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La concejal Hoboken Fisher rompe la propuesta de nueva escuela secundaria
Hoboken's 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher, in the first of 2 newsletters, breaks down the proposed, new high school which goes to a public referendum vote on January 25: December…
Hoboken’s 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher, in the first of 2 newsletters, breaks down the proposed, new high school which goes to a public referendum vote on January 25:
December 23, 2021
Dear friends and neighbors,
I wanted to get you some additional information to consider over the holidays and as you go into the next few public sessions on the BOE’s proposed New High School. There is a lot so I am breaking this into two newsletters – Part I and Part II. I recognize this is the eve of Christmas Eve and most of you are busy with preparations for the holidays. I will also resend in the New Year.
Thank you to all who have reached out to me over the past few weeks to discuss. I can tell you that I have learned from each conversation I have had. I am comforted that the key takeaway from all the discussions is that there is a shared agreement within our community that we want the best education possible for Hoboken children. And it is that key takeaway that I am confident will prevail in the end.
So let’s see if I can help fill in some blanks with information I have gleaned in this process. In this Part I, I am covering the following:
- Costos para los contribuyentes:Cuánto construir y mantener
- Proceso:El día del referéndum es el 25 de enero – Esté preparado
In Part II, which I will send next, I will cover:
- La propuesta:Obtener dos escuelas
- La ola de inscripción:Es real.
- El edificio: detrás del diseño y las comodidades comunitarias
So let’s get started. What I have been asked the most about is the $$$ so I will start there…
COSTS TO TAXPAYERS:
HOW MUCH TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN
How much does this proposed New High School cost taxpayers?
- – 330 millones de dólares, que es el coste total pagado durante 30 años, incluido el interés anual del 2,2%* sobre los bonos
- $241 millones es el costo máximo para construir*
- – 11 millones de dólares es el pago anual de capital e intereses que equivale a:
- El aumento del 20,3% en los impuestos escolares (utilizando la tasa de 2021 de $54.2M) que actualmente representan aproximadamente el 28% de nuestro impuesto total lo que significa un…
- Aumento del 5,7% de su impuesto total (utilizando la tasa de impuestos de 2021)
- $93.33 por cada 100.000 de la valoración de su propiedad*
*provided by BOE, all else I calculated
If you are a property owner, the annual cost to you for each of the next 30 years would fall somewhere in the following range based upon the Assessed Value (AV) of your property:
- $300,000 AV = $280 por año
- $500,000 AV = $467/año
- 750.000 dólares AV = 700 dólares al año
- 1.000.000 de dólares AV = 933 dólares al año
- $2.000.000 AV = $1.867/año
If you are a renter, then your landlord will determine what cost, if any, to pass on through your rent, but here are a couple of examples of the tax increase for owners of residential rental buildings across Hoboken (per unit, annually):
- 109 Willow – $1.6M Valor evaluado / 20 unidades = $74/unidad
- 906 Willow – $2.0M AV / 13 unidades = $144/unidad
- 400 Clinton – $27.9M AV / 133 unidades = $ 199/unidad
- 225 Grandes – $ 2.5M AV / 8 unidades = $ 292/unidad
- 300 Grandes – $31.6M AV / 99 unidades = $299/unidad
- 50 Bloomfield – $38.5M AV / 117 unidades = $307/unidad
- 1101 Adams – $ 60.4M AV / 170 unidades = $ 332/unidad
- 800 Madison – $ 80M AV / 224 unidades = $ 333/unidad
- 1 Independencia Ct. – $75.1M AV / 185 unidades = $379/unidad
- 2 Decimocuarto – 102,9 millones de dólares AV / 260 unidades = 369 dólares / unidad
The differences in amounts per unit generally vary because the rent- controlled properties with lower historic rents have a lower assessed value per unit than a building with rents closer to current market. It goes without saying that this has affordability impacts to many in Hoboken.
What is included in the $330 million?
The BOE have not provided a construction budget nor future cost and revenue projections but this is what we have learned so far:
- $241 millones para la construcción del edificio que según el BOE incluye una gran contingencia / cojín para garantizar que no haya un escenario en el que tengan que regresar a los votantes para su aprobación para recaudar más dinero para completar el proyecto.
- Aproximadamente $90 millones por costos de intereses, además de los $241 millones de costos de construcción.
- No incluye artículos pequeños como computadoras o equipos químicos que tendrían que ser comprados por separado.
- Además, no incluye ningún coste adicional para el personal, la operación y el mantenimiento de la nueva instalación y sus servicios en el futuro.
Of note: By statute, the bond proceeds can only be used to fund the construction or to repay debt. So if the cost to build the proposed New High School is less than $241 million, the bonds would debt / debt service would be reduced with a concomitant reduction in annual taxes.
What are the future costs and estimated tax increases to fund the incremental and ongoing costs of operating and maintaining the proposed New High School?
