Go to his website here for the issues: http://occhipintiforcouncil.com/issues
WHERE TIM OCCHIPINTI STANDS ON THE ISSUES
- Public Safety
- Parks
- Economic Development
- Community Pool
- Taxes and Budget
- Flooding
- Transportation
- County Taxes
- Recreation programs and fees
Public Safety
Our neighborhood is just a few blocks away from some of the most dangerous areas of Hudson County. Our proximity to this means southwest Hoboken has one of the highest crime rates in the city. It would be much higher with fewer police officers on the streets, yet fewer police is exactly what my opponent supports.
Currently our city plans to layoff 18 police officers. The layoff plan is based on Hoboken’s 2000 census (approx. 30,000 residents) rather than the almost 50,000 residents that the 2010 census is likely to show. This decision should not be made until after Hoboken’s census data is reviewed.
My opponent supports this plan claiming drastic cuts are necessary. Yet, on the same day this layoff plan was announced City Hall gave a 25% raise to the Mayor’s confidential aide and a 31% raise to the Mayor’s public relations aide. At a recent City Council meeting, the Business Administrator received a $15,000 raise, including retroactive pay, after only a few months on the job. This is wrong. Public safety should never be cut for the sake of political patronage.
As a result of these layoffs there will be fewer cops on the street and we will be less safe. Some of the facts about these cut are:
- Elimination of all foot patrols.
- Elimination of all police security from our schools
- Elimination of important police divisions such as the D.A.R.E. program, traffic bureau and investigative unit.
As Councilman I’ll fight to rescind the layoffs, increase the number of police on the street, and introduce a wage and hiring freeze for political jobs. Public safety should be the last thing cut, not the first. No resident of the 4th ward should have to fear for their safety walking our neighborhood streets at night. As your councilman I will put 4th ward public safety first.
Parks
Tim on new parks for the 4th Ward
The 4th Ward deserves a councilman who will fight to build a real park in OUR neighborhood. Three years ago, there was a lot of talk about building a park in the southwest part of town. Since then, there’s been no action at all. It’s another example of how the 4th ward has been used, abused and forgotten by the politicians who control Hoboken today. It’s time to change that. Here’s what I propose:
Get back to work on a plan to redevelop the Southwest
It takes money to build a park. Real money. To get that money the 4th ward needs an active and engaged councilman who will work with the community to secure grants and funding. Through redevelopment the city can engage developers to direct payments-in-lieu-of-taxes toward paying for the park we need. The time is now to get this done. In fact, it’s overdue.
The new park must serve children and seniors alike
Hoboken needs more recreational fields, and the kids of the southwest should not be forced to travel to the extreme north end of Hoboken to play, as the current city leadership is proposing. It’s time for more ball fields in our neighborhood. Our senior citizens also deserve a safe place to relax and enjoy. I’m proud to live in the most diverse ward in Hoboken, and I know we can build a park that can bring all of us together.
Tim’s opponent on parks
My opponent has always put politics ahead of parks, and his own personal enrichment ahead of the needs of the 4th ward. He never joined the effort to build a southwest park, and as councilman, he has put the needs of uptown residents first. Since being appointed he’s followed an agenda of expanding park space in the northwest part of town, and failed to do anything for the southwest.
We already have three Councilpersons-at-Large representing the city as a whole. We don’t need a fourth. What we need is a real advocate for 4th ward parks. With your support I will be that advocate!
Tim on Church Square Park
Because we have so few recreational options in our neighborhood, many 4th ward residents travel to other parts of the city to enjoy open space. Your taxes are supposed to be used to maintain city parks, which have fallen into disrepair. The budget keeps going up, but the condition of our parks is going down. Why?
Church Square Park is an example of this decline.
While the people calling the shots today direct millions of dollars in city parks funding uptown, Church Square Park is falling apart. Even the newest playground equipment is showing signs of serious wear and tear.
This isn’t just a recreational issue. It’s a safety issue.
