportunity to champion pro-labor policies and equally compete for union support. "

City ordinances take effect 20 days after the final vote, unless there is a vote to repeal or amend them.

How To Watch The Meeting

Wednesday's meeting will be held virtually at 7 p.m. The agenda packet (linked here) has full details on how to attend virtually and participate, or you can watch it on Facebook with this link.

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