GET THAT MONEY
Bill passes committee to get Trenton on track for transitional aid >>
TRENTON >> The capital city line item moved another step closer to the governor’s desk despite city leaders best efforts at sabotage.
The Assembly Appropriations committee pushed forward the $10 million aid package, intended to offset money lost due to the city’s high number of tax-exempt state buildings.
Mayor Reed Gusciora, and members of the “fighting 15th” legislative district, testified at Monday’s hearing in support of restoring the capital city line item back into the state budget, calling it an “investment” in Trenton.
The mayor pointed to the steady decline of Trenton’s state aid awards under former Gov. Chris Christie.
The city received $16 million in state aid this year, between $6 million in transitional aid from the state Department of Community Affairs and another $10 million “bridge” loan to carry Trenton through while lawmakers attempt to pass the capital city aid package.
The Senate already approved a companion bill by a 24 to 14 vote March 25. The bill still must go before the full Assembly for a vote before heading to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk.
“Trenton taxpayers for far too long have absorbed the costs of these properties,” Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, a former Trenton councilwoman, said in a statement. “The Trenton Capital City Aid, once given, helped alleviate the burden on residents and was an integral part of helping to balance the city budget year after year.”
City leaders feared the state could yank funding or kill the bill as a result of a budget impasse that has the city on the brink of government shutdown and possible state takeover.
State leaders have chastised the legislative body and administration over the infighting.
Lawmakers didn’t touch upon the elephant in the room while addressing Gusciora, who is mired in tenuous litigation with three Trenton councilwomen who have sued claiming the state usurped the legislative body’s power to approve a spending plan.
The councilwomen’s lawsuit prompted a strong rebuke from Lt. Sheila Oliver, who is a defendant, as she urged city leaders during a recent legislative hearing to cut the “nonsense.”
Mayor Gusciora responded by countersuing council president Kathy McBride, vice president Marge Caldwell-Wilson and West Ward councilwoman Robin Vaughn alleging the council president attempted to usurp his power.
Court records show the two lawsuits have been combined, and Assignment Judge Mary Jacobson scheduled a hearing for June 6 to hear both parties argue their cases.
That’s two days before a DCA-imposed deadline for the council to pass the budget without having to pay fines or worse.
Council will argue for an injunction to prevent the imposition of the administration’s $215 million spending plan which will hike the tax rate by 11 cents.
The councilwomen are still unrepresented by an attorney at this point and are going pro-se.
The DCA rejected McBride’s waiver request, in which she signed in lieu of the mayor resulting in his countersuit, for approval of $50,000 to hire special counsel saying it didn’t believe the contract could be construed as “essential services” under a Memorandum of Understanding.
The council wanted to hire the Colts Neck-based law firm Manfredi & Pellechio on the city’s dime in lieu of being represented by law director John Morelli, who the body voted to disqualify.
The mayor said Manfredi & Pellechio indicated to the court it was not interested in representing the councilwomen in the lawsuit.
The mayor sent a letter to McBride on Monday saying
that “in the spirit of conciliation and cooperation” that he was appointing Willingboro attorney Michael Armstrong as special counsel to represent the councilwomen.
Armstrong is one of the attorneys on a “pre-qualified list” of conflict counsel for the city, according to the letter.
“By using the list of counsel previously approved by both council and the DCA, we may avoid submitting the matter to the DCA and the requirement to initiate an RFP to obtain such counsel,” Gusciora wrote.
The mayor added he was still sending over a waiver request to DCA just in case.
It’s unclear whether the appointment of Armstrong is sufficient for the councilwomen.
McBride did not respond to a phone call seeking comment.