Passaic City Council Meeting: Rent Stabilization Ordinance Passed - September 3, 2025
Passaic City Council Meeting: Rent Stabilization Ordinance Passed - September 3, 2025
[Note: The transcript reports the meeting date as September 2, 2025, but the provided metadata indicates September 3, 2025. This summary uses the metadata date.]
The Passaic City Council held a regular meeting on September 3, 2025, dominated by the passage of Ordinance 2494-25, which caps annual rent increases at 3% and includes vacancy control. The meeting also featured a detailed mayor's report, public testimony on both sides, adoption of the 2025 municipal budget, and routine ordinances.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Numerous tenants and tenant advocates (including members of Make the Road New Jersey and Movimiento Cosecha) expressed strong support for the ordinance. Speakers shared personal stories of extreme rent hikes (e.g., a 32% increase over three years, a $1,000 overnight increase, and a 45% annual increase by one landlord). They argued the 3% cap and vacancy control are essential to prevent displacement and allow families to stay in Passaic. Several speakers cited data showing stagnant wages versus rising rents.
- Landlords and property owners (e.g., Michael Kreitenberg, George Bean, and others) opposed the vacancy control provision, arguing that it prevents them from recouping renovation costs on vacant units and maintaining older buildings. They warned that without vacancy decontrol, property values and tax revenues could drop, and investment in housing quality would suffer. Some suggested a 5% cap would be more reasonable. George Bean detailed a tenant who paid $1,400 for a four-bedroom after 30 years, and the need for $50,000+ renovation for the next tenant.
- Advocates for survivors of domestic violence (Nicole Morella) and veterans (Jessica Kitzen) supported the ordinance, noting that stable rents prevent homelessness for vulnerable populations.
Discussion Items
- Mayor's Report: Mayor Hector Lora reported on infrastructure (new parking deck with EV charging, added 500+ parking spaces), youth programs (junior police/fire academies with inclusive programming for special needs children), community events (book bag giveaway, clothing drive), and affordable housing initiatives (ADU ordinance, set-aside requirements, rent leveling board). He emphasized the administration's collaborative approach with community groups and landlords.
- Rent Stabilization Ordinance (2494-25): Extended discussion on the 3% cap and vacancy control. Council members and the mayor debated potential impacts on property values, investment, and tax base. The mayor highlighted exemptions (new construction for 30 years, owner-occupied two-family homes, hardship/capital improvement applications). Councilman Monk raised concerns about declining property values shifting tax burden onto other homeowners. Council President Sherr appointed an ad hoc committee (Monk, Love, Mello) to monitor the ordinance's effects and develop ongoing policy.
- 2025 Budget Adoption (Resolution 11): Chief Financial Officer presented a $118.67 million budget with a 1.85% spending increase, using $13 million from a $32 million surplus (to replace expired COVID relief funds). Discussion focused on long-term sustainability, with questions about future surplus use and potential tax increases. Budget was adopted.
- Other Ordinances: Passed routine ordinances including a cap bank ordinance (2490-25), disabled parking designation updates, parking deck fees, stop sign additions, and angled parking changes.
Key Outcomes
- Ordinance 2494-25 (Rent Stabilization) passed unanimously (7-0), establishing a 3% cap on annual rent increases with vacancy control, plus a requirement for landlords to register annually with the Rent Leveling Board.
- 2025 Municipal Budget adopted unanimously (7-0).
- Other Resolutions and Ordinances (items 12-17, 19-30, 33-44, 45-49) passed as a block.
- Ad Hoc Committee formed to monitor rent stabilization impacts.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. On behalf of the governing body of the city of Pisake, we welcome you to the September 2nd, 2025 City Council meeting. In accordance with Chapter 231 public laws of 1975, adequate notice of this meeting was provided by resolution of the municipal council adopted on June 17, 2025, setting forth the schedule of meetings for the year 2025-2026. Said notice was published and posted on the City Hall Bulletin Board by the Office of the City Clerk. Please be further advised. Please be guided accordingly. Roll call, please. Councilman Love. Present. Councilwoman Mello. Present. Councilman Mayer. Present. Councilman Garcia. Present. Councilwoman Colom Montañez. And Council President Cher. Present, shall we all please rise? Heavenly Father, we ask we thank you, Lord, for allowing us to meet this evening. Lord, we present to you the agenda that has been said before us, Lord, and we ask you to please guide us to make the decision that will benefit the residents of the city of Passake. We also ask for a special prayer for Heavenly Father as our children head back to school, Lord. Let this be the year coming, be fruitful for them and their teachers. In your beloved name we pray. Amen. Good evening, members of the Council, Mr. Mayor, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining us at tonight's meeting. We're going to do a little bit of uh changes to the agenda. Um something tells me that many of you might be here for one issue in specific, and I'd like to obviously get to that issue as soon as we can. Um at this point, uh let me just share a few points with you, if I may. Number one, if you have a cell phone, if you could please turn it off or vibrate. Number two, it's common that there are issues which are concerned to all of us very much, and oftentimes the person sitting next to us has asked a question that we want to answer. The problem is that that obviously caused makes it difficult for the other person to hear as well. So we ask you if you have a conversation going on with someone, please just step outside the council chambers. Um have your conversation and please join us back again. Uh, but if we could ask you to please stay out of council chambers while you're in other conversation. Um, the council agenda is composed of many, many uh pieces to the puzzle. One is hearing of citizens, the mayor's update update, um, ordinances for second and final readings, such as the one we have tonight, ordinances for first meeting, correspondence resolutions, etc. These are all part of the normal council agenda, as is tonight's a normal council agenda. Um if we could ask, uh, there are some seats still available. I apologize that we don't have more, but there's some states still available. Please yourself avail yourself of them. At this time, I'd like to go a little bit out of order with the council's uh permission and ask mayor uh if you'd like to share with us your report. Council president with uh with your allowance. Can we have uh just sending the translator just translate the uh announcement you made in the very beginning so that everyone is aware? Absolutely, sir. Thank you. Thank you, Council President, members of the city council, city hall staff, and all with us today. Council meetings uh often uh begin with uh quick report as to the state of the city and what is occurring and what we can look forward to. I'll try to be brief, but we have a lot going on over the past couple of weeks, Council President.
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