Jersey City is now a top 5 in the nation rental city

Realtor.com had an article on cities that have the most renters per capita and and Jersey City (and Newark) were on that list, in fact very high on the list. Both top five cities. While it's great people want to live in these cities (and let's not kid ourselves here bout why JC and Newark have so many people willing to rent, proximity to NYC) there are drawbacks when that high of a percentage of a city is rental units. First off renters don't pay property tax and nor in any big way help schools and infrastructure they are often using. Voting becomes yet another issue. Renters vote, you bet they do as well anyone should but perhaps their votes aren't the vote of someone looking to invest or look at a city's long-term financial health. The incentive to look at the long game just isn't there for a myriad of reasons. The fact remains the infrastructure use is really only being paid for by homeowners.

Johnny has a pretty good idea why Jersey City will continue to stay on this list if not own it one day -- The Healy and on steroids abatements of the Fulop administrations have invested very little in the way of abatements for buildings one can buy into and left hundreds of millions of dollars off the tax rolls for buildings made exclusively for renters. In just the past five years the Columbus towers, The One, The Toll Brothers The Morgan, the new Jared Tower on Bay St., M2, the Urby and now old Pep Boys parking lot Vyv (Just an awful name for such an ass looking building), JSQ1, et all have gotten huge abatements, more are on the way for....you guessed it, rental units.

It really is a self-fulfilling prophecy of fail when you do look long-term. The first abatements given to downtown are about to run out. There was a huge reval that hit downtown like a bomb (as Fulop knew it would which is why he spent so much time and effort to protect his base) and there will be questions if ownership buildings will be able to withstand the impact. Will people move out because of higher taxes? Hey, there's a pattern of that. Once they do that's less money for road fixes, storm cleanup, getting electricity back online, cops, DPW, Parking, who all lose when there is less ownership.

Ask yourself this about Fulop (and Healy) bending over for every developer they could, when the money starts to get tight downtown do The Heights or Greenville or India Square think anything is going to get built or fixed in their neighborhoods? They have to pull teeth now to get development and city help and supposedly this is the Jersey City gilded age. Once the tax base shrinks (and there's nothing really being done to actively grow it) they can kiss the big promises goodbye...again.

While it's great people want to live in Jersey City this is where "city planning" under Bob Cotter should have been far more engaged than, "Hey, there's a good spot on the waterfront for a developer" during his reign of awfulness. Cotter, "city planning" and the city councils should have insisted on far more ownership buildings in the downtown land rush.

Like Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren was waving her arms and telling everyone in no uncertain terms the 2008 crash was coming, Johnny is telling you now, get in but also know when to get out of the Jersey City real estate game, the timer on the bomb has been set and is ticking.

Mayor Fulop's bill to Jersey City taxpayers for his reval cancelation lands at $3.8 million

Fulop's petulant attempt to protect downtown taxpayers from the state ordered reval has a final total, $3.8 million pulled from taxpayer pockets and guess what, his new city spokeswoman hit the ground telling fables like the old one did.

Now first off, spokeswoman Hannah Peterson who just because she's new still can't be absolved for getting basic facts wrong in her statement trying to still spin Fulop's attempt to protect his base. Let's go through her statement and show her how we do in Jersey City:

"For the last four years we have kept taxes stable (not really, we've just played games with the numbers while developers get everything they want from Fulop), while expanding the police department (Who you cut off at the knees by not negotiating their contract fairly and let's face it, the JCPD despise Steve Fulop and on his watch the police force is a disgrace anymore), building new parks (ORLY? Now we know you're a noob) and stabilizing the city's finances (No, again, your new boss has done nothing but play budgetary games with a willing council to kick the problems down the road)," city spokeswoman Hannah Peterson said. "The route it was on in 2013 was extremely dangerous for the city and its residents (Just saying it was somehow dangerous, DANGEROUS LOL, doesn't make your word salad so Ms. Peterson), and we now feel that this process is being done properly. We made the right decision. (You cost city taxpayers 3.8 million dollars for Fulop's tantrum)"

There you go Ms. Peterson, fixed all that for you and please don't insult our intelligence with such nonsense in the future.

