Hoboken411
MASON REJECTS HOBOKEN’S BLOATED BUDGET, SAYS IT HURTS TAXPAYERS HOBOKEN, NJ – After rejecting budget amendments that were long on facts and short on courage, City Councilwoman Beth Mason said at Wednesday’s city council meeting that the current budget would, “keep the people paying for the mistakes of the Robert’s administration.” “There was tremendous pressure to vote for the budget, but I have always put people before politics”, said Mason. “Leadership requires telling politicians that Hoboken is no longer the public feeding trough it has been in the past.” “Although it was the Robert’s Administration who under-funded the budget for years, this budget places the blame on the taxpayers. “ “Now that we have the facts, we cannot continue to ignore that spending is out of control.” Mason went on to say that, “What this budget failed to do was address any significant cuts to provide relief to the taxpayers at this unsettling time.” As Mayor, Mason said she will hire a forensic accounting team to examine the budget and identify places to cut costs. She also promises to lower the tax burden by making the tough decisions needed to tighten the belt on Hoboken’s bloated budget. After fighting for years to reveal the financial dishonesty in Hoboken, Mason voted against the budget last year in order to uncover the real numbers. Armed with the facts, Mason had hoped that the state monitor would have gone farther in fixing the damages caused by the Roberts Administration. During his tenure, the budget ballooned from $52 million to $123.8 million, much too large for a city the size of Hoboken, Mason believes. “I feel vindicated, but I am not satisfied,” Mason said. “I voted against the budget last year because I wanted to find the truth. I voted against the budget this year because I want to change the culture of Hoboken. Next year, as mayor I hope to present a transparent and responsible budget that is fair to the taxpayers.”
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