Seventeen people are running for three seats on the on the nine-member Hoboken City Council on May 10.
Council members earn approximately $20,000 a year.
There are five slates of candidates running, as well as two independents.
This week, we are running the profiles of candidates on the mayoral slates of Councilwoman Carol Marsh, activist Evelyn Smith, and Mayor David Roberts.
Next week, the slates of businessman Frank Raia and Councilman Michael Russo will run, as long as the two independents.
Additionally, next week, all five mayoral profiles will run.
The answers to the questions below are in the candidates’ own words.
For past stories on the debates and related matters, check www.hobokenreporter.com.
The slates
The first slate is Councilwoman Carol Marsh’s ticket, which includes incumbent Councilman Tony Soares, attorney Brian Urbano, and Inés García-Keim, who is the co-founder of the Puerto Rican Cultural Committee Scholarship Fund and was one of the founders of the Hoboken Charter School.
Next will be incumbent Mayor David Roberts’ ticket. Roberts is running with two teachers – incumbent Councilman Ruben Ramos Jr. and Terry LaBruno – and attorney Peter Cammarano The next slate is made up of Evelyn Smith, who is seeking the mayoralty; Elizabeth Falco, principal of the Demarest Middle School; Carrie Gilliard, president of the local NAACP; and Diane Nieves, an assistant to the division chief in the Hoboken rent leveling office.
Carol Marsh’s ticket
Inés García-Keim
Inés García-Keim is a familiar face at city meetings. Originally from Puerto Rico, Garcia-Keim graduated from Barnard College at Columbia University and was the first woman in her family to earn a college degree.
She was a founding board member of the Hoboken Charter School and serves on the board of the Quality of Life Coalition. She also volunteers to aid victims of domestic violence and helped expand the Puerto Rican Cultural Festival from a small event to a waterfront party that features top-notch Latino entertainers.
She also does community outreach for the Hoboken Historical Museum, serves on the Rent Leveling Board, and she has been on the Board of The Fund for a Better Waterfront as an outspoken advocate for responsible development.
Why are you the most qualified candidate to serve on the Hoboken City Council?
I will bring to the Hoboken City Council a diverse background, including experience in areas ranging from education to the arts, and environmental preservation to business management. I have lived in cities all my life and have seen how good planning and effective local governments can enhance quality of life – and property values – for city residents while preserving historic districts and public spaces.
During my years as an active participant in Hoboken’s civic organizations, I have worked successfully towards common goals with people from different backgrounds and points of view. As a City Councilwoman I will work to help Hoboken realize its great potential – becoming a model for cities in transition from industrial to technological/service based economies. The last two decades have brought many changes to Hoboken, some good, some bad. When the community was included – the southern waterfront and Pier A park – the results have been good. When the community has been shut out problems have occurred. As a city councilwoman I will listen to all segments of the community. I will honor the people’s trust with my full commitment to represent them with honesty and dignity, and treat all residents with the respect every one of us deserves.
What do you believe to be the most important issues facing Hoboken, and briefly describe how you intend to address these issues, should you be elected?
Hoboken’s fiscal health must be restored so we can effectively embrace the opportunities and address the challenges ahead. We simply cannot continue to spend more than what we collect in revenues. With a budget that has grown over 30 percent in just three years, the city administration needs to take an honest look at every line item to eliminate redundancies and make sure that every expenditure is justified.
I believe that effective leadership is a key part of the process of planning, negotiation and cooperation that is necessary to deliver a budget where no single stakeholder feels unfairly treated. In planning Hoboken’s future, we must look at diversifying our tax base with commercial development that fits Hoboken’s scale and character. As we plan our city’s growth we must ensure the preservation of historic structures and the creation of recreational facilities that include performance spaces, active recreational and passive green spaces not just on our waterfront but in new residential neighborhoods.
As councilwoman I will also urge the public school district to become more involved in Hoboken’s civic life by sharing resources with the city so we can bring different factions of the community together and better serve people of all ages.
Tony Soares
Incumbent Councilman Tony Soares is a creative director for a Manhattan Ad agency, where he produces TV commercials for clients such as AT& T.
After college he moved to Hoboken where he became involved by joining the Coalition for a Better Waterfront and other advocacy groups. Tony was elected as an independent to the City Council in 1999, and re-elected in 2001 on Mayor David Roberts’ ticket. Soares soon broke with Roberts because he believes that Roberts failed to live up to his campaign promises when it came to maintaining an open government and showing fiscal restraint.
Why are you the most qualified candidate to serve on the Hoboken City Council?
