For Immediate Release: Wednesday, July 29th 2026
For years, failed neoliberal fiscal policies have lined the pockets of developers, corporations, and the well-connected while leaving Jersey City’s working class behind. Today, Jersey City is facing a $200 million budget shortfall through no fault of its residents; property taxes will go up, state aid is in the form of a loan, and the budget being proposed as a result of these crises also cuts vital services to our city.
The Hudson County Branch of North New Jersey DSA calls upon the city to revise the budget away from austerity and towards the administrative waste the city has an obligation to tackle. That starts with police budget cuts within the Department of Public Safety (DPS) that target redundant administrative bloat — which has long been a source of criticism across the political spectrum.
That department is currently the only one facing a budget increase from last year, despite the city’s pledge to apply spending cuts fairly across every department — and despite the JCPD’s history of overtime abuse contributing to our current budget crisis.
We cannot allow the working class of our city to be harmed, and we must reject austerity by cutting waste where we find it — regardless of who is committing it.
Furthermore, we call on the City to preserve vital services to residents, including tenants’ Right-to-Counsel; and we call on the state legislature to pursue all possible avenues to shift the financial burden of municipal finances off of the working class and onto the wealthy, including implementing a progressive tax system and directly taxing the rich.
We will organize with our neighbors and fellow community members to make these demands concrete and to win the material changes we deserve, and we urge anyone interested to join us: