In West New York, Mayor and Assemblyman Albio Sires is known for stabilizing the municipal tax rate, taking a major role in the regionalization of the five North Hudson County fire departments and reorganizing the town’s police department.
Now, after what was a 10-day battle that put Governor-elect James McGreevey and U.S. Rep. Robert Menendez at odds, Sires will be known across the state as assembly speaker.
Sires, 50, who moved to this country from Cuba when he was 11, said that he is extremely happy with his appointment, and that it provides him with faith in the country and its system of government.
"This proves you can come to this country and still accomplish something," said Sires, who is only beginning his second termin the assembly.
Sires was elected mayor in West New York in 1995. Before becoming mayor, he worked on many local campaigns as well as held numerous positions in state government, including assistant to the commissioner of the Department of Corrections.
Sires has also been the president, owner and licensed title officer of A.M. Title, Inc. in Union County since 1987.
He is a former All-State high school basketball player. He earned his B.A. from St. Peter’s College in Spanish and Marketing and his M.A. from Vermont’s Middlebury College in Spanish. He is a former West New York public school teacher and coach.
The speakership
As speaker of the assembly, Sires will be responsible for deciding which bills are posted for a full vote in the assembly. This position will also make Sires the third most politically powerful man in the state, following the governor and senate president.
In Trenton, Sires will also have numerous decisions to make about staffing.
"My first challenge will be to get us working together," Sires said. "I have committee assignments to make and staff to put together. We have to start thinking of ourselves as a team in order to tackle some of the problems left us by the previous administration."
"He will have to fill at least 70 positions," said Michael Harper, Sires’ chief of staff. "For one thing, Democrats have been in minority, now he’s going to have to staff the entire Majority Office – which serves at the request of the Speaker."
Sires, who is a Union County business owner, will likely spend a lot more time in Trenton coordinating activities there.
"This is a full-time job," Harper said.
As Speaker of the Assembly, Sires’ position becomes critical to the Governor because of the 20-20 Republican-Democratic split in the Senate.
"This means the governor will have to come to the assembly to get bills introduced into the legislature," Harper said.
Sires said that his first priority will be to correct a lot of the problems with finance in the state.
"We’ll have to start with the budget," said Sires.
All money bills must be introduced in the assembly first under state law, giving Sires a powerful position in shaping the state’s financial policy. Sires, in fact, will be influential in each year’s budget. This is a role for which Sires is particularly suited since he currently serves on the assembly’s Budget Committee.
"The deficit in the budget left us could be historical," Sires said. "After we have dealt with the budget then we will look into other areas we feel there have been problems in the previous administration, such as the state pensions."
Sires has also introduced six municipal budgets in West New York. Sires prides himself on being able to keep a stabilized tax rate, drastically reducing the town’s deficit.
The 20-20 split in the senate will also mean that Sires may have to step in as Acting Governor for eight days in January. Since the legislature is inaugurated eight days before the governor, somebody will have to finish former Gov. Christine Whitman’s term.
In past years, the senate president finished the remaining eight days; however, Senate President and Acting Governor Donald DiFrancesco did not run for re-election and it is unclear whether there will be another senate president elected in time.
Sires admitted that his becoming "acting governor" for eight days was "a bit overwhelming" and something totally unexpected.
"I don’t think you could have scripted it any better," he said. "But the Democrats needed a consensus candidate, and they wanted someone who could work with people. The trouble between members of the assembly from North and South Jersey began long before I got there, and I think they wanted someone who had no part in it. That’s why they picked me."
Right now, Senator Dick Codey, a Democrat from Essex County and Republican Senator John O. Bennett of Shrewsbury are in contention for the position of senate president.
Clash with Doria
Sires, who was elected mayor in 1995, beat out Assemblyman and Bayonne Mayor Joseph Doria for the speakership. Doria, who has been an assemblyman for close to 20 years, was backed by Menendez and other democratic leaders in Hudson County.
Sires was backed by Governor-elect Jim McGreevey. Officials from McGreevey’s transition office in Trenton said that McGreevey chose Sires as his candidate because Doria did not have the support of Democratic Assemblymen in Southern New Jersey.
While Sires’ appointment shifts a lot of power to North Hudson, Harper said Sires is not the kind of man who wants to play power politics in Hudson County. He said the feud between Sires and Bob Menendez was never as acute as the public perceived.
"Bob and Albio have always had a close relationship," Harper said. "There will be no problem mending fences."
Sires put it even more strongly, saying that when Menendez runs for re-election next year, Sires intends to be the first person to declare his support.
Sires said that his selection as the assembly speaker is proof of his ability to work with people from around the state.
"This is an opportunity to work with everyone from north or south in the state, east or west," he said.
Although he admits that support did not come from Hudson County, he said this would not stop him from working with county Democrats.
"I had to work with five Hudson County mayors to help regionalize the fire department in North Hudson," Sires said.
He also faced similar challenges when he merged the sewerage authorities.