Because I say what I mean – and I mean what I say. When I was first elected City Council member at-large as an Independent in 1999, I ran on a simple platform – open and honest government, quality city services, and fiscal responsibility. I was re-elected in 2001 with the same message. Others have supported these reform principles as a way to weaken an opponent or to win an election. Read the campaign promises of my fellow City Council members and you’d never suspect a majority would vote to sell city assets or raid the parking surplus to pretend to balance the city budget. For six years as a councilman – and as an activist for a decade before that – I have stayed true to the reform principles I believe.
Another reason I am most qualified is my record of confronting Hudson County’s culture of corruption. I believe New Jersey has as much a right to honest government as folks do anywhere. In 2001 I proposed pay-to-play reform to the Hoboken City Council and couldn’t get the votes. I believe Hoboken should be leading the way in reform for the state, not serving as its bad example.
What do you believe to be the most important issues facing Hoboken, and briefly describe how you intend to address these issues, should you be elected?
The most important issues facing Hoboken are its lack of open and honest government, quality city services, and fiscal responsibility. Despite his promises, and election year claims, not one of these issues has been effectively addressed under Mayor Roberts.
These issues are intertwined. In order to have open and honest government, the public needs to not only know when meetings are held but what the agenda is in advance. A free flow of information on the budget, audit, payroll, and headcount would be the first step toward fiscal responsibility – telling the truth about our finances. Hiring experienced directors with the highest ethical standards would improve city services and foster honest government.
The public must be listened to. When we ask for open space and commercial development, we shouldn’t get residential high-rises. Quality city services can only be consistently delivered when employees are respected and expected to show respect to the public. Fiscal responsibility requires recognizing we have run out of assets to sell, and that uncontrolled residential development has only worsened our financial mess. It’s time to tighten our belts, and recognize we have no choice but to find more efficient solutions to our city’s problems.
Brian Urbano
Brian Urbano came to Hoboken as so many do, renting an apartment and working in the city. He first worked as law clerk to a Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court and then as a litigator at a New York law firm.
He holds a law degree from the University of Virginia, where he was an Editor of the Journal of Law & Politics, and a B.A., magna cum laude, from Georgetown.
In 2004, Urbano was one of the most vocal supporters of pay-to-play legislation, and helped write, and then introduce to the city council, an ordinance banning pay-to-play, which is the trading of no-bid contracts for campaign contributions.
A native of New Jersey, Brian is a graduate of Georgetown University with honors and the University of Virginia School of Law.
Why are you the most qualified candidate to serve on the Hoboken City Council?
While working at Paul Weiss, I had the chance to work with all types of people in all sorts of circumstances. My clients have run the gamut from small non-profits to songwriters to public corporations and even to a presidential candidate. Like Hoboken, there are unique challenges and opportunities with each situation. I have volunteered extensively over the years for good government groups like Common Cause, New Jersey, Center for Civic Responsibility, and People for Open Government, where money is always in short supply and creativity is required to get the job done.
Encouraging public involvement and reducing the effect of big money in the pay-to-play referendum was not a one-shot thing for me. It was something I have worked on for years for municipalities throughout the state. Many in the Hoboken community want to participate but are disenfranchised by the system. There are ways to encourage everyone’s involvement and there are laws, if they were followed, that give us the right. I have the experience and drive to help our residents and business owners move the city to work for all of us – not just for those who can make the big contributions.
What do you believe to be the most important issues facing Hoboken, and briefly describe how you intend to address these issues, should you be elected?
There is a strong correlation between people’s involvement and their belief in the system. Hoboken should be leading the state in its effort to return the public trust in our government rather than perpetuate it. That means electing people who believe that government is there to serve all the people of the community through an open and fair process. Changes would have to include: hiring the most qualified rather than those politically connected, ensure public documents are readily available and inexpensive, budgets, audits and other regulatory procedures are done on time, not used to hide what is happening from the public, and workshops are standard operating procedure to include the public rather than avoiding the state’s Sunshine Laws.
I came to Hoboken not only for its proximity to New York but because of its neighborhoods. Each possesses a unique character making Hoboken different than other cities. I am interested in development that seeks to retain that character. It takes a strong negotiator to insure the city is getting what it deserves and that the zoning laws are there to protect homeowners.
Mayor David Roberts’ ticket Peter Cammarano
Peter Cammarano is running for on Roberts’ ticket. After graduating from Boston University in 1999 with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in History, Cammarano settled in Hoboken and attended Seton Hall Law School.
Currently, he works for the law firm of Genova, Burns & Vernoia, in Livingston, where he practices in the areas of labor and employment law, and election law.
