Newark Municipal Council Regular Meeting – February 18, 2026
Newark Municipal Council Regular Meeting – February 18, 2026
The Newark Municipal Council held its regular meeting on February 18, 2026, beginning at 6:32 PM in the Council Chamber at City Hall. The meeting addressed a wide range of fiscal, development, and public safety matters, including the adoption of a $30.1 million refunding bond ordinance, a cap ordinance allowing a 3.5% appropriation increase, a 17-year tax abatement extension for an affordable housing project, and a five-year lease with Newark Beth Israel Medical Center to establish a food pharmacy. Public comment was extensive and impassioned, with residents raising concerns about snow removal, budget deficits, tax abatements, police conduct, homeless shelter conditions, child care funding, and senior services.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Debra Salters questioned the $30.1 million refunding bond (6PSF-a), asking if it was the borrowing referenced by the mayor and demanding transparency on how funds would be used.
- Cassandra Dock criticized the city's financial management, stating the council was “bonding off the city assets” and called the situation “treason.” She also urged collection of debts from corporations and developers.
- Lamont Vaughn called for the council to demand the release of police footage in the Wally Bay shooting and for the officer to be suspended without pay. He also criticized the council’s response to his earlier comments about icy sidewalks.
- Shakeal Moore described being mocked by a shelter director during a January 23 meeting and urged officials to treat homeless individuals with dignity and respect.
- George Tillman Jr. presented data estimating that failure to enforce local hiring ordinances had resulted in a loss of 1,500–2,000 jobs per year and hundreds of millions in annual household income, and called for independent compliance oversight.
- Donna Jackson alleged the city is $11 million in debt, criticized the mayor’s office budget ( $3.5 million in salaries, $4.9 million in other expenses), and demanded the return of campaign funds to cover city needs. She also raised concerns about police stops and the cost of youth sports.
- Nadirah Brown questioned the timing of the child care resolution (7R8-a) and expressed frustration over lack of council responsiveness.
- Lamont Vaughn also highlighted a 75-year-old homeless woman in the audience and urged immediate assistance.
- Felicia Alston Singleton thanked Councilman Kelly for responding to a mold issue at 658 Sanford Avenue, noting tenants were temporarily housed.
- Muta El-Amin argued for honoring the Freedmen’s Flag during Black History Month as distinct from the Pan-African flag, cautioning against cultural erasure.
- Laura Penafiel (via minutes) supported the NJ Child Care Assistance Program resolution, sharing a story of a mother who lost her job and home while unable to afford childcare.
- Maryam Bey raised issues at 1060 Kenneth Gibson Boulevard (heat, roaches, mice) and asked about removal of handicap parking signs.
- Anne Ndiaye criticized snow plowing on her street, noting it took until Thursday to get service despite prior notification.
- Che Colter called for municipal language translation, stronger workforce development, and acknowledgment of enslaved people’s remains under city developments.
- Latoya Jackson Tucker described a police stop of her son and alleged illegal cavity searches and targeting of returning citizens.
- Darnella Lee questioned tax abatement benefits for tenants and demanded explanations from council.
Discussion Items
- 6PSF-a (Refunding Bond): Acting Finance Director Benjamin Guzman explained the $30.1 million bond would repay a state loan due March 3, 2026, and spread the cost over three years via a bond anticipation note. Public speakers questioned the need and transparency. The ordinance passed unanimously (9-0).
- 6PSF-b (Tax Abatement Extension): Brandi Daniel of Economic and Housing Development stated the extension to August 31, 2043 aligns with a HUD Section 8 contract for the 100% affordable Cathedral Park project at 147-153 Clifton Avenue and 88-92 Mt. Prospect Avenue. Councilman Ramos noted elevator complaints were addressed. Passed 9-0.
- 6PSF-c (Cap Ordinance): Guzman stated the ordinance allows appropriation increases up to 3.5% over the prior year, with unused capacity banked for three years. Speakers demanded the percentage be written into the legislation. Council President Crump confirmed the detail is in the ordinance. Passed 9-0.
- 6PSF-d (Food Pharmacy Lease): The city will lease space at 110 William Street to Newark Beth Israel Medical Center for a food pharmacy serving a food desert. Councilwoman Bey expressed support for the WIC program integration. Residents questioned the nonprofit’s track record. Passed 9-0.
- Resolutions 7R1-a through 7R1-g (Emergency Appropriations): Included $7,986,313 for Ryan White HIV/AIDS services, $1,000,000 for Arts and Education District, $1,500,000 for Community Policing, $2,000,000 for Capital Equipment, $820,000 for Branch Brook Park pedestrian safety, $1,631,777 for Mulberry Street Bikeway, and $83,943,633 for pensions. Passed 9-0.
