Hoboken Mayor Jabbour Says Tax Increase Unavoidable

Hoboken Mayor Emily Jabbour said Friday a tax increase is unavoidable in the city’s upcoming budget despite identifying more than $1 million in departmental spending cuts.

“Even with those cuts, a tax increase is still unavoidable,” Jabbour said in a video address to residents. “We’ve worked hard to keep that increase as low as possible without cutting the core services that people rely on every day.”

Jabbour said she directed all department directors to reduce spending and that the city has already identified over $1 million in cuts across departments. She said core services would not be reduced.

The mayor cited city growth as a driver of increased costs, noting Hoboken’s population has grown more than 20% since 2010, adding over 10,000 residents, while park space has grown by 29% and police calls have increased 17% since 2017.

Jabbour pushed back on calls for layoffs, saying the municipal workforce has decreased by 10% since 2010 while the population has grown.

“We are serving more residents with fewer people,” Jabbour said. “We are not overstaffed and we are not top-heavy.”

Jabbour said Hoboken still has one of the lowest tax rates in Hudson County and criticized budgeting practices under the previous administration. “For years, under the previous administration, the budgets were balanced in a way that was not sustainable,” she said. “Those days are over.”

Budget introduction dates and a budget address are expected to be announced next week.