Hoboken shakes off its monitor

by: Rosi Efthim

Wed May 12, 2010 at 04:09:31 PM EDT

Dawn Zimmer via Twitter: The DCA released Hoboken from having a state fiscal monitor. Judy Tripodi's last day is this Friday. Thank you Judy and thanks to the DCA.

Hoboken is one giant leap closer to home rule this afternoon, as  Hoboken officials presented the city's case for returning to home rule at a meeting of the state Local Finance Board in Trenton today, and the decision was to hand the city back most of its independence. Hoboken will still be required to send monthly finance reports to Department of Community Affairs, but it gained considerable freedom for self-direction.

The state poked its head in to Hoboken's fiscal affairs in June 2008, after city council opposed (then) Mayor Dave Roberts' budget and refused to pass it. That started a chain of events that led to Trenton pulling Hoboken's finances out of local hands and into the hands of a state-appointed monitor, Judy Tripodi.

Along Hoboken's path, the city endured a whopping 47% property tax increase after the monitor found that the city had underfunded its budget.

It's hard to read this as anything other than a high-five moment for Mayor Dawn Zimmer. So, high-fives, Hoboken. And, go show us how it's done.