At last night’s Hasbrouck Heights Council meeting (6/24/2020) our Mayor read a letter he wanted all councilmembers to sign related to COVID-19, re-opening businesses, and high school graduations. Unfortunately, all our Republican colleagues immediately joined in to support this political stunt.
Currently, many, if not all, Hasbrouck Heights businesses are back open and operating. Yes, there is a limited capacity or seating, but that is for our safety and the safety of employees. New Jersey is one of the very few States that has COVID somewhat under control, and we should not be following in the steps of Florida or Arizona which are seeing huge jumps in positive cases.
If we move too fast and we have to quarantine at home again it will be worse for everyone in the long run. Many places in other parts of the country are going back to stay-at-home orders, we do not want to go back to that!
As for graduations, we look forward to our students being able to participate in traditional graduations. They worked hard and deserve the recognition. The School Board has put forward a plan and to think they would change the dates now is preposterous.
If the Mayor and Republican majority really wanted to help the residents and businesses of Hasbrouck Heights they wouldn’t have passed a budget that raises taxes $114 on a home assessed at $401,000, and that’s just the municipal portion, it doesn’t take into account County or School taxes going up!
So, we as your Councilmen, will not sign a letter which is too little too late from a Mayor who has been absent for months.
Chris Hillmann & Steven Reyngoudt