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Jersey City mayor shakes up staff amid $255M budget gap
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Michael Sol Warren
Published Oct 8, 2026
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David Giambusso/Gothamist
By
Michael Sol Warren
Published Oct 8, 2026
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A major shakeup of city leadership is underway in Jersey City, with multiple senior officials leaving City Hall in recent days.
Mayor James Solomon’s office on Thursday announced the resignations of Bill Viqueira, the city’s finance director, and Keshav Poddar, the city’s deputy mayor for housing. Solomon said in a statement that their departures were part of an administrative restructuring to focus on bringing new revenue to the city and accelerating affordable housing initiatives.
“Jersey City is experiencing an affordability crisis which requires nothing short of excellence from my leadership team at City Hall,” Solomon said. “One that is laser-focused on ensuring our city finances stabilize, keeping the people of this city in their homes, and ensuring we are improving city services in every corner of this city.”
The turnover inside City Hall comes as city leaders have struggled with a $255 million budget gap. This year’s city budget raised property taxes roughly 15%, a move effectively mandated as a condition of the state's $120 million aid package to the city. Solomon’s administration has faced fierce criticism from residents over the tax hike.
Another major tax hike could be coming next year. Gov. Mikie Sherrill last week vetoed two bills designed to give Jersey City leaders more tools to raise new revenue and more flexibility in spending existing funds.
Solomon told WNYC on Wednesday he was disappointed by the vetoes, and said city leaders would need to get even more creative with city finances.
“ Those bills would have provided much-needed, both ongoing recurring revenue as well as one-time revenue that was already collected by the city,” Solomon said. “Now my job is to both work with the governor and the legislature, as well as our city officials to find alternatives and to keep pushing to limit tax increases as much as possible in next year's budget.”
Both Viqueira and Poddar called serving Solomon’s administration a privilege.
“I am confident the work underway will continue to create opportunities for Jersey City to grow while delivering for its residents,” Viqueira said in a statement.
Poddar said in a statement that he appreciates “working alongside so many dedicated public servants and being a part of the City’s work to build more affordable housing.”
Solomon’s office said Kyle Greaves will serve as the city’s acting finance director, while Annisia Cialone, director of the city’s Department of Housing, Economic Development and Commerce, will lead housing initiatives in Poddar’s wake.
Residents have criticized and questioned the mayor over how many deputy mayors he has hired under his administration. It’s unclear if the mayor intends to replace Poddar or eliminate the position.
Thursday also brought news that Stuart Thomas, a senior adviser to Solomon, was leaving the mayor’s office and would become the chief of staff for Councilmember Mamta Singh.
"I've known Councilwoman Singh for the better part of a decade, and I've watched how committed she is to making Jersey City a better place for our residents," Thomas said in a statement. "I'm thankful to Mayor Solomon and his team for the experience of the past year. I look forward to working with them from the council side and ensuring an orderly transition from my previous role."
Thomas resigned from his role in the Solomon administration, according to Singh. He had been suspended without pay for five days earlier this summer after being criticized for commenting at a party that if residents of Greenville — a largely Black and working-class neighborhood — couldn’t afford a 15% tax hike, they should sell their homes and move out, according to the Jersey City Times.
The departures come after Sarah Levine, the city’s corporation counsel, submitted her own resignation on Tuesday. Levine will remain in her role while the Solomon administration searches for her replacement.
In a statement announcing Levine’s resignation, Solomon praised her leadership through significant legal challenges, including representing the city in its fight with the Trump administration over so-called sanctuary policies. Jersey City, along with Newark, Paterson and Hoboken, ultimately won that fight when a federal judge dismissed the case.
“This is a critical role, and as we transition, our focus will be on finding the right leader to build on that progress and continue moving Jersey City forward,” Solomon said.
“It was a privilege to serve alongside the talented, dedicated professionals in the Law Department,” Levine said in a statement. “I look forward to partnering with the administration to ensure an orderly transition that will set the Law Department and Jersey City residents up for success.”
Nathaniel Styer, the city’s former communications director, resigned in late September. The communications team lost another staffer on Thursday, when Megan Malloy, the city’s digital director, resigned.
Kimberly Wallace Scalcione will serve as acting press secretary. She previously served as the city’s main spokesperson under previous Mayor Steve Fulop, and continued working for the city under the Solomon administration as a spokesperson for the Jersey City Department of Public Safety. It’s unclear if Scalcione will continue her public safety responsibilities while taking on the role in the mayor’s office.
This story was updated with new information. Michael Hill contributed reporting.
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Michael Sol Warren
Michael Sol Warren covers New Jersey for WNYC and Gothamist, and previously reported on issues around the Garden State for NJ Spotlight News and NJ Advance Media. He can be reached at [email protected].
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