OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Newark Municipal Council Meeting - December 17, 2025

Municipal Council — Wednesday, December 17, 2025
BodyNewark, New Jersey
SessionMunicipal Council
DateWednesday, December 17, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 4:16:41

Transcript — Verbatim
1:01

Good evening.

1:02

Welcome to the regular meeting of the Newark Municipal Council on Wednesday, December seventeenth.

1:08

Please stand for the National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance Allegiance, and Invocation by Bishop Kevin E.

1:14

Taylor.

3:46

We thank you to be gathered in the greatest city and the greatest state on the map.

3:51

We ask right now, Lord God, that you would bless the walk and the works of these servants called North and South, East and West, Central and At large, to be of service as servants to the citizens of the great city of Newark.

4:05

Bless Lord God every pledge and every program, bless the walks and the works of everyone who comes to speak before them today with conviction, with purpose, with power, with intention, with the duty of citizenry.

4:17

Bless this meeting tonight and all the works that will be brought forth.

4:20

Bless all that will be achieved and all that will be brought to the table.

4:41

Bless this council, bless these citizens, bless our mayor, bless this great city.

4:47

Keep cover and comfort us, and we'll be sure indeed and in doing to give you all praise.

5:00

We keep on trusting, for your word is true.

5:01

You've already done what you said you would do.

5:03

We say our shave, that means there's power in the blood.

5:06

Amen.

5:07

And so it is.

5:36

Council members, Bay.

5:38

President Council.

5:40

Present.

5:41

Gonzalez.

5:42

Present.

5:43

Kelly.

5:43

Here.

5:44

Donna.

5:47

Ramos.

5:48

Here.

5:49

Got round tree.

5:50

President.

5:52

Here.

5:52

President.

5:53

Present.

5:54

Council President, Council members.

5:56

We're in the hearing of citizens portion of this meeting, where each speaker will have five minutes to speak.

6:03

Your name is called.

6:03

Please approach the podium and address the council members.

6:06

The first speaker is Alif Mohammed.

6:09

Present.

6:10

Appearing.

6:16

Sorry.

6:16

It's two.

6:41

Good evening.

6:43

Alif Mohammed Core Towers.

6:46

Alif Mohammed, the president and founder of Alif Mohammed Near School at Silaam Olaykum.

6:52

I'm gonna start off and talking about the movie studio.

6:58

You know that that was originally Seth Borden projects.

7:03

And it's owned by the Housing Authority.

7:07

And at that time, when it came up, I was the I was on the House Authorities Commissioner.

7:14

Pat, you was not on, you're not a commissioner then, so we can't hold this against you.

7:19

Um Victor brought the idea to me, Safeli, I said, Oh, what a great idea.

7:25

But then the more I got into the housing authority, and I seen our list of 10,000 people, I said, Wow, we're getting rid of, we need we're not in the uh job business, we're in the housing business.

7:37

And the first thing I want to talk about is it started off, as you see right here, it says request for qualification, RFQ.

7:45

And this was for the movies, but it was also the component of having uh rentals, apartments, commercial, and uh residential.

7:59

And what happened, we had a vendor that won the RFQ, and he was the I'm not gonna say his name.

8:07

He's the one that was Shaq build the movies and build rector street, and and now is on Mulberry Street, he's a good builder.

8:14

And the problem was he didn't want after he had won the F the the bid after he had won the bid, he didn't want to build residential, I mean he didn't want to build commercial and residential, and Victor came up and said, We're gonna cross that out.

8:35

So I say, wait a minute, how you gonna put an RFQ out for something now?

8:39

You're gonna cross it out.

8:41

So they said, Well, he don't want to do it, so you can't do that because nobody else did it because nobody other developers wanted to do a res they didn't want to do commercial, so they cross it out, and I say, Hey, you can't do that.

8:54

You gotta go back and redo it.

8:55

It's not fair because if it would have been other people, uh, if it's residential, it'd have been other people.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing███████████████████19%
Procedural█████████████13%
Public Engagement███████████11%
Economic Development██████████10%
Community Engagement█████████9%
Environmental Protection███████7%
Public Safety██████6%
Homelessness█████5%
Miscellaneous█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Newark Municipal Council Meeting - December 17, 2025

The Newark Municipal Council convened to address a series of contentious public matters, including a high volume of complaints regarding housing affordability, tax abatements, and municipal corruption. The meeting was characterized by intense public testimony regarding the city's budget deficits, police conduct, and environmental concerns, alongside the formal approval of multiple ordinances related to urban renewal and funding.

