In the three weeks since footage was shown of Jersey City Councilwoman Amy DeGise’s hit-and-run and calls for her resignation have grown, multiple media reports had shed light on her income status as well as an ignored payment to a veterinarian.
The at-large councilwoman has been charged with hitting a cyclist with her vehicle without stopping, and not reporting the incident until six hours after. Since the footage was publicized, a number of people have called on her to resign, though she said via a spokesman that she does not plan to.
But despite resisting calls to step down, a number of reports have revealed how her income status compares to an apartment she rents, and a missed payment to a veterinarian.
The Jersey Journal reported on Aug. 3 that DeGise lives at the College Towers apartment complex near New Jersey City University. The complex is intended for low-to-moderate income families, but DeGise was reported to have nearly $200,000 in yearly income.
$105,000 of it came from working at the Hudson County Schools of Technology, and $85,000 came from her job as a councilwoman.
The report continued that she also paid $290,000 for a house on Seaview Avenue in the city in 2020. Her spokesman told the Journal that she and her fiancé had bought the house with plans to move into it, but was delayed due to renovations since 2020.
The Journal also reported that she was ordered by a Hudson County court order to pay a nearly $3,000 veterinarian bill at the Oradell Animal Hospital in Paramus, who won a default judgment against her earlier this year.
DeGise then said via her spokesman that she was unaware of legal action until the school district told her that the court ordered her wages to be garnished to pay the bill and an additional $500 in court fees.
Other reports have also revealed that she attempted to dispute her vehicle from being towed in Hoboken last November after having parked in an illegal spot and her vehicle registration having expired, as well as having not paid numerous parking tickets.
DeGise was elected to her at-large seat last year under Mayor Steven Fulop’s ticket last November. She is also the former chairwoman of the Hudson County Democratic Organization and is the daughter of County Executive Tom DeGise.
So far, Councilmen James Solomon and Frank Gilmore are the only two council members that have called on DeGise to step down, along with a rally being held last week to call her to do so. The Jersey Journal’s editorial board have also called on her to resign.
If DeGise resigns before September 15, under state law a special election would be held in November to let the voters choose her successor. If she resigns after that date, the majority on the City Council allied with Mayor Steven Fulop would make the choice.
For updates on this and other stories, check hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Mark Koosau can be reached at mkoosau@hudsonreporter.com or his Twitter @snivyTsutarja.