Well now, would you look at this, the Reval's off to a rough start

Seems someone didn't think the reval on Mayor Fulop's property smelled all that good so she actually filed a tax appeal on him and the property. This will be a very interesting case, individually and how this works going forward. Worth a read before bed tonight.

Oh look, yet another delay in the Reval

You just KNEW this was gonna stretch past Fulop's reelection date of next November didn't you. Yep, more bullshit delays on the Reval. You can read all about it and go see why this time by clicking here. 

Delays on this have cost the city millions, so here's more.

Nothing like spending more needless money eh Jersey City?

The state mandated and court ordered reval is going to cost Jersey City taxpayers another $5 million dollars as City Council, who haven't yet met something they wouldn't overspend on, will Wednesday approve asking for yet more money on the childishly delayed reval, no doubt because Mayor Fulop wants it.

It's mandated to be done in November of 2017, hey look an election date, and somehow the Fulop Administration who has no interest in it ever happening courts be damned. It has already fallen behind in the timeline. You have to love Fulop mouthpiece Jennifer Morrill who was sent out to pick the scab yet again that despite the courts consistently saying the first reval was done properly and it was Fulop acting childishly (in practically these same words) by making sure Mr. Petulant gets in some kind of imagined last word:

"We have always said this is a tight timeframe established by the state and we are working within that to comply, however, it is important that the best format and practices are followed, which was not the case previously," Morrill said.

Again, yes it was fair whether you think so or not. Anyway the judge decided you have no point there Jennifer and that's the only funny thing about this.

This here Jersey City, this is a hell of a price to pay for Steve Fulop's donor-class staying happy and that is ALL.THIS.IS.REALLY.ABOUT:

If the city's $4 million estimate holds, the cost to taxpayers for the reval will be at least $7.6 million. That includes the cost of the canceled reval ($3 million), legal fees Jersey City has been ordered to pay Realty Appraisal ($115,000 so far), costs for the firm Jersey City hired to defend itself in the case ($450,000 so far) and, to date, $26,954 in interest the city has been ordered to pay Realty Appraisal.

So we're begging $5 million for a job estimated to take 4, yet we're still loaning money to Bruce Rater to develop the Pep Boys site, the city spends money like a drunk teenager, the city doesn't raise taxes because we have such a surplus, so why not bond this out? Why take a high price loan with a quick turnaround payback if the city is only planning on doing revals every 20--30 years at gunpoint? What a poor use of city money.

It's like Donald Trump is somehow running 280 Grove St with his idiot minions with the kind of money decisions being made.

A very good letter to the editor

Always nice when we can reference the Sunday paper and all so here is a very thoughtful and informative letter pointing out where the city council and mayor are giving away your money in the form of really unnecessary 20 and 30 year tax abatements they are giving them STILL based on the 1988 reval. Ruinous!

Read on friends.

Any more costs from delaying the reval is now ALL on Mayor Fulop

As expected, Hudson County Superior Court Judge Francis B. Schultz, ruled against Jersey City, ie Steve Fulop's administration, who upon taking office looked for excuses to stop the reval and up until now has been embarrassingly successful.

Judge Schultz who had earlier expressed his disdain for city tactics said in his ruling:

"The evidence in this trial is clear and convincing," the judge said. "The city simply does not want a revaluation. Period."

Exactly. We here at the Jersey City Desk have said it umpteen times. The city is long overdue for one, state law requires it, time to eat the vegetables. Stop acting like a child in so obviously protecting, or should we say ham-handedly trying to protect the interests of anyone who might be hit up for a check when Fulop announces his run for governor (even as that secret SUPERPAC floods his accounts with moolah).

Enough. The state has demanded it. Judge Schultz said you were acting childish or even imperial throughout this entire case. No more delays, no more tedious and doomed-to-fail lawsuits and certainly NO MORE tax abatements until the reval is performed. Any more costs due to delays are all on you Mr. Mayor. We understand this is chundering your run for governor but you've only got yourself and your official "Hudson County politician" pin to blame.