Consent Calendar

  • Ordinances and Contracts: The Council adopted resolutions authorizing the transfer of property, accepting land donations from the Housing Authority for Riverfront Park, and approving temporary emergency appropriations for the 2026 operating budget and debt improvements. Several professional service contracts for legal, engineering, and supply services were also adopted.
  • Deferrals: The Council deferred several tax abatement ordinances (Items 6P SFA through C) pending further review or clarification from the administration.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Alif Mohammed: Expressed opposition to the removal of residential and commercial components from the former movie studio project, questioning the fairness of the bidding process and the reduction of apartment counts from an original request of 400. Later, he offered mixed support for specific senior housing abatements but maintained a defensive position regarding his past interactions with the current administration.
  • Deborah Salters: Expressed strong opposition to the current administrative handling of elevators, calling for an executive session to be opened. She publicly criticized Sergeant DeCampos, stating her position that he should be "demoted and retrained" for his refusal to take a burglary report. She also voiced concern regarding the absence of Councilmember Silva and accused the Council of hypocrisy regarding property dealings with LM LLC and excessive tax abatements for developers.
  • Vikira Bradley: Stated in favor of public health initiatives for homelessness, summarizing the mission of "Restoring Hope Norfolk, Inc." to provide street outreach, harm reduction, and treatment connections, requesting a $100,000 investment to launch the program.
  • Linda McDonald Carter: Expressed strong criticism regarding the allocation of city funds to corporate capitalists via tax abatements, labeling the exclusion of working poor and legacy taxpayers as an act of "white supremacy" that extracts resources at the detriment of long-term residents.
  • Shakir McDougall: Argued for real solutions to school safety, mental health investment, and strict local emission standards for the proposed fossil fuel plant. He later expressed intense frustration regarding the city's budget deficit, police data accuracy, and the conduct of Mayor Baraka's transition team, stating his position that the administration is mismanaging funds and manipulating crime statistics.
  • Erica Beverett & Almond Proctor: Expressed full support for the proposed "Newark Fossil Free Future Ordinance," citing public health risks, asthma rates among children, and the need to prevent new fossil fuel facilities to ensure environmental justice.
  • Donna Jackson: Expressed vehement opposition to the administration, accusing them of budget manipulation, corruption, and failing seniors in Housing Authority buildings. She specifically called for the jail of officials and stated her position that the city is "broken on purpose" due to illegal evictions and slum landlord negligence.
  • Caesar Adams: Announced his candidacy for Central Ward Council 2026. He expressed strong opposition to the current stagnant council and leadership, demanding real economic investment, justice for renters, and an end to "rubber stamp" governance.
  • Nadera Brown: Expressed frustration regarding the lack of follow-up and constituent communication from her ward representative, stating that residents are tired of being ignored and demanding dialogue over adversarial posturing.
  • Louis Shockley: Expressed strong opposition to the current administration and tax abatement policies, stating his position that the city must be "rebuilt." He announced his candidacy for Mayor, demanding an end to tax abatements and accountability for slumlords.
  • Miriam Day: Expressed concern regarding the mistreatment of seniors, slumlord negligence, and inadequate shelter monitoring, stating her position that accountability is missing for landlords who allow老鼠 and sewage issues to persist.
  • Reginald Turner: Described his personal struggle with housing instability and EBT discrepancies, stating his position that he is being scammed by the housing authority regarding Social Security benefits and threatened with eviction despite paying rent.
  • Pamela McElvin: Expressed concern regarding the lack of pedestrian safety on South Orange Avenue and Grove Street, noting dangerous conditions for children navigating school zones and dark streets.
  • Jacqueline Peoples: Criticized the administration's handling of developer incentives, specifically the payment for trash removal, stating her position that this is insulting to residents and a misuse of taxpayer funds.
  • Cassandra Doc: Expressed sharp criticism towards Councilmembers and the administration regarding transparency, housing vouchers, and the use of legislative immunity. She repeatedly demanded explanations for why housing vouchers were expired for vulnerable tenants and accused officials of bias.
  • Alif Mohammed (Recurring): Chaired a heated exchange regarding the use of the word "hostage" and the accuracy of homicide statistics, maintaining a defensive position regarding his own past statements and accusing council members of manipulating data.
  • Shakir McDougall (Recurring): Accused the Deputy Mayor and Council of using misleading terms regarding developers and crime, demanding apologies for mischaracterizing public statements.
  • Other Attendees: Multiple speakers condemned the 30-year tax abatement extensions, labeling them as "corrupt" and insufficient for the local workforce, while others praised specific senior building renovations.