Many 4th ward residents are forced to walk up to Church Square Park to enjoy time with their children, or a moment to reflect on a bench. It will take years to build the Southwest park we deserve, which makes it more important than ever to properly maintain the overused parks we have today.
The city has an annual budget of well over $100 million, but can’t seem to maintain our parks? That’s shameful. With your support I’ll make sure that the 4th ward’s concerns are represented.
Tim’s opponent on Church Square Park
My opponent was the architect of a flawed decision to exclude “maintenance” from the Open Space Tax referendum, making it legally impossible to use money from this tax to fix or replace old and dangerous equipment at Church Square Park.
Instead, my opponent has conspired with his uptown allies to sit on millions of dollars in Open Space Tax revenue for future use to buy land for parks in the northwest section of Hoboken. This is wrong. Southwest Hoboken residents actually put more money into the Open Space Tax accounts than our neighbors who stand to benefit from the creation of a new Northwest Park.
Many Northwest residents don’t even pay into the Open Space Trust Fund because their buildings are tax-exempt, yet they will be first to benefit from the Trust Fund? That’s wrong, and another example of how my opponent has failed to put the 4th ward first.
I need your help to bring our fair share of that park funding back downtown.
Economic Development
Tim on Southwest Redevelopment
In the past three years the 4th ward has gone from fighting a Southwest Redevelopment Plan with too many condos and not enough parks to doing absolutely nothing at all. This is unacceptable, and another example of how our neighborhood has no representation at City Hall. We need a redevelopment plan that attracts places for all of us to work, play and shop.
We need a smart plan that works for us!
We live at the southwest gateway of our great city, yet the first thing visitors see when they drive in are old, run-down industrial buildings. I’m proud of Hoboken, and I want to see it thrive. The economic downturn has given us a great opportunity to put together a smart plan for Southwest Redevelopment that includes the goals of the Master Plan and the SW6 Action Plan.
The time is now to plan for parks, shops, restaurants…
The final frontiers of neighborhood development in Hoboken are in the southwest and northwest areas.
Today the southwest has no representation at City Hall, so the northwest/Western Edge is getting all the attention. That’s wrong. It’s time to elect a real advocate for the 4th ward to represent us. With your support I will get the job done.
Tim’s opponent on Southwest Redevelopment
My opponent has supported the City Hall agenda to put Northwest redevelopment ahead of the Southwest. While a redevelopment plan for the Southwest is on hold, my opponent supports a fast-track strategy for the Western Edge redevelopment zone just below the 14th street viaduct.
Why isn’t planning for the southwest on a fast track? The answer is: politics. My opponent is allied with the 5th ward councilman and uptown Council President who are actively putting their agenda ahead of the needs of OUR neighborhood. My opponent has a record of putting politics and his personal enrichment before the needs of the 4th ward. We need a real advocate. I need your support, and together we can get it done.
Community Pool
Tim on Opening the Hoboken Swimming Pool
There is no better example of how the 4th ward is abused and neglected by the current administration than how the city swimming pool opened so late this year. Weeks and weeks of sweltering summer heat went by before the city would open the pool for our neighborhood kids to cool off.
I stood up and called on the city to open the pool, and City Hall refused. They had a limited schedule planned for the pool, and they were going to stick to it no matter how hot it got. While other pools across the county, and the country, opened up Memorial Day weekend, our city pool didn’t open until July 19th!
The city receives federal funding to operate the pool, yet still couldn’t open it before half the summer was over? That’s a shame, and I stood up to say so. Grant funding is available to open our pool so it’s there when school closes. With your support I will make certain Hoboken kids will have their pool all summer long.
My opponent on the Hoboken Pool
Once again my opponent was silent on the needs of Southwest Hoboken. He stood on the sidelines while the Mayor sent out her Director of Human Services to take the heat for this bad decision. While he could have joined me to call for this pool to open on a proper schedule, my opponent was silent. After all, he sees himself not as a 4th ward representative, but a city-wide political figure.
