In the turbulent waters of Hoboken’s municipal politics, City Business Administrator Robert Drasheff has somehow weathered the highs and lows of 25 years of public service.
In fact, he’s he only director that has worked for each of the past five administrations. Now he has decided that it’s time to step out of the public realm.
For the past two years, he has served as the business administrator, overseeing Hoboken’s budgets in the city’s highest ranking non-elected position.
His retirement will be effective Sept. 1, but because of saved up vacation time, his last day in the office will be August 19.
“It really has been a privilege to serve in government,” said Drasheff in an interview with the Reporter. “Despite all the rancor that we’ve seen, I’m very proud of the accomplishments that each of the administrations was able to achieve over the years.”
He said the hardest thing will be leaving the friends he has made while working in City Hall. “Because I worked my way up through the ranks, at one point or another, I formed a close personal relationship with almost everyone I met [in City Hall],” he said. “I’m going to miss them terribly.”
Drasheff will be moving into the private sector where he will start up his own waterfront development consulting firm.
Change for the better
“Hoboken is a dramatically better place today than it was when I first started,” he said. “Today we fight it out over dog runs, ice skating rinks and swimming pools, which is a whole world away for the problems we faced in the past, like crippling poverty, crime, and riots.”
His employment with the city began in 1979 when he was appointed to be the first director of welfare under former Mayor Steve Cappiello. He also severed in that capacity under Mayors Tom Vezzetti and Pat Pasculli. Drasheff reminisced about how different a place Hoboken was in those economically challenged days. “When I first started working for the city, one in four people living in Hoboken were receiving [public assistance],” said Drasheff. “Today that number is right around 2 percent. It’s been an amazing turnaround.” Drasheff took a second job in 1985 as the deputy city clerk, where he help assisted in a major modernization project that brought the turn-of-the-century filing system up to date.
In 1990, Drasheff was elected Hudson County freeholder, which would be the only time that he held elected office.
Under Russo Drasheff said that one of his most rewarding times working for the city was during the administration of former Mayor Anthony Russo. In 1994 he was promoted to become the director of human services, where he helmed the privatization of most of the services offered by the Board of Health. Before 1994, the city employed as many as 20 health care professionals who provided check-ups, nutrition and dental programs among other health care services.
According to Drasheff, the during mid 1990s, the city’s health facilities were for the most part substandard, lacking in modern technology and prohibitively expensive to run and maintain. As the director of human services, Drasheff entered into successful negotiations with St. Mary Hospital to privatize the services offered by the city.
Waterfront development
Maybe even more importantly, Drasheff also served as the director of waterfront development during that time. “That was an exciting time for Hoboken,” said Drasheff. “Through the redevelopment process, Hoboken became so much more attractive as a city.”
In the mid-1980s, the New York/New Jersey Port Authority, at the request of the city of Hoboken, performed a feasibility study of a major section of the waterfront. At the time the waterfront was comprised of dilapidated piers, parking lots and vacant warehouses. The study suggested that the land be used for a balanced mix of housing, office facilities, retail and consumer services, and research.
In 1995, the plan was finally unveiled during Mayor Anthony Russo’s term. It called for a hotel, 1.1 million square feet of commercial development, a residential development, and parks on both Pier A and C. As part of the deal, the Port Authority kicked in $80 million in infrastructure improvements.
As the director of waterfront development, Drasheff made the plans come to fruition. “The improvements on the waterfront are something that we can all be proud of,” he said.
Also, Drasheff was given the helm of the Northwest Redevelopment Zone, which now, with the coming of the light rail to the city’s west side, is starting to bear fruit.
A survivor
Given the heightened level of animosity that is pervasive in Hoboken politics, it might seem like a longshot to make it through five administrations. While directors aren’t elected positions, they are certainly political positions that are hired at the discretion of the mayor.
When Russo was running for mayor in 1993, Drasheff actually supported lawyer Ira Karasick. When Russo took the helm, Drasheff was still the assistant city clerk, but after a single year, the city’s director of human services and the Russo had a falling out. Even though he didn’t support Russo politically, Drasheff was hired for the position.
“Small-town politics are still very much alive [in Hoboken],” he said last week, “It’s a city where, despite the occasional political differences, we have all, on some level remained friends.”
Although Drasheff hails the accomplishments achieved during Russo’s term, he also has said for the last few years that the reason Mayor David Roberts’ budgets are high is because Russo left a deficit.
The Roberts years
Drasheff ended up getting hired by the Roberts administration in a similar manner to when he was hired by Russo. In 2000, Drasheff supported Russo for mayor, who lost. Roberts was sworn in and cleared house, and brought in his own directors.
Drasheff took a job as the human services director of Weehawken. But almost a year later, when Business Administrator Laurie Cotter left Hoboken, Drasheff was Roberts’ choice for the job.
In that capacity, Drasheff was often the front man for the administration, and was the one who would have to take the shots from the political opposition at the almost always heated City Council meetings.
And there was definitely opposition. In the past two years, the city under took a controversial debt restructuring plan that saved money in the short term but will cost millions in the long run. Drasheff had to, at one point, issue a statement admitting that the city had released incorrect financial information in an ad that encouraged residents to support the plan. In addition, the city is also already on its fourth chief financial officer in slightly over two years, and oversaw the city’s absorption of the always controversial Parking Authority.
Even though it wasn’t always a smooth ride, Roberts said Thursday that Drasheff has performed well. “I wish Bob and his wife, Linda, the best of luck as he enters a new phase of his life,” said Mayor David Roberts Thursday, who described Drasheff as a good friend. “He’s served our city extremely well for over a quarter of a century in many capacities and has always been a quintessential professional.”
On the Hoboken’s political future, Drasheff said that unfortunately, things seem too divisive to calm down right away.
“I think things will be even more divisive,” he predicted. He prognosticated that Roberts will win in 2005, but said that until Roberts can gain a solid and firm consensus on the council, there will continue to be bi-monthly fireworks at the council chambers.
“That could happen in 2005, but more likely in 2007 or later,” he said.
He said that only strong leadership will quell the city’s political divisiveness. On his future
Drasheff said that he looks forward to stepping into the private sector.
“I’m looking forward to it, because not only will it allow me to be more productive for my family, but will also allow me to spend more time with them,” he said.
He finished his interview by noting that Frank Sinatra’s granddaughter, a singer herself, has decided to make a permanent home in Hoboken.
“The fact that Frank Sinatra’s granddaughter has moved back to Hoboken show you how far we have come as a city,” he said. “Hoboken is a great city today.”