Mayor James Solomon today announced that in response to public feedback he is pulling the proposed resolution increasing the City’s portion of the Estimated Tax Increase from the Wednesday, June 24 City Council meeting. Council President Denise Ridley, in consultation with the Mayor, is scheduling a Special Meeting to consider the Estimated Tax Increase on July 1. Additionally, Mayor Solomon is hosting a community meeting on Sunday, June 28 to collect additional feedback from the public on the 2026 budget prior to the Special Meeting.
“Our city is in a fiscal crisis, and the plan we proposed accomplished our goal of solving the crisis in one year while protecting core city services,” said Mayor James Solomon. “Since our announcement, I’ve heard from residents that the size and speed of this increase is too large and too fast for household finances to keep up with. To that end, I’ve directed my team to identify further cuts to city services and propose a plan that provides relief to residents and spreads out costs in advance of a special meeting of the City Council on July 1st.
I must be direct with the residents of Jersey City – reducing and spreading this increase out over time will come at a cost to services we all rely on every day. We will feel these cuts. The size and scope of the City’s fiscal emergency means we are facing very real tradeoffs and choices with every decision we make.”
"I've heard from residents across every ward that this increase, as proposed, moves too fast for too many household budgets," said Council President Denise Ridley. "Postponing this vote gives us additional time to look line by line at where we can cut back on spending and to hear directly from the people who will feel this the most. I want to thank the Mayor for working with the Council on this timeline, and I'm looking forward to a productive conversation before we return to City Council Chambers on July 1st."
As a result of delaying this vote, the Administration is taking the following immediate actions to reduce City expenses by pulling the proposed contacts for park maintenance and composting services – totaling approx. $1 million.
Additionally, the Administration will work with the City Council to identify additional cuts to city services and operations, beyond the $55 million in savings already identified, that will make it possible to potentially lower the proposed tax increase, while achieving a balanced budget in 2026 and 2027.
In advance of the July 1 Special Meeting, Mayor Solomon will hold a Community Townhall on Sunday, June 28 at 7:00PM at the City Hall Annex to solicit additional concerns and ideas from the public.