Fulop and DeGise are probably no longer fans of night church

The Old Bergen Church opened wide and swallowed up Mayor Fulop and Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise whole last night. Both men, missing their usual cadre of police officers, friendly administration officials and supporters, were asked the hard questions and when they didn't have answers, or tried to dodge them they were met with less than friendly responses, it would seem many in the African-American community in Jersey CIty are sick of being taken for granted and leaned on every-time downtown needs a tax cut:

The Rev. Alonzo Perry Sr., of the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, pressed Fulop on why his administration has not moved forward with a citywide reval, one Perry said would shift the city's tax burden from its less affluent neighborhoods to wealthier areas. Fulop's attempts to explain his reasoning for postponing the reval were met with occasional jeers from the crowd of about 850 gathered inside Old Bergen Church for the launch of Jersey City Together.

"I did believe as I do believe today that people in this room would lose their homes," Fulop said. "I believe that."

"People are losing their homes now, Mr. Mayor," Perry said to applause. "People are leaving the city now, Mr. Mayor. There's a crisis in the city today, Mr. Mayor."

According to many there, DeGise was an utter jackhole, constantly shifting blame and crying poor and committing to not much. Just like his day job. Fulop however seemed in over his head said some who were there and this report does make it seem like there is a disconnect between the African American community in Jersey City and a Mayor who views it as one big Ward E. This was a very very telling meeting in both the Jersey City context and more than likely Fulop's run for governor. Without his support staff and being able to call the meeting shots the mayor shrunk and got rattled and also watched a key section of any Democratic candidate's base further peel away.

Mayor Fulop's tunnel vision will now cost more

Mayor Fulop's insistence that no reval be done by any means necessary via lawsuit, obfuscation, delays and any other trickery will now cost the city at least $8.5 million bucks. For a reval that's 95% done. Awesome. Just awesome. Terrence T. McDonald at the Jersey Journal, winner of the Art Weissman Memorial Award has all the facts.

Mayor Fulop's obsfucation has come to an end on the Reval -- It's now state ordered

Mayor Steve Fulop's ending of the citywide reval shortly before he took office (and that may or may not have been an illegal act, that's still in court) and his protection of donors and the downtown rich folk was overruled by the State of New Jersey today, there WILL Now be a reval ordered in Jersey City, Elizabeth and Dunellen, all communities that have gone over 25 years without a reval.

Local resident Esther Wintner had this to say of the coming reval:

Esther Wintner, of Jersey City, predicted a revaluation would mean her property taxes could skyrocket overnight. But foremost is her own sense of fairness, and she's resigned to its necessity. 

"I'm really afraid of this reval and what it's going to mean to our home and our family. However, I also know it's the law," she said at a January public hearing by the Division of Taxation in Jersey City. "My morals tell me that this is what we need to do. The law tells me that. Yet, I'm afraid."

At that public hearing, Wintner and a half dozen residents encouraged the state to step in and overrule Mayor Steven Fulop, a likely 2017 gubernatorial candidate who canceled a revaluation in the works when he took office in 2013.

So, like it or not, or perhaps like MANY MANY people in Jersey City you'll welcome the reval, it's coming and there's nothing Steve Fulop can do anymore to protect his donors over it.

Perusing the news this morning Johnny is reminded of a Game of Thrones line

If you're not a Game of Thrones watcher do stick around as these issues we're dealing with today are important. For fans, remember the scene where Arya and The Hound find the dying farmer, talk with him and The Hound gives the farmer a merciful end only to be jumped from behind and bitten by two guys trying to collect the bounty on him? After he snaps the first attacker's neck with his bare hands he turns to the other now well aware of his coming fate and tells him "This day's really not working out the way you'd planned..."