We have 3 Councilpersons-at-Large already. We don’t need a fourth. What we need is someone who will put the 4th ward FIRST. With your help I will make sure politics will not stand in the way of our neighborhood kids getting a chance to cool off next summer.
Taxes and Budget
Tim on City Taxes and The Budget
Hoboken is currently operating with a $20 million budget surplus. This is the result of City Hall over taxing residents for years. As Councilman, I will fight to return your fair share of this money to you in the form of property tax relief. I will also fight to cut the tax rate and put an end to City Hall overtaxing residents.
My opponent wants to keep your money. He has stated repeatedly that he does not believe Council member are elected to cut taxes. Instead of returning your money and cutting taxes, my opponent wants to use the money to build a slush fund and increase our City’s bonding capacity so he can borrow and spend even more money. Instead of worrying about your hard times, he’s worrying about City Hall’s credit score so he can borrow more budget-busting dollars.
This plan is counter productive to the philosophical and generational change underway in Hoboken. City Hall should not be using your money to give them a bigger credit card. In this current economic climate, City Hall should be planning to live within its means, not planning to drive our city into further unnecessary debt.
My opponent will claim your taxes will go down this quarter. The proof is on your tax bill. Take a look and compare it to previous quarters. Did it go up or down? If you didn’t appeal your tax assessment you will see a larger bill than before. City Hall wants you to believe their claims of tax cutting, but the reality is hitting you in your pocket.
My opponent doesn’t cut taxes, he cuts deals to get him on the public payroll. It’s time for an independent voice for the 4th ward who will focus on your needs, not his own.
Flooding
Tim on Flooding
Flooding is another 4th ward problem that never seems to go away. A storm water pumping station is now under construction at the foot of Washington Street, but engineering reports say one pump won’t be enough to deal with the flooding. The current occupant of the Mayor’s office originally opposed this North Hudson Sewerage Authority (NHSA) plan, but now wants to take credit for it.
Once we can all actually see for ourselves how effective one pump will be, more infrastructure grant funding may be needed to build additional pumps. In the meantime, more must be done to ensure all new construction in Hoboken has a greater-than-required system for storm water management.
This can be as simple as installing invisible water retaining structures in rear yards of new construction, or as complicated as large underground storm water tanks in larger buildings planned for redevelopment areas. Pumps alone will not fix the problem.
We also need to make sure the NHSA is properly maintaining the catch basins in our streets. We shouldn’t see them so full of gunk and trash that weeds can grow out of them. It’s time they step up and put together a more aggressive action plan to keep our drains clear.
We also need a cohesive city strategy to call our Public Safety and Emergency Management teams into action when flooding strikes. Response today is ad-hoc, at best, and needs to operate more smoothly for the health and welfare of the 4th ward.
My opponent on Flooding
My opponent’s only contribution to fixing the flooding problem was to leave his Hudson County patronage job long enough to pose for a groundbreaking photo-op (with shovel in hand) at the site of the new pump station.
Speaking of patronage, my opponent cast the key vote to place his Campaign Strategist on the board of the North Hudson Sewerage Authority, complete with a $5000 stipend and medical benefits. The appointment made my opponent’s ally a dual office holder, since he also serves on the Hoboken Zoning Board of Adjustment.
I will make certain the NHSA works for the people of the 4th ward, but I need your help and support to make sure qualified representatives are appointed to serve us.
Transportation
Tim on Transportation/Buses/Vans/Light Rail
Southwest Hoboken is the most under-served part of the city when it comes to bus service. Several condo associations spend thousands of dollars a year on shuttle vans to make up for the discrepancy. NJTransit still uses a 1970s-era bus service plan for a 21st Century Hoboken.
NJTransit buses that serve Washington Street and Willow/Clinton are not enough to serve the growing number of commuters in Southwest Hoboken. I am calling on NJTransit to immediately study the potential of bus service to New York in our neighborhood.
The re-packaged “HOP” service operated by the city is a double loser. It doesn’t serve residents well and it loses money. Senior Citizens are particularly affected by the arbitrary changes to the city’s Senior Shuttle that now force them to take multiple shuttle trips for what used to take just one for decades. This is wrong, and must be fixed.
