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- “Multiple City Hall sources” tell Politicker that council president Mariano Vega*, who was arrested in last month’s corruption sting, is considering relinquishing his post as prez before the next council meeting (Sept. 9).

- Two contractors are suing developer Peter Mocco for $3 million he owes them for work done at the Liberty Harbor complex, while a third says he plans on filing suit today and a fourth says the developer owed him so much money that his construction company went bankrupt. Mocco tells the Journal that the disputes are essentially sour grapes.

- Lou Manzo faces a civil suit from former fundraiser Dannielle Transue Leigh, who says he owes her $40,000 for his unsuccessful bid for the Democratic State Senate nomination in 2007. The two sides are set to meet for arbitration in Superior Court this morning.

- Jersey City is considered a high-priority area for $7 million being dedicated by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority to help create new supermarkets throughout the state. The program provides low-interest loans to supermarket owners.

- A group of Jersey City residents is planning a demonstration outside the Liberty National Golf Club when it plays host to the nationally televised 2009 Barclays golf tournament next week. The group’s leader, Bruce Alston, says they want to emphasize the need in the black community for a stronger relationship with Liberty National.

- Four more arrests have been made in the crackdown on an alleged Hudson County meth ring that has already resulted in more than 20 arrests.

In statewide news:

- The state unemployment rate inched up to 9.3 percent in July, remaining at a 32-year high despite the fact that the state’s economy added 5,900 jobs last month. As just about everything will for the next few months, the data quickly became a political football for the gubernatorial candidates.

- Meanwhile, on the campaign trail the topic du jour continued to be the controversial loan Republican Chris Christie gave to one of his employees while U.S. Attorney. Gov. Corzine and his top aides continued to hit Christie on the loan yesterday, and Democratic state chairman Joe Cryan filed a complaint with the state Election Law Enforcement Commission because Christie omitted the Brown mortgage from mandated financial-disclosure reports.

- A report from Transportation for America released this week cites NJ Transit as the largest transportation system in the country that lacks dedicated funding. This leaves the agency’s funding at the mercy of state legislators. This year, when the state budget cut NJ Transit’s funding by 17 percent, the agency had to eliminate 140 staff positions and lower its administrative spending to avoid fare hikes or reduced services.

- Forecasters say Hurricane Bill is expected to whip up the ocean as it passes hundreds of miles off New Jersey’s coast, affecting the waters at the shore this weekend.