Update from Ravi Bhalla - Hoboken City Councilman at LargeHere is an email from Ravi Bhalla on the State Finance Board meeting last week and a call for civility during City Council Meetings.....
Dear Friends,
On Wednesday, I accompanied Mayor Dawn Zimmer and Councilman Peter Cunningham to Trenton, NJ for a hearing before the Local Finance Board. For the past year, the City of Hoboken's finances have been under State supervision. The purpose of the hearing was to determine whether Hoboken should remain under State supervision. Mayor Zimmer presented Hoboken's case before the Board.
Our trip was very successful. The Local Finance Board, while determining that supervision remains appropriate at this time, agreed to reconsider its position in the future and allow Hoboken to petition the Board for relief from supervision upon the satisfaction of certain criteria, such as the passing of a fiscally sound budget. Notably, the Board's Chairperson, Susan Jacobucci, also stated that while Hoboken is "on the right track," she watched last week's City Council meeting online and expressed strong concern about the lack of civility at the meeting.
As pleased as I am by Ms. Jacobucci's confidence that we are on our way to fiscal stability, I am saddened to agree with her perception of last week's City Council meeting. Not only was there a lack of decorum by some residents in attendance, unfortunately some of my own Council colleagues behaved no better. Council Members are public representatives and should be held to a higher standard of decorum. When Council Members speak out of turn, interrupt their colleagues, raise their voice, or act in an intimidating manner, this not only lessens the quality of discourse, but also sends the wrong message to the public - a message that unfortunately resonated all the way to the Local Finance Board in Trenton.
I attend Council meeting for the purpose of conducting the business of the City. We were elected to govern during these meetings, not play politics. As Council Members, we should behave in a civil and professional manner. Only by working together and respecting each other's opinions can we finally move forward and leave the divisiveness of the past behind. The public deserves no less.
Thank you very much, and let's get back to work!
Sincerely,
Ravi S. Bhalla
Councilman-at-Large ◦
