There are 16 days left before the Jersey City municipal election on May 10. Thirty-one candidates are running for political office.
The mayoral candidates will be incumbent Mayor Jerramiah Healy, attorney Alfred Marc Pine, and former Councilwoman Melissa Holloway, whom the state Superior Court has allowed back on the ballot as of last week. Mayoral profiles will appear in a future issue.
Each of the six ward council seats serves a specific region of the city. There is a $24,500 annual salary for the City Council president and $22,500 for the other eight members of the council.
This week’s issue of the Jersey City Reporter features the third in a series of articles profiling the candidates for the May 10 council and mayoral elections. The profiles include wards E and F.
In the previous edition, a total of seven candidates from Ward A, B, C and D were profiled in the Jersey City Reporter. To see those candidates already profiled, visit www.jerseycityreporter.com. Where are wards E and F? Ward E encompasses much of the Downtown section of the city. It’s bounded by the Jersey City-Hoboken border to the north and Audrey Zapp Drive to the south.
Ward F is most of the Bergen – Lafayette section of the city and a part of the Greenville section of the city. It is located between Woodlawn Avenue to the south and Mercer Street to the north.
The incumbents in wards E and F are Junior Maldonado and Viola Richardson respectively. Maldonado is running on Mayor Jerramiah Healy’s re-election ticket, while Richardson is running as an independent.Ward E Candidates Steven Fulop – ‘Paved Streets – Safe Streets’
Steven Fulop grew up in Edison, N.J. He earned an undergraduate degree at SUNY Binghamton in Binghamton, N.Y. and attended Oxford University. After college he went to work on Wall Street at Goldman Sachs. He was working at his job when the World Trade Center was attacked on Sept. 11. Moved by that incident, he took a leave of absence to join the Marine Corps. When his tour was over, he returned to the business world and is now working as a vice president at Merrill Lynch. He also returned to school and is working on completing two Master’s Degrees – one from Columbia in public policy and the other at NYU in business.
Why are you running for City Council?
“I am running for City Council because I have the commitment, the energy and the skills to help improve conditions in Ward E and work with the community to create a better future for all the residents of the Ward. Ward E is the gateway to Jersey City; it’s the economic engine of the city. I believe we need a councilman who can not only grasp the importance of the ward, but one who is willing to work day and night to get things done. I work in the private sector where the only thing that counts is results, not promises.”
What will you do if elected to the City Council?
“My top two priorities will be making our streets safer and repairing our roads and sidewalks. I will put more cops on the streets, open a police substation on lower Newark Avenue and foster better relationships between police commanders and all community groups. Secondly, I will make sure that the city holds developers responsible for fixing the roads and sidewalks they destroy. Our streets are in horrible condition and have been for too long. I also want to work with developers and the city to improve our parks, which are in disrepair. I have developed plans to turn my objectives into reality.”
E. Junior Maldonado – ‘Team Healy 2005’
Maldonado is a lifelong Jersey City resident who was elected to the City Council in 2001. Maldonado is currently the deputy executive director of the Hudson County Improvement Authority and chairman of the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency. He has also worked as a senior investigator in the County Prosecutor’s Office and was also the former chairman of the Jersey City Housing Authority. He has served or currently serves on various local, county and state business and Hispanic organizations such as the Hispanic Elected Local Officials Organization, National League of Cities, and the Kiwanis Club.
Why are you running for City Council?
“I’m running for re-election to the City Council because I have lived in this area all my life. I have been involved in our community at all the various levels. I have or still do volunteer my time to organizations such as the Jersey City Girl and Boys Club, the Roberto Clemente Little League, Hudson County Girl Scouts. Most importantly, I have spent a lifetime working along side thousands of other Ward E residents in our continuing effort to improve the quality of life in our ward and I’m running for reelection in an effort to continue that good work.”
What will you do if elected to the City Council?
“First and foremost, making sure the city has a balanced budget is of prime importance. We have, for the past four years, approved a balanced budget and must continue to hold the line on property taxes while providing the very best services to all our citizens. With the approval of our recent capital improvement budget, we have begun and will continue to repave and repair our streets, spending $52.3 million on our roads for the next year. We must continue smart growth in order to increase ratables and provide for additional amenities to our community. I will use the next four years to build upon the accomplishments of the last four.”
