Jersey City’s new mayor says he will accept only a $1 salary this year as the city faces a $255 million deficit that he blamed on his predecessor.

Mayor James Solomon‘s office did not immediately say how much he was scheduled to be paid this year, but said former Mayor Steve Fulop earned $245,000 in the job.

Solomon’s spokesperson said he can afford to skip the paychecks.

“The mayor is blessed to come from a family with means, and he is fortunate to be able to make this decision during this critical time for Jersey City,” Nathaniel Styer, Solomon’s spokesperson, told NJ Advance Media on Friday.

“He believes in leading by example, and there is no better way to do that than putting your money where your mouth is,” Styer said.

Solomon, a 41-year-old married father of three, is the latest elected official in the U.S. to accept a symbolic $1 salary. Accepting a dollar in pay is a necessary legal distinction between being considered an employee rather than a volunteer.

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a billionaire, was paid $1 annually throughout his three terms before he left office in 2013.

“Tough decisions are ahead, and in times like this, it’s important to lead by example, lead from the front,” Solomon said in a video posted Thursday on social media to announce his decision.

One day earlier, Solomon said at a press conference that a “pattern of systemic mismanagement” under Fulop, the former mayor, had left Jersey City with a $255 million deficit.

Fulop, now president and CEO of the nonprofit Partnership for New York City, responded by disputing the new mayor’s contention that his administration left New Jersey’s second-largest city with a fiscal crisis.

After opting not to seek a fourth term, Fulop ran for governor and lost in the Democratic primary last June. He did not endorse any candidates in the race to succeed him.

Solomon was sworn in as Jersey City’s 50th mayor on Jan. 15 after serving two four-year terms on the Jersey City Council.

Fulop’s salary doubled during his more than 12 years in the mayor’s office, reaching $245,000, Solomon’s office said in a press release announcing his $1 salary.

Salaries for municipal employees in Jersey City, including the mayor, are set by the city council. Solomon’s office did not immediately provide information on the salary that was approved for the mayor for 2026.

A 2019 Jersey City ordinance connected the mayor’s base pay to that of the Hudson County executive, which was $216,700 as of 2023.

Fulop also received longevity pay, raising his salary in 2023 to more than $234,000, the Jersey Journal reported at the time.

In 2022, the city council raised council members’ salaries from $60,000 to $85,000. Solomon was among three members voting against the raise.

Solomon finished first among seven candidates in Jersey City’s nonpartisan election on Nov. 4. He defeated the second-place finisher, former Gov. Jim McGreevey, in a Dec. 2 runoff election.

Outside of government, Solomon has worked as an adjunct professor at New Jersey City University, St. Peter’s University and Hudson County Community College, according to his biography on Jersey City’s website.

Solomon said in announcing his $1 salary that Jersey City’s $255 million deficit is more than what the city spends on its police and fire departments.

He said that “every option is on the table” in dealing with the deficit.