- 7R2-c (Private Sale – Three Brothers Construction): Deferred after Councilman Ramos questioned the developer’s track record and noted code violations at the corporate address. The Corporation Counsel recommended the developer appear before council before approval.
- 7R2-k (Zoning Amendment): Referred to the Central Planning Board for consideration of fossil fuel-related amendments to Title 41. Passed 9-0.
- 7R8-a (Child Care Assistance): Resolution supporting reinstatement of NJ Child Care Assistance Program, sponsored by Councilman Quintana. Passed 9-0.
- 8-a (Multi-way Stop Intersection): Advanced to first reading for 18th Avenue and South 13th Street. Passed 9-0.
- 9-a (Planning Board Appointment): Rev. Dr. Andre L. Speight confirmed as Class IV member (Environmental Commission representative) to fill a vacancy. Passed 9-0.
Key Outcomes
- All four ordinances and all resolutions were adopted by 9-0 votes, with the following exceptions:
- 7R2-c was deferred (9-0) after a motion by Councilman Ramos, seconded by Gonzalez.
- 7R2-d (Ali Muslim private sale) adopted 8-0-1 (Council abstained).
- 7R5-b (County of Essex HOPWA contract) adopted 8-0-1 (Ramos abstained).
- Motions of sorrow and regret were amended to include additional names (Reverend Jesse Jackson, Awilda Lopez, Miriam Serrano, Hector Sepulveda, Joel “Joey” Washington, Erma Chavis, Mike “C”, Marie Gironda) and adopted unanimously.
- Motion 7Mc approved requesting engineering investigation and possible demolition of 13 Hecker Street.
- Total tax appeal refunds authorized under 7R4-a amounted to $485,730.44.
- Gift accepted: Three mini-buses valued at $52,389 from Newark Housing Authority for senior transportation.
- Cedar Grove Reservoir fence contract awarded to Bismark Construction Corporation for up to $7,419,425.
- Public comment on budget deficits and snow removal prompted Chief of Staff Melvin Waldrup to promise an after-action report and a balanced budget submission.
- Corporation Counsel announced the mayor would sign an executive order targeting the worst slumlords by creating a list to deny tax abatements.
Meeting Transcript
I owe you some information and I'm gonna get it to you. But thank you. But I do want to say prepared readiness. For years we have came up in here and said, where is the prepared readiness program for the city? And you showed that you had none. People said to me, Oh, it's John James. John couldn't even be there for the Southworth. So we know OEM, he wasn't there through COVID. He hasn't, he hasn't made a statement for COVID. He hasn't made a statement about anything. Why did we expect anything different in these streets? We had what, an inch? And y'all had salt piled up in the street. People was like, dang, I got all this stuff here in my car. Y'all had a whole week. We had how many inches? We ain't getting 33 this time, Pat, but you know what I'm saying. 10 years exact to the day. 10 years exact to the day. Come on, Pat, help me out. We had 33 inches in 2016. We had 11 and you still couldn't do it. 10 years later, and you still couldn't be moving. We had 22 inches later, so I apologize, Pat. Because we didn't get better. Yet, y'all still want to sit here and act like we're the stupid ones. We're the ones that's speaking nonsense. 10 years later, you didn't have a prepared readiness program. That makes me really question where's your fire alarms in the school? Are they working? Where's your escape plans? If something was to happen to our residents, the seniors, Georgia King Village, where's your prepared readiness? If something was to happen in these buildings, we couldn't even clean streets. But yet in Khalif Thomas Town, we had eight brand new trucks with shovels on the front to come out here and say, Oh, we're in the lawsuit case and we're gonna um get those trucks to move. And yet, people said things about DPW, but it wasn't DPW, it was the lack of equipment that y'all that y'all had. And that one minute man, that didn't impress me. That did not impress me. Because if you had the staff that they needed in DPW, any equipment they had, and that like all hands on deck in 2016 when everybody wanted to take the jobs from the union and everybody in this place wanted to come shovel, that's all hands on deck. You wouldn't have had no problem. Or make a contract with Joey D, like y'all dumped the snow in the park. Come on, Pat, help me. You could have got trucks and put it in there and dumped them in the parks. Or, or you could have opened the school lots up to Roger Leon. Where is your partnerships? But that's what we asked from you. All we asked for you is the partnership with us, and we can get it done. Because we know the people here can't get it done. Y'all don't have the money because we're in a deficit. Y'all borrowing already, probably from 2027 to put the budget into this year. And I don't need everyone to come up here and say nothing to me about false advertisement lines and stuff.
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