The BOE has not provided any future estimates of costs, revenues and needed enrollment to support the proposed New High School. Concerns raised are that the operation and maintenance of state of the art facilities like theaters and hockey rinks and science labs often require more specialized staff and equipment that cost more. And these costs will be realized day one, yet the expected increased enrollment to help cover these costs will take time to realize. So the questions remains: What, if any, future tax increases will be required to fully operate the proposed new High School?
Is Hoboken’s free pre-k program at risk with this bonding?
Several have expressed concerns that if Hoboken demonstrates that its taxpayers can afford to pay for a $241 million school, then it no longer would qualify for the funding it receives as a former Abbott district for our free pre-K program that many in our community, especial our more vulnerable, rely on. For those less familiar, Hoboken is one of 31 districts in the state who receive funding to provide free pre-K education that was determined by the Supreme Court of New Jersey in 1992 and based upon economic need in the series of “Abbott” court cases. Although Hoboken now stands out as a well-funded community, Hoboken Superintendent Dr. Johnson indicated at the meeting that the risk of losing the funding for the pre-K program was very low as it would take a court ruling to undo / amend Hoboken’s former Abbott status.
PROCESS:
REFERENDUM VOTE IS JANUARY 25TH – BE READY!
The BOE voted unanimously to put the proposed New High School and the necessary $241 million of bonding on the ballot to be voted upon by Hoboken registered voters on January 25th. This means:
- la propuesta no puede ser modificada antes de la votación del 25 de enero, y
- Los votantes solo tienen la opción de votar la propuesta “hacia arriba o hacia abajo” (sí o no).
The lack of public input afforded to Hoboken residents before the proposal was placed on the ballot means that only those Hoboken taxpayers who are registered to vote in Hoboken can have a say in this decision, not all taxpayers.
If the proposed New High School is voted down on January 25th, BOE President Angley did say at the December 7th meeting they would come back with a modified version within 12 months. As such, you need to educate yourself on the project “as proposed” before January 25th and vote in one of the following ways:
- ¡Si estás 100% de acuerdo y te gusta como te proponemos!
- No, si no lo apoyas o quieres que el BOE vuelva a los votantes con una versión diferente y/o menos costosa en 12 meses.
The BOE has provided the following information about the project on their website to help voters get more informed before the referendum vote including:
- Un vídeo del edificio propuesto que le da una buena idea de cómo será la propuesta actual.
- Un Libro de revisiones con puntos de resumen sobre la inscripción y el costo total.
- Un estudio demográfico que hace que el crecimiento de la inscripción sea el caso.
- Un documento de preguntas frecuentes que es “en vivo” que el BOE continúa actualizando y proporcionando más información.
- Una dirección de correo electrónico para enviar cualquier pregunta que pueda tener: ProposedNewHHS@hoboken.k12.nj.usProponidoNuevoHHS@hoboken.k12.nj.us
The BOE are also hosting the following 3 additional public meetings in 2022:
- Jueves 6 de enero – 7 pm en persona en la Escuela Secundaria de Hoboken, 800 Clinton
- Jueves 13 de enero – 7pm Virtual, VIA Zoom (detalles a continuación)
- Lunes 17 de enero – 7 pm en persona en la Escuela Secundaria de Hoboken, 800 Clinton
This referendum vote will be like any other election in Hoboken:
- Voto por correo y muestras de votos se enviarán a partir de la próxima semana
- El 25 de enero:
- Las urnas están abiertas de 6 a 8 horas.
- Si está registrado para votar, vota en su lugar de votación
If you are not registered, then you can on register or before January 3rd to be able to vote on January 25th. If you are leaning in a direction and don’t vote, then you are effectively voting in the opposite direction. This is a small turn out election – the opposite of a presidential election. This is the kind of election where EVERY VOTE MATTERS THE MOST!
Where I have seen and received close to consensus, and I share those views, is that this process feels compressed and light on the kind of information that would be expected to make an informed decision on what is the biggest taxpayer funded investment Hoboken has ever experienced – 1/3 of a billion dollars. I have consistently raised this type of concern since I was elected to City Council in 2015 about large, often controversial issues, like out of scale redevelopment projects, that are put for a City Council vote before the public is sufficiently informed. I would have liked to have seen the process not be pushed over the holidays and at the end of the year that has exhausted all of us with COVID. But that is not our choice – our choice is to get as educated as possible on the proposed New High School so we are ready to vote in the upcoming referendum on or before January 25th – Yes or No.
This is an important one, so please forward to everyone you know, especially anyone you know with affordability concerns. And “you’re welcome” for cutting this into two parts (imagine how much longer it would have been had it all been included in one….). Feel free to email me at councilwomanfisher2@gmail.com or call me at 201-208-1674 to discuss what you have read or anything else that is important to you.
TiffanieFisher
Hoboken City Council, 2nd Ward
Engage. Inform. Advocate.
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1 comment
Sign in to commentShe needs to go. I’ll gladly support and volunteer to work with her opponent come election time.