Highlights From Harrison Mayor & Council Meeting of Tues. Mar. 18 2025

During a recent Harrison Mayor & Council meeting on March 18, 2025, Mayor James Fife made a surprising announcement about his plans to run for reelection in 2026. This declaration, not listed on the meeting agenda, followed the Pledge of Allegiance and came after consultations with his family and health advisors, sparking mixed reactions among the attendees due to the mention of his cardiologist.

The announcement follows in the wake of Councilman Michael Dolaghan's resignation from the 4th Ward, driven by health concerns after a heart attack last year. When questioned about Dolaghan’s replacement, Mayor Fife deferred to Councilman James Doran, who disclosed no set plans for convening the Harrison Democratic County Committee to address the vacancy. A question about whether there was a law that set deadlines went unanswered.

Harrison’s 2025 Budget Record PILOT Cash

The meeting also unveiled the town’s 2025 budget, presented by Chief Financial Officer Gabriela Simoes Dos Santos. The budget revealed a troubling financial landscape: a decrease in state aid to $1,197,811 less than the previous year and a significant drop in grants, from $1,013,278 in 2024 to $308,426 in 2025 — a $704,852 reduction. Despite these financial setbacks, the town's budget plan involves raising $16,898,333 from property owners, which is nearly matched by revenue from New Jersey Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (NJPILOTs) at $16,871,257. The difference is $27,076.  In other words, the Harrison Redevelopment Zone which was generating very little property taxes over 26 years ago is now generating as much revenue as the property owners are paying in property taxes. 

Unanswered Questions: Property Taxes vs. PILOT Revenue

This fiscal strategy, particularly the reliance on PILOTs, has sparked a critical issue: why haven't property taxes decreased amid the growing PILOT revenue from the town’s redevelopment zone? The question remains particularly poignant as residents face consistent tax rate hikes despite the influx of redevelopment and associated PILOT funds. This issue stands as a crucial point of concern for taxpayers who see the redevelopment as a potential relief from personal tax burdens yet find no change in their tax invoices. Landlords have raised their rents and long-time residents of Harrison have moved and/or taken on roommates to offset increased rent.

SOHA Parking Woes Continue

Parking in the SOHA (Southern Harrison) district remains a contentious topic, with resident Alex Roman thanking the council for improvements to sidewalks and street crossing that have made his neighborhood safer for families. However, the ongoing issue of inadequate unmetered parking and the high costs and insecurity at the Harrison Parking Garage dominated part of the Public Session of the meeting. Proposals for a SOHA-specific parking permit system were rejected as unfeasible, leaving residents burdened with the daily hassle and expense of metered parking. One wonders if there are two classes of residents in Harrison.  Those with side street unmetered parking in their neighborhood and those who with completely metered parking in their neighborhood.

Environmental Concerns Over Proposed Toxic Sludge Plant

Additionally, Mayor Fife reaffirmed his support for the EPA's plan to establish a Toxic Sludge Plant on the PSE&G property, intended to process dioxin-laden sludge from the Passaic River. The project entails bringing the sludge on land in Harrison and encapsulating the dioxin sludge with cement to transport it to authorized landfills all in the open air. In addition, EPA plans to bring debris from the Passaic River to be processed at PSE&G and shipped out, it too will contain dioxin and in addition store construction materials on-site for up to 20 years. This plan has met with significant resistance from the community, who are concerned about the implications of placing such a facility in a residential area that has been transformed from an industrial wasteland to a thriving neighborhood over the past 26 years.

The meeting highlighted several pressing issues facing Harrison, from leadership decisions in the wake of health scares to fiscal management and environmental safety. As Mayor Fife announces over a year before the next Mayoral election one wonders why is Mayor Fife making such an early announcement. The community continues to grapple with these complex challenges, looking for transparency and thoughtful leadership in navigating the town’s future.

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