Proposed 15.5% Tax Hike in Jersey City Has Residents Thinking About Leaving

Jersey City, New Jersey, residents are angry about a plan to raise their taxes by 15.5%. Mayor James Solomon proposed the increase to help fix a large gap between what the city owes and what it has. Two protests took place on Monday, and a final vote on the city's budget is scheduled for Wednesday. Some residents say if the tax hike passes, they will not be able to afford to stay in the city.

One resident, Dmetriotis Van De Mark, has lived in Jersey City for 31 years. She says the proposed tax increase would force her to leave — not because she wants to go, but because she simply cannot afford to stay. For her, the choice is already becoming painfully clear: pay higher taxes or cover basic needs like medicine. 'So do I choose between taking a couple dollars out of the rent, or getting my insulin? I'm getting my insulin because I want to live,' she said.

The 15.5% increase is actually lower than what was first proposed. Mayor Solomon originally suggested a 20% tax hike, but that number was reduced after public backlash. Still, many residents feel even the smaller increase is too much to handle. They worry that rising costs in Jersey City are starting to feel as expensive as neighboring New York City.

Resident Stephanie Startz spoke out at one of Monday's protests. She said the rising cost of living no longer matches the quality of life in the city. She added that city leaders promised to support working-class people but are now letting them down. Her comments summed up what many protesters were feeling that day.

Mayor Solomon attended a separate, pre-planned event on Monday focused on climate change called the 'Make Polluters Pay' rally. Protesters who were upset about the tax hike showed up there too and used it as a chance to speak out. The mayor's event was about environmental laws, but the crowd's frustration quickly shifted the focus to taxes and the city's budget problems.

The mayor's office pointed to an audit — an official financial review — released last week to explain why the tax hike is needed. The audit found that the city has a $94.1 million deficit, meaning it owes much more money than it currently has. Officials say this is partly because past spending was pushed into the future without a real plan to pay for it. The city also says it is cutting nearly $58 million in spending and has secured $120 million in state aid to help close the gap.

Former Mayor Steven Fulop, who led Jersey City before Solomon, pushed back strongly against these claims. He said Solomon is relying on an auditor that Solomon himself once called untrustworthy back in 2022. Fulop also argued that the audit does not support the idea of a massive financial crisis. 'This is politics, not a financial crisis from a political auditor,' Fulop said.

For now, Jersey City residents are waiting anxiously for Wednesday's budget vote. Many are trying to figure out how to manage their own household budgets at the same time. Whether the tax hike passes or gets reduced further, the debate has made one thing clear: the people of Jersey City want their leaders to make decisions that keep the city affordable for everyone.