Mayor Steve Fulop is having one of those weeks that's surely not working out the way he planned. As noted here earlier the Hamilton Park Neighborhood Association won a victory over a developer, LeFrak, and "City Planning" which if you're paying attention does what the mayor likes. More seriously however the mayor's SuperPAC is looking worse and worse when it comes to violating more pay-to-play laws championed and passed by Councilman Fulop. The administration seems pinned down by all the bad news coming out about it. Two new campaign finance watchdog groups are calling on the FEC to look into the mysterious SuperPAC that will mostly be supporting Mayor Fulop in his run for governor yet had over $1 million in a single donation less than 24 hours after the PAC paperwork was filed. Fulop won't say who is behind the donation (Johnny's got an idea, follow the casino munneyz) and it stinks to high heaven for someone who ran on a platform of being a champion of open government and good governance. It stinks to high heaven for someone who didn't run on a platform of being a champion of open government and good governance. But, seeing as how most of the big Fulop contributions have been from developers who either do business with Jersey City or get tax abatements from Jersey City, you can only guess who wants to give Mayor Fulop a million in secret cash.

Also not on the mayor's list this week Superior Court Judge Francis B. Schultz brought the Fulop Administration one step closer to a state-mandated reval whether Fulop likes it or not, and with yesterday's ruling certainly opens Jersey City up to a huge lawsuit by the company performing the reval that was 95% complete at he time Fulop stopped their work, (Fulop's admission) Realty Appraisal Co. Judge Schultz had this to say about the city's flimsy filings in why Realty Appraisal Co. shouldn't be allowed to finish the job:

But Superior Court Judge Francis B. Schultz this afternoon ruled that witness testimony did not back up the city's claims that O'Reilly had any significant role in the city's selection of Realty Appraisal in 2011. The testimony by city employees showed O'Reilly recused himself from any role in the selection process while he was still employed by the city, Schultz ruled today.

"There was no conflict," he said.

This was one baaaad week at 280 Grove St. kids. If Fulop is running for governor (he is) he's already compiling a lot of baggage on his own and giving Steve Sweeney and anyone else running in the Democratic primary plenty of mud to sling.

The Fulop Administration, they're not so great in the courts

The Fulop Administration lost another court case yesterday, this a motion to dismiss the judge hearing the city's lawsuit with reval company Realty Appraisal Co., in what some may call humiliating fashion, by being called the city's actions those of King George III:

The breach-of-contract case between Jersey City and a West New York revaluation firm is set to go to trial Tuesday following a failed attempt by the city's attorneys to have the pre-trial judge recuse himself, a bid the judge called "an attack on the court" and likened to the actions of King George III.

There's a lot more including some pretty desperate city pleadings and why the city is really worried about losing this case. As always, Terrence T. McDonald has us covered.

Mayor Steve Fulop, do your donors like when you're all thin-skinned?

It's rare for Johnny to walk out of anything. He figured in the case of a bad movie or play, well he put money down and unless it's god-awful, he'll see it through. The other night at Grace Van Vorst Church when Mayor Fulop was speaking to the downtown cabal of neighborhood groups he complained, ne whined, that people wanted a reval "because they hate me."

Johnny got up and left. Yes mayor, that was Johnny. The minute your thin-skinned whining began and Johnny had to pay nothing to get in, he left. Walked out on your whining. People don't want a reval because they hate you any more than you canceled the 95% completed reval because you hated the company doing it. It's politics and Mr. Mayor, you need to cowboy up when it comes to city politics. You want to run and play with the big boys then you'd better learn in New Jersey politics the nancy-boys get eaten alive. You complain and snivel anytime someone comes at you with fair criticisms like a petulant child. Statements from your dwindling supply of spokesmodels only help reinforce this.

Which brings us to another and more serious issue Mr. Mayor, your acceptance of thousands of dollars (soon to be millions) from developers whom your supported in their bids for city contacts and services and abatements. Where is the open-style government you ran on? Why did you recently try skirting the no pay-to-play law you passed as a councilman?

Just how bad and shady do these deals with Fulop's business pals smell?

"This a list of a regular cast of characters," the source said. "This is everyone ... a who's who."

Of the 58 donations that top $10,000, at least 27 — for a total of $1.46 million — are contributions from businesses with contracts with Jersey City or its autonomous agencies, developers who have received long-term tax breaks from the city, firms with lawyers who appear regularly before city boards and agencies and more.

The top donation is an eye-popping $1 million, from a Delaware holding company, DE First Holdings, about which little is widely known. Politico reports today that the company was established the day before it donated the $1 million, and public filings do not indicate who is behind it.

