The Newark Municipal Council held a special meeting on June 25, 2024, at 10:00 AM in the Council Chamber. The meeting included public hearings on tax abatements, the introduction of the 2024 annual municipal budget, and several added starters, including a prescription benefits contract and a presentation on booting enforcement. Public comment was extensive, with residents expressing concerns about tax abatements, housing conditions, and city processes.
Good morning. Welcome to the special meeting of the Newark Municipal Council on Tuesday, June 25th, 2022. In accordance with New Jersey law, adequate notice of this meeting has been provided to the Star Ledger, the Jersey Journal, and the public at large, establishing the date, time, and location of this meeting. In addition, the agenda for this meeting was disseminated on June 21st, 2024 at the time of preparation and posted on the website of the City of Norway. Roll call, please. Council. Absent. Crump. Present. Gonzalez. Present. Kelly. Kitana. Ray Mos. Here. Scott Roundtree. Present. Silver absent. President MacGyver. Present. Good morning, Council President, Council members. We have a presentation and an agenda. Um, Council President, is your pleasure to go through the agenda first? Yes. Okay. We are on page three of the agenda. Item six ordinances for public hearing, second reading, and final passage. Is an ordinance granting a 25-year tax abatement to NMA owners, urban renewal LLC for a project to construct approximately 200 market rate residential rental units and 50 affordable housing rental units in the central ward. Is there anyone present wishing to be heard on this ordinance? Lisa Parker. Why do you continue to give these developments 25-year tax abatement? You have a prime example of the Halo building over there. They ran out of funding. You didn't get a project labor agreement. There's all non-union workers. There's been four incidents in the Halo building for public safety, three of which flying debris came off of the ceiling, and uh one a circular saw. And the in the Halo building is not living up to their obligation. They ran out of money. You continue, you gave them a 30-year tax abatement. At the same time, you're increasing the taxes on property owners with no justification when you didn't last year give tax credit that you were supposed to when you submitted your budget. We got no relief, and now you're turning around and giving property owners 15% tax increase. The rates may have changed. Uh big abatement or not a tax abatement. At the end of the day, you're putting the taxes on to the residents that live here. These people don't vote here, they don't live here, they don't pay taxes here, nor do they contribute to the border ed or anything else when you give them tax abatements. So how you got a big rat out there, no project labor agreements, and yet every time we come here, you're giving away tax abatements like they're jelly beans and no relief for the property owners that establish communities here. So somebody better get up here and explain today how you continue to justify giving these tax abatements when these developers don't live up to their obligation of even hiring people to give them a living wage and health benefits. How can that be? Nothing in you T T I N, but a bunch of crap from this council. If you gave the kids of Norw and the residents of Norwork just as much concern as you give tax abatements to these developers that don't vote you in, that don't come to your community meetings, that don't even engage the residents.