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Paterson residents press council over library cuts, reassessments and snow towing
Summary
Residents at Tuesday's meeting urged the city to resolve unpaid library contracts and staffing shortages, provide clarity and appeal routes for steep property reassessments, and reconsider towing policies used during the recent snowstorm.
A large public portion at the Feb. 10 Paterson council meeting featured repeated calls for action on library staffing, property reassessments and the city's snow-towing practices.
Noel Cardona, president of Local 2903 and a 24-year library employee, told the council: "Our libraries and the dedicated staff who run them are at breaking point," citing understaffing, an unsigned ratified union contract and months-long delays to personnel approvals. Khadija Jenkins, who said she had contacted both the mayor's and council offices, asked whether the administration had an active plan to address the loss of funding and whether partnerships or alternative revenue sources were being pursued.
Multiple residents described sharply higher reassessments received in recent weeks. Mike Vargo described his own bill and warned of downstream consequences: "My taxes went from 2,300 to 9,000," he said, drawing other speakers' expressions of alarm over the affordability of staying in Paterson. Council members repeatedly urged homeowners who received reassessment letters to visit the tax assessor's office to begin the appeals process; they also requested that the assessor and CFO present the appraisal methodology at a forthcoming meeting.
Several speakers criticized the city's snow-removal and towing procedures during the recent storm. Residents asked for reimbursements when tow notifications were posted with little notice and said towing sometimes removed the only vehicle used for income generation. Council President Lalisa Mims asked staff for a towing report and for constituent-services follow-up; she said there is an existing paper reimbursement process for towings claimed to lack proper notice and asked staff to provide the full list of towed vehicles and circumstances.
Other public comments included requests from local arts groups that grant payments be processed (Shakespeare on-site said grant checks had been delayed at the museum/finance steps), concerns about downtown parking and traffic patterns, and praise for some DPW and public-safety staff who continued cleanup and response work in severe conditions.
Council response: multiple council members said they will press the BA, CFO and department heads for written follow-up. Councilman Alex Mendez said he would help residents with appeals and asked for data on revenue from abatements. The council also asked library and museum directors and finance to reconcile outstanding grant funding and contract-related invoices.
Next steps: council members asked staff to supply a towing report, an explanation of the appraisal methodology used by the reassessment contractor and a timeline for resolving unpaid grant payments to community partners.