Ward F Candidates Leonard J. Chaplin – ‘Change Is Near’
A lifelong resident of Jersey City, Chaplin attended Snyder High School and currently attends Jerusalem Temple Bible Institute in Jersey City. He is also a member of Jerusalem Temple Pentecostal Church in Jersey City. Chaplin currently works as a School Traffic Guard for the city of Jersey City.
Why are you running for City Council?
“I will be open to all your thoughts and ideas on how we can build a better Jersey City. Let’s come together as a whole Ward F by getting involved, and knowing who to put in office by electing a candidate within this ward who is capable of producing a change in the community and re-establish and become partakers of the redevelopment in this community. It takes work, but we can’t be lazy and think it’s going to fall from heaven, because it’s not!”
What will you do if elected to the City Council?
“The most important thing I will do is work toward providing programs for our youth.”
Ronnie-Calvin Clark – ‘Team Healy’
Born and raised in Jersey City, Clark is the pastor of Anointed Gospel Christian Center in Jersey City. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology from Adonia Christian Seminary where he is currently a graduate class instructor. Clark is also a member of the Jersey City Board of Education. He also serves as the director of Jersey City’s Neighborhood Empowerment Council for Urban Community Development for the New Jersey Redevelopment Authority. Clark is currently the host of Youth for Christ Ministries, a program on radio station WWRL 1600 AM – New York.
Why are you running for City Council?
I’m running for the City Council because the needs of the Bergen-Lafayette and Greenville Communities have been neglected for far too long. The concerns of the rest of the city are present and far more pronounced in my neighborhood. If folks are worried about their homes being robbed downtown, we are worried about losing our lives in Lafayette. If folks are worried about the lack of parking and open spaces up in the Heights, we’re worried about stray bullets killing our children in Bergen and Greenville. We are no longer interested in representatives who are loud and can’t get the job done.
What will you do if elected to the City Council?
When I am elected to the Jersey City Municipal Council, I will deliver on my promise to be the most responsive representative that the ward has ever had. I will open a Neighborhood Outreach Center where residents can suggest ideas and find information on available programs. I will focus the attention of city government on the needs of our children and our seniors and I will deliver on the decades old promise to revitalize King Drive.
Crystal L. Jones – ‘Expanding Opportunities’
Born and raised in Jersey City, Jones grew up in the city’s Lafayette/Morris Canal area and currently resides in the Greenville section. She attended Assumption All Saints School and St. Anthony’s High School in Jersey City, and the College of St. Elizabeth in Morristown, N.J. Jones spent four years after college working on social change issues and non-profit organizational development in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area with organizations including The National Political Congress of Black Women, People for the American Way, Emily’s List, and the Human Rights Campaign Fund. She resided in Minnesota for over a year working on the Clean Water Act, then returned to Jersey City to pursue a professional career in Management and Executive Administration.
Why are you running for City Council?
“I have always had the desire to help others. I left college in ’93 to go to Washington D.C. to learn the political process through helping progressive non-profit organizations reach out to their constituents for support on various issues that evoke some kind of social change. My determination after spending several years there lobbying on everything from The Clean Water Act to National Health Care is that politics controls everything we do in our community. The only way to actually be a part of change is to become a part of the political process.”
What will you do if elected to the City Council?
“I want to ensure that there is more cooperation and response from city government to specific citizen concerns. I want to provide platforms for positive exchange between residents and public officials so that community needs are addressed. I want to also be the vehicle in which major corporations can partner with the people of this community to establish some sort of balance between their successes and the growing needs of the communities that are only blocks away. We must expand the opportunities, and extend these opportunities to the neighboring communities of Jersey City. I intend to make that a reality with my four year term.”
Kenneth Miller Jr. – ‘Serving the People’
A lifelong resident of Jersey City, Miller worked for 25 years as a security officer at Lincoln High School. Miller currently serves as the president and CEO of the Kenneth Miller Group, which has sponsored such events as the Economic Empowerment Brunch and Jazz Session and most recently, “A Waterfront Night of Culture” at the Liberty House Restaurant in Jersey City. He is a graduate of St. Peter’s College in 1998, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in urban studies with a minor in public policy.
Why are you running for City Council?
“Running for city councilman has been a dream of mine for over 10 years. As a native and lifelong resident of Ward F, it is my duty to run to make my community “a safer, brighter and empowered community.” Over the years, I have been actively involved in many community organizations, and I plan to transfer my experience and knowledge if elected. I am running for councilman of Ward F ‘for the people’ to bring hope and change to all generations within my community.”