Discussion Items

  • Housing & Tax Abatements: The Council debated multiple ordinances granting 30-year tax abatements to developers (Crown Village, South Orange Avenue, Casamia Apartments, 1213-1221 Broad St). Public testimony overwhelmingly argued that "affordable" definitions (50%-80% AMI) are disconnected from local wages, with many stating their position that these projects price out local workers.
  • Fossil Fuel Ordinance: The Council advanced a motion to first reading for an ordinance prohibiting new or expanded fossil fuel facilities in Newark, citing cumulative environmental impact and public health concerns.
  • CPACE Program: The Council debated the Garden State CPACE program. The Deputy Mayor explained it as a financing tool for sustainable development, while residents argued for lack of transparency and questioned eligibility for seniors and homeowners.
  • Housing Authority Land Donation: A discussion ensued regarding the donation of land from the Housing Authority to the City for Riverfront Park. Councilmember Chake Coulter expressed opposition to the lack of a capital transaction charge, stating his position that the City should receive market value for public assets.
  • Elevator Safety: Councilman Quintana called for a meeting to investigate the shortage of elevator inspectors and the impact on residents. Councilwoman Scott Roundtree expressed support for the initiative.
  • Budget & Finance: Business Administrator Eric Pennington defended the temporary budget appropriations and crime statistics, stating his position that the data reported by the Police Department is accurate and that misstatements by the public were unfortunate but factually corrected.

Key Outcomes

  • Adoption of Ordinances: The Council voted YES on ordinances granting tax abatements to Crown Village, Casamia Apartments, and others, as well as the adoption of temporary 2026 budget appropriations (Resolutions 7R1A/B).
  • Deferrals: The motion to defer tax abatement ordinances (6P SFA-C) passed, citing the need for further clarification from the administration.
  • Motion to Defer Specific Resolution: Resolution 7R2A was deferred following a discrepancy in the price list ($18 vs $15), requiring a reconsideration of the price.
  • First Readings: The Council advanced the Fossil Fuel Ordinance and the transfer of property to Mantana Global Care to first reading.
  • Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned following holiday announcements and a vote of thanks, with the Council scheduling a follow-up on elevator inspections and planning a public hearing for the Fossil Fuel Ordinance on January 7, 2026.
  • Announcements: Council members announced holiday events, including toy drives, the "Three Kings" event, and community wellness fairs, alongside condolences for a local tragedy involving the Waith family.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. Welcome to the regular meeting of the Newark Municipal Council on Wednesday, December seventeenth. Please stand for the National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance Allegiance, and Invocation by Bishop Kevin E. Taylor. We thank you to be gathered in the greatest city and the greatest state on the map. We ask right now, Lord God, that you would bless the walk and the works of these servants called North and South, East and West, Central and At large, to be of service as servants to the citizens of the great city of Newark. Bless Lord God every pledge and every program, bless the walks and the works of everyone who comes to speak before them today with conviction, with purpose, with power, with intention, with the duty of citizenry. Bless this meeting tonight and all the works that will be brought forth. Bless all that will be achieved and all that will be brought to the table. Bless this council, bless these citizens, bless our mayor, bless this great city. Keep cover and comfort us, and we'll be sure indeed and in doing to give you all praise. We keep on trusting, for your word is true. You've already done what you said you would do. We say our shave, that means there's power in the blood. Amen. And so it is. Council members, Bay. President Council. Present. Gonzalez. Present. Kelly. Here. Donna. Ramos. Here. Got round tree. President. Here. President. Present. Council President, Council members. We're in the hearing of citizens portion of this meeting, where each speaker will have five minutes to speak. Your name is called. Please approach the podium and address the council members. The first speaker is Alif Mohammed. Present. Appearing. Sorry. It's two. Good evening. Alif Mohammed Core Towers. Alif Mohammed, the president and founder of Alif Mohammed Near School at Silaam Olaykum. I'm gonna start off and talking about the movie studio. You know that that was originally Seth Borden projects. And it's owned by the Housing Authority. And at that time, when it came up, I was the I was on the House Authorities Commissioner. Pat, you was not on, you're not a commissioner then, so we can't hold this against you. Um Victor brought the idea to me, Safeli, I said, Oh, what a great idea. But then the more I got into the housing authority, and I seen our list of 10,000 people, I said, Wow, we're getting rid of, we need we're not in the uh job business, we're in the housing business.

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