The same Transportation Director who fouled up the Senior Shuttle recently attempted to add thousands of dollars in new fees onto the shoulders of 4th ward condo owners. If he has his way, a new layer of expensive regulation will be placed on the SkyClub, Skyline, Hoboken Grande, and all other condos with shuttle vans. This is the same Director who insists “Corner Cars” should take street parking from the public instead of being stored in parking garages for customer use. Another misguided decision!
I stood up to oppose NJTransit’s baffling vote to end Light Rail service to Hoboken Terminal from the 2nd and 9th street stations on weekends. City Hall was given notice of the changes, but did nothing to speak out to stop them before or since they took effect. I will work to restore this service.
My opponent on the Transportation/Buses/Vans/Light Rail
My opponent supports Corner Cars on the street, did nothing to stop the cancellation of Light Rail Service, and supported the increased fees on condo association vans before others stepped up to oppose it. He has been silent on increased bus service and supported the cancellation of the Senior Shuttle.
My opponent’s chief transportation concern is driving himself to his Hudson County patronage job in Secaucus. We need a 4th ward councilman who will work for us, and with your support we will have one!
County taxes
Tim on County Taxes, and the fleecing of Hoboken
Recently the state introduced a new funding formula to calculate a municipality’s county tax rate. This formula caused Hoboken to take a tremendous hit in County taxes and resulted in a $6 million county tax increase.
Now our City will pay nearly $46 million dollars to Hudson County this year. Hoboken is only one square mile. We are one of 12 municipalities in Hudson County and represent 6% the County’s 600,000-plus total population. Yet, we pay 17% of the overall county tax levy!
Quite simply this is wrong, but my opponent has remained silent about our backbreaking county tax increase. Why? Because he holds a patronage job in County government. In 2007 this position was created just for him after he supported the County Administration’s candidates in an election. Politics as usual.
Last year my opponent received a 4% raise and now he is waiving the medical benefits that come with his full-time county position. Why? Instead, he takes the medical benefits that come with his part-time City Council position. It’s a perfect example of the perks of dual office holders. It’s what good government groups and editorial boards across the state have been calling for an end to.
However, it’s just one of the many built in conflicts of interest that come with my opponent’s county patronage job. As Councilman I’ll stand up for you. I work in the private sector and won’t be beholden to any bosses in county government, like my opponent is. I’ll fight for our fair share of funding for county road improvements and Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund money, because I will be working for YOU, not the County.
The time is now for a 4th ward councilman who represents the 4th ward FIRST, not the political bosses and his own wallet.
Recreation Programs and Fees
Tim on Recreation Programs and Fees
Several months ago the City Council voted to institute a recreation fee of $25 per child per activity. This fee makes no exception for children that come from low-income families. As a result fewer children are enrolling in recreation programs. Now City Hall set an enrollment quota and is canceling programs when this arbitrary quota is not met.
My opponent calls this reform. I call it what it really is, just another hidden tax from City Hall. Our ward is the most diverse in the entire city, particularly when it comes to income levels. Every child deserves a fair shot for a better tomorrow regardless of his or her economic status. This hidden recreation tax is prejudicial to those who can’t afford to participate. This is wrong.
As your City Councilman I’ll fight to make sure every child has a fair share to compete, eliminate the hidden recreation tax, and put an end to recreation program quotas.
My Comment: There are some factual errors IMHO in some of Tim's assertions as well as one that is out of date (police layoff plan) but for now I will leave it to the reader to comment below on the most obvious ones. It should be duly noted that political corruption is not one of his issues. Interesting given that he supported felon Peter Cammarano. I would think he would have an way of dealing with that endorsement rather than just blowing it off but perhaps that is his way of dealing with this important issue.
According to Mike Lenz's campaign manager Sam Briggs the website for Mike Lenz will be launched shortly within the next few days. I will publish Mike Lenz's issue statements as well when they are available. ◦