What will you do if elected to the City Council
“Provide a safer community by reducing crime. Provide a safe haven for our children and families. Establish additional community programs for our children and youths. Provide a brighter future for the children. Empower the community through education. Empower the community by creating jobs.”
Barshay N. Muhammad – ‘A Real Choice – A Real Voice’
Muhammad grew up in the Jersey City in an interfaith family, both Muslim and Christian. After completing high school, he attended Jersey City State College and thereafter, immediately opened Barshay’s Steak N Take on MLK Drive, and later the African House Bookstore. Currently, he serves as a Liaison on the Hudson County Child Welfare Planning Council; and Democratic (Reform) Party Committeeperson, District 21, Ward F. He also initiated the organization of a So Sad (Save our Sons and Daughters) Jersey City Chapter.
Why am I running for City Council?
“The voice of every citizen in Ward F needs representation. I am running to become an advocate for people who have not had a voice and yet suffer for the silence. We are running out of time to make a difference in the lives of many young people and must employ changes now to cut the supply of our youth to drugs and gangs. My goal is to improve the quality of life in Ward F through greater educational opportunities, increased commerce, jobs, and community development all working to strengthen the family base.”
What will you do if elected to the City Council?
“Primarily, become a walking presence in Ward F to return confidence of Jersey City government back to the people, making every resident part of the solution. I will work to bring increased funding into the community to support structured activities for our school children, providing healthy choices over drugs and gangs. I will work with businesses and the police for enhanced patrols to minimize the impact of gang activity on commerce and our quality of life. I will pool resources to make services for Ward F families, including seniors and the disabled, more user-friendly. As a team player, these collected efforts will work for the betterment of Jersey City.”
Viola Richardson – ‘Commitment, Integrity & Service’
Richardson was elected to the City Council in 2001 to represent Ward F. She previously served in the Jersey City Police Department for 20 years. She also has been an active member in her community for many years through her Viola S. Richardson Civic Association. Richardson has introduced programs to help her community such as the Second Chance Program to help inmates after they are released from jail and a summer camp for youth.
Recently, Richardson and Mayor Jerramiah Healy initiated the “Operation Life Saver” gun buy-back program that took approximately 1,000 guns off Jersey City streets.
Why are you running for City Council?
I am running for re-election to continue to provide strong, committed, honest, and experienced leadership to the citizens of Ward F. My agenda is based on the critical needs of my constituents, safer streets, affordable housing, providing opportunities for employment and entrepreneurial growth, and cleaner neighborhoods. I am truly prepared to continue to meet the challenge of the 24/7 job of councilperson. I believe that the City Councilperson position gives one the ability to advocate on behalf of the interest of the people. I will continue to make the needs of the people of Ward F my first priority.
What will you do if elected to the City Council?
Creating more affordable housing for Ward F residents. Working with developers for the creation of employment opportunities for residents in our community. Improving police coverage to prevent crime and better protect the public. Increasing number of police officers, especially minority officers in the Jersey City Police Department. Enhancing youth recreation programs and establishing a true youth officer for the children of Ward F. Revitalizing and refurbishing area parks for the enjoyment of our community.
George Wilson – ‘Troop Coalition’
A native of Sumter, South Carolina, Wilson has resided in Jersey City for nearly 50 years. He served in the U.S. Army from 1961 to 1963, then as a Jersey City police officer for 28 years until retiring as sergeant in 1996. Wilson then served as a Hudson County under sheriff until 2004. Wilson is also an active member of Mt. Olive Baptist Church; the founder of IMPAC, an African American police officers organization, and a founder and president of the Martin Luther King Day Parade, Jersey City’s only African-American parade.
Why are you running for City Council?
“I believe that there must be a shift in the way we approach the problems in Ward F. We can no longer place a bandage on our social problems but we must face them head on and attempt to fix the problems.”
What will you do if elected to the City Council?
“Encourage businesses to employ ex-offenders, and for ex-offenders to go back to school. Return the Latch Key Program that will help children whose parents are working. Create a center where young people can enjoy themselves under adult supervision. Start an entrepreneurial program for young adults, especially those involved in drug dealing, to refocus his or her business skills toward a positive commodity. Our neighborhoods cleaned up and affordable housing built on empty lots. Getting the city’s Department of Public Works to identify where potholes were located. And working on how police is deployed and how high crime areas are identified.”