Yeah, Mr. Clean City Government with everything being done above board and in a open environment, where did you go? Jersey City and New Jersey residents you simply MUST read this article by Terrence T. McDonald, he carefully shows where all the money is going and the tax breaks and other deals these people supposedly are getting from cozying up to Fulop financially.

Councilman Fulop would have punched Mayor Fulop full on in the mouth. Jersey City read about these questionable deals and then let Johnny ask you, do YOU think they're on the up and up or was this more quid pro quo in Jersey City and New Jersey politics?

It's OK, everyone knows the answer, you can say it too. Steve Fulop is nothing but a typical Hudson County Democratic politician.

Tomorrow the State of NJ will hold a hearing on Jersey City's reval here in JC

If you would like to speak out and have your comments on record concerning the possible Jersey City reval, Thursday the "state Division of Taxation will conduct the hearing at 6 p.m. in the Scott Ring Room on the second floor of Hudson County Community College, 161 Newkirk St."

Jersey City hasn't had a citywide reval in almost 30 years and the state is let's say more than considering our fair city to go through one. The Healy administration had a reval 95% complete and let like a flaming bag of poop of new Mayor Fulop's doorstep which Fulop canceled because FRIENDLIES. Perhaps in hindsight Fulop should have let it run it's course and heap all the blame on the outgoing Healy, but now, your comments are wanted.

There are other ways to go on record if you can't make the meeting. You can find those and the rest of the article here.

Sounds like the voices in the wilderness are being heard after all

Jersey City Council again unanimously voted for a tax abatements for the new 50 story twin to the high-rise already at 70 Columbus above the PATH station. The owners are politically connected Democratic bigwigs we're told by Terrence T. McDonald. So why didn't these guys get a 20 or 15 year abatement, the kind mayor Fulop favors in such cases? Why did city council only agree to a FIVE year abatement on the project?

Johnny's gonna come out and say here and now he, along with others, most notably Dan Levin have been all up in council and the mayor's face on social media over the ridiculous and dangerous abatements given all over downtown. Between Johnny and Dan Levin pointing out we're going to have a reval coming, we're going to have the earliest abatements coming due soon enough, we've already left over 100 million in tax breaks off the Jersey City tax rolls and the continued problem with spending in this city and people have started to listen. No doubt Council was sick and tired of being called out. They don't want to open up their Twitter feeds and see criticism levied at them over irresponsible tax votes. They don't want to hear it on Facebook but good citizens hearing about it they are and we're pretty sure the pressure being applied by citizens and more importantly citizens on social media dropped this to a five year deal.

Johnny's best advice, be engaged! Follow your council member on Twitter (Unless you are in Ward C and don't have a WANG word processor). Follow the city and mayor on Facebook and do not be afraid to be heard or soon you'll be paying down even more of a millionaires lifestyle while you struggle to make ends meet.

The Jersey City Desk would like to get a forensic accounting of Jersey City taxes/books

More excellent reporting from Terrence T. McDonald at the Jersey Journal, who asks the hard questions and asks the right questions of the right people. To wit:

A rival of Mayor Steve Fulop is asking state officials to audit Jersey City's tax program, saying the city's recent move to halt new assessments of renovated homes was outside of Fulop's legal authority.

Bill Matsikoudis — a Fulop critic when he was top city attorney under ex-Mayor Jerramiah Healy — alleges in a letter sent today to state tax officials that "political concerns" appear to have been behind the city's request to stop the added assessments, which would have given over 450 homeowners a tax break.

This reval that was cancelled after being 95% done, Loans now to developers, the shifty none-too-aboveboard plan to declare City Hall a dilapidated property so the property next to it can be wink wink'd to developer friends of the mayor at an oh-so-special rate. Who benefits? The developer. Who pays? If you're reading this angrily most likely you and Johnny.

