Update From Peter Cunningham 5th Ward Councilman Hoboken NJ Date:1/10/09.

1. Email from Peter Cunningham 5th Ward Councilman
Sent Saturday January 10th, 2009
First, I would like to clarify next week's JOB SEARCH WORKSHOP event. It's
TUESDAY January 13th, not Wednesday.
On the budget front, there have been quite a few retirements and cut backs in services.
Some of which you may have seen. For instance, we have the Hospitality Association
responsible for their own recycling on weekends and holidays which will save the
city $380,000 per year by the City eliminating the service. To set the record
straight, Russo is taking exclusive claim for this measure when it was me and Rubin
Ramos that suggested and honed the legislation then convinced other members that
this was the most appropriate way to go. Russo actually supported the Administration's
idea to charge the restaurants and bars for the pick-up based on some crazy formula.
The legislation is finally in effect.
We also received new this week that the cross town bus service has been eliminated.
This will be effective February 1st, with an annual savings of approximately $260,000.
I am trying to get our dysfunctional finance committee to meet this week with the
Administration regarding status updates with the Audit...where there is expected to be
numerous findings costing the city lots of $$$; the 1009 budget and 1010 budget
process...where additional cuts can be considered and implemented to realize annual
savings; meet the new Finance Director...Nick Tresante, from Highland Park. The
Donahue firm of Bayonne (formerly the outsourced finance department) is finally gone,
and should have been gone a long, long time ago.
It is important to recognize that while this tax increase has been very painful for all of us
at the most inopportune time, if it were not for the appointment of the Fiscal Monitor,
whether we like it or not, we would not have an independent apolitical auditing firm
reviewing operations, firing of our Finance Department or cut/layoffs like we now
have today...and that's goes without saying $10 million in over expenditures in one
fiscal year. But we all know we have much more to accomplish, but it's a start.
A couple of other things and I'll let you go.
Special Counsel for Labor Negotiations RFQ has been issued. I am confident that we
will hire a firm that will be fair to all parties. More to come on that front as our collective
bargaining agreements are a major part of our budget.

2. And finally we need to recognize the efforts of Toni Tomarrazzo and Donna
Antonucci. They are probably going to be upset with me for singling them out, but the
time and effort they have thus far put into the PILOTs of the City has been invaluable.
And despite the unfortunate negative spin by some members of the community, they
may have saved hundreds of affordable housing units in Hoboken from going to market,
with a continued effort which will no doubt result in the City moving more towards taxing
equality with these properties. More to come on this front as it will be a very hot subject
over the next couple of weeks/months.
As usual, please let me know your thoughts...and pass this along to your friends with an
interest.
Thanks, Peter
quot;I think we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites
living on the labor of the industrious.quot;
--Thomas Jefferson, letter to Thomas Cooper, 29 November 1802