On April 27, New Jersey Together / Jersey City Together brought more than 400 people together at Christ the King Catholic Church to call on Jersey City Mayor James Solomon to commit to their housing agenda and enforce payroll tax funding for public schools. Solomon made six commitments related to city payroll tax collection, tenants' rights, and the Bayfront redevelopment project.

The mayor's commitments included ensuring compliance with a law requiring employers to pay a 1% tax on the payroll of nonresident employees to support public schools, agreeing to make the Bayfront project his priority, agreeing to ask Governor Mikie Sherrill to waive a $500,000 statewide cap on subsidies for affordable housing units, and introducing policies to curb exploitive landlord practices. 

NJT has continued engaging the Mayor to keep his commitments since the action, and confronted Mayor Solomon after his recent announcement to require only 20% affordability from the developer of the first phase of the 100-acre Garfield Avenue site. Jersey City Together’s predecessor, Interfaith Community Organization (ICO), spent over 30 years organizing to make sure the site was permanently remediated as part of its chromium clean up across Jersey City. Jersey City Together will meet with Mayor Solomon again and challenge Jersey City leaders to adopt the 35% affordability precedent secured by Jersey City Together at the 100 acre 8,000+ unit Bayfront redevelopment.

Coverage

Jersey City Times:  Solomon Promises to Enforce Payroll Tax, Make Bayfront ‘Number One Development Priority’

Hudson County View: Jersey City Together calls on Solomon to improve school funding, affordable housing

Hudson Reporter: Jersey City Mayor Solomon Fights for Schools, Rent Relief, and Bayfront