The taxpayers of Jersey City deserve a full accounting of all city finances on a forensic level by an independent firm. This means going back into the Healy years as well Mr. Matsikoudis and if any financial skullduggery was going on back with your guy we're guessing you all know a good attorney. No more trusting city hall or council. A full forensic accounting, if need be to be paid for by developer checks in lieu of real tax rates so it can't be argued the city lacks the finances to do so. No, a locally connected firm or the same old firm attesting to the numbers isn't enough anymore. There are of course many other things the forensic accountants can look into, departmental budgets (and we'll almost guarantee they find some questionable spending and practices under those rocks) and payroll and possible no-show jobs as a certain other investigation turned up quite by a drunken car accident this year. The point is, the taxpayers of our fair city deserve a complete check-up with X-ray machines of our finances. Anyone opposing such makes Johnny wonder about what exactly they'd be worried about someone finding.

The company performing Jersey City's reval speaks in court papers

There were a lot of stories and even more speculation that after becoming mayor-elect and promptly canceling the reval which was 95% done with Realty Appraisal Co., was done to protect Fulop's base downtown from some much bigger tax bills. In court papers Realty Appraisal Co. says that's exactly what happened:

Rubenstein alleges in a sworn statement filed with the court on Aug. 18 that Fulop called off the reval soon after he was elected mayor in 2013 because of pressure from homeowners that formed his political base and not, as Fulop alleges, because Realty Appraisal hired a former top city official to help it win the reval contract.

Owners of Downtown brownstones, townhomes and condos "knew their properties were among the most under-assessed in the city," Rubenstein said. "They had the most to gain from halting the revaluation, and that was what their councilperson promised he would do if elected mayor."

Ouch.

Mayor Fulop trotted out his spokesman Ryan Jacobs, who made quite mistake in his comments and a gift to people like Johnny when he said since Realty Appraisal Company hired a former JC city official to somehow win the reval contract that is why it was canceled right at the end. Jacobs said because of this allegation in Monmouth County it proved shutting down their work and stopping payment was the right thing to do.

Uh, Ryan, if allegations now equal proof you're in a heaping pile of shit. Shall we revisit the Bubba Cowan lawsuit? There were some allegations we should now take as proof, yes? A lot of people are alleging the idea to file paperwork calling city hall dilapidated reeks of patronage. Must mean it's proved patronage, should Johnny be free to just write stories like that?

If allegations now equal proof Johnny's going to have to hire writers.

The trouble with having a mayor who runs for governor

We're not going to bury the lead, a mayor running for governor can't address anything in real time. Mayor Fulop has had nothing to say about the recent spate of murders and shootings. He's sure had nothing to say about the reval that's coming, perhaps to be force fed to Jersey City by the state. But why? Easy. Anything he says or his spokespeoples say it can and will be used against him in a campaign for governor. Basically the communication on big important issues is non-existent which is severely shortchanging the residents of OUR Fair City. This situation is a bust. Are we supposed to sit around waiting until after Fulop wins or doesn't to be told what's going on or to have a mayor open enough not to wait days or even weeks to spin the best sounding response?

Note to the mayor's office. Johnny was at Park and Sixth last night for dinner with friends, the table behind Johnny were talking reval and a spirited discussion was being had on the reval at the bar at leaving time. The citizenry sure knows what's going on in real time. It's a shame the run for governor costs Jersey City residents honest information as to what it's "leaders" are doing so they themselves can plan ahead.

How are those downtown abatements looking NOW?

Here comes the reval, something that has been kryptonite for Jersey City mayors since 1988. Before he even became Mayor Steve Fulop canceled the contract of a company by his own admission was 95% complete with it. He cut them off and stopped payment on the check.

Reval, where the Jersey City real estate gets reassessed at going rates, and how just about anything over three floors in the downtown area has come after 1988, well you can see the mayor shitting himself as he comes back from a Governor wannabe convention down in Atlantic City yesterday. Downtown Jersey City is gonna get hit and hit hard.

Right now there needs to be a hold on ANY vote to give abatements to Jersey City developers until AFTER the reval. We're going to need that money. The 100 million (rough estimates) left off the tax rolls downtown already are gonna crush the numbers as to what taxpayers pay.

The time to put the nuts away for winter is now (well it was 5 years ago but DUH) and stop the giveaways.