Bianchi said the proposed toll increases by the Port Authority will “crush commuters who are simply trying to get back and forth to work.”

The authority is looking to increase tolls by 50 to 100 percent on some of its river crossings and on its PATH service. Tolls could rise as much as $4 to $7 per car.

“At a time like this when the economy is so bad, I can’t see any justification for increasing tolls by such a large amount,” said Bianchi. “They are not thinking at all about the person who is struggling now to make ends meet and has to pay more money just to go to work.”

Bianchi said he was horrified by a published report today that the authority’s is spending millions of dollars on overtime for its police department and “grossly inflated pensions.”

The report noted that police sergeants at the authority are making $107,000 to $153,000 just in overtime.

“Those numbers are simply obscene,” said Bianchi. “If that’s how the Port Authority is spending toll money, they don’t deserve more of it.”

According to an audit of the bi-state agency by the New York State comptroller; “Overtime flows like water at the Port Authority and management has no clear strategy to achieve its own benchmarks and goals for curbing costs.”

“The Port Authority needs to do what we are doing at the municipal level of government; they need to cut spending and tighten their belts,” said Bianchi. “If we can do it, they should too.”

Bianchi said the authority needs to throw open its books so “we can find out where all this toll revenue is going. At the municipal level of government, we are accountable for every dollar we spend. There doesn’t seem to be that level of accountability at the Port Authority.”

According to the audit, the Authority paid $85.7 million in overtime last year to 5,360 employees. It also paid out pensions ranging from $125,612 to $196,768.

“Those numbers are an insult to the hard working people of this area who have to cross into New York for a job or to conduct business,” said Bianchi.

BOROUGH ASKS RESIDENTS TO MAINTAIN THEIR PROPERTY
New Effort on Property Upkeep Initiated

North Arlington, NJ June 1, 2011 – The borough is asking residents to redouble their efforts to maintain their homes and commercial properties and has launched a new initiative to remind those who don’t that they have an obligation to keep their properties up to par, said Councilman Joseph Bianchi.

The initiative, said Bianchi, is meant to maintain pride in neighborhoods and to support home values.

“We are not trying to be punitive to any individual, but we want to remind those who own homes or businesses that they have an obligation to keep their property well maintained,” said the councilman.

“I know times are tough for a lot of people, but we must maintain pride in our homes, our neighborhoods and our community. By doing so, we will support property values and we will send a message to people in the region that North Arlington residents care about their town,” said Bianchi.

The property maintenance initiative started a few weeks ago, according to the Robert Kairys, the borough’s construction official. Members of the parking violations bureau are now directed to report unkempt properties as they travel around town. They have been charged to look for houses that need painting or siding repair, or those that have overgrown lawns or hedges, crumbling stairs, or garbage strewn yards. Homes with abandoned or unregistered vehicles parked in the driveway or messy pools are also being addressed, said Kairys.

When an under-maintained property is reported, Kairys inspects the site and, if warranted, issues a notice for the property owner to address the maintenance problem. If the owner fails to address the property maintenance issues, a $200 fine can be assessed. To date about 50 notices have been issued.

Kairys said if the property owner fails to make the necessary repairs or address maintenance problems, the borough will hire someone to do the necessary work and send the property owner a bill and put a lien on their property until the bill is paid.

In cases where the property owner is unable to afford to make the necessary upgrades because of financial reasons they are referred to a county program for help, said Kairys.

Kairys said abandoned properties or those under foreclosure present the biggest problem. In those cases the borough will make necessary repairs, or cut the lawn and bill the bank that holds the mortgage on the property.

“We want to be proactive in enforcing property maintenance laws and by doing so, we can cut down on the volume of complaints we get from people whose neighbors may be lax in taking care of the homes,” said Kairys.

“The vast majority of people go to great effort to maintain their homes and I would like to see everyone demonstrate pride in their neighborhood,” said Bianchi

The councilman added that those with elderly neighbors are encouraged to help them cut their laws or trim their hedges. “We should never forget that we are a community and we should do our best to look out for our neighbors who need help,” said Bianchi.

“In the long run it’s in everyone’s interest to have a well kept town,” added the councilman.