Cammarano is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, and Hudson County Bar Association. In addition to the private practice of law, he also works as an adjunct professor at Montclair State University, teaching legal research to undergraduate and graduate students.
Why are you the most qualified candidate to serve on the Hoboken City Council?
I am uniquely qualified to serve on the City Council because of my experience in government and politics, and because of the positions I’ve already held working for public entities. I have worked more or less continuously in the political and policy worlds since college. I spent the summer before senior year as an intern on Capitol Hill, worked on the Gore-Lieberman presidential campaign, ran the Kerry-Edwards presidential campaign in Hoboken (and attended the last two Democratic National Conventions), advised a mayoral campaign in Newark, and worked as a speechwriter and strategist for a State Senate campaign in the 36th District. In the public sector, I served as a legislative aide to State Senator Garry Furnari during my last year and a half of law school, I spent a year as a law clerk for Judge Kevin Callahan in the New Jersey Superior Court in Jersey City, and I currently work as an adjunct professor teaching legal research to undergraduate and graduate students at Montclair State University. I believe that my combined experiences working in government, politics and as a public servant will stand me in good stead when I represent the citizens of our city.
What do you believe to be the most important issues facing Hoboken, and briefly describe how you intend to address these issues, should you be elected?
The most important issues facing Hoboken are those that must be addressed as our city grows in population in the coming years. By some estimates, our city population will grow over the next decade from its current 38,000 to 40,000, to approximately 50,000. While it’s certainly a blessing that our city continues to attract so many new residents, such growth will require the attention of our local government and commensurate growth in our ability to serve our citizens. We must ensure that our parking space keeps up with the growth; that our water, sewer and other utility services are up to the task; that our schools continue to improve and meet the demands of a younger population; that we acquire and maintain enough open space for public recreation; that our businesses are vibrant and reflective of the character of our neighborhoods; and that our government remains responsive to a changing citizenry. Having the resources to accommodate our continuing growth is our biggest challenge, but these issues are ones that other municipalities should be so lucky to have.
Terry LaBruno
Terry LaBruno has lived in Hoboken her entire life. She is the youngest of six children born to Lena Mosca-Cappiello and Daniel Cappiello, who arrived in the United States from Italy in 1904. Her uncle, Steve Cappiello, served the City of Hoboken from 1963 to 1991 both as a city councilman and three-term mayor.
LaBruno graduated summa cum laude from St. Peter’s College in 1979 with a B.S. in Psychology. She went on to teach high school mathematics at the Academy of Sacred Heart in Hoboken from 1979 to 1990; from 1990 to the present she’s been teaching at St. Mary High School in Jersey City.
Why are you the most qualified candidate to serve on the Hoboken City Council?
I am a people-centered person and a terrific problem solver. As a Catholic school mathematics teacher for the past 26 years, I have successfully tackled algebraic, geometric and social dilemmas. I would welcome the challenge of addressing fiscal and budgetary matters at City Council. As a high school basketball coach, I have had the challenge of directing numerous teams toward one goal – winning. Don’t we all want that for our community – a city that wins on every home front, but most especially educationally, recreationally and socially? Our nine-member council must work together as one team, putting individual differences and agendas aside.
I have never been one to sit on the sidelines and complain. Over the years I have shown my care and concern for our community by volunteering time as a recreation commissioner, a Housing Authority commissioner, and a CCD coordinator at St. Francis Parish. I choose to run for the office of council-at-large in the past because I sincerely believe individuals can make a difference. I live by a simple adage: “Whatever good I can do in the short time that I have on this earth, let me do, for I will not pass this way again.”
What do you believe to be the most important issues facing Hoboken, and briefly describe how you intend to address these issues, should you be elected?
I believe the most important issues facing Hoboken are maintaining our diversity, continuing to tackle quality of life issues and integrating the Hoboken Housing Authority apartments into the Hoboken renaissance. We need new families to remain in Hoboken. An emphasis on enticing builders to include larger units is a priority. Obviously everyone involved in city government must support educational growth. Partnerships and cooperation between city and school officials as well as volunteer and parent groups are the secret. I would like to see another senior building built to insure that our older residents, too, have the opportunity to stay in Hoboken. Our young people deserve more community centers and activities. I would pursue a bowling alley for our community. I would work tirelessly to see that all aspects of the mayor’s open space initiatives come to fruition.
Sadly, many of our residents who live in the buildings that are owned and operated by the Housing Authority are not living in adequate conditions, and there is no good reason why in 2005 they are not living in a clean and safe environment. Imagine if all the government officials that live in this town turned their attention west and all took a really active role in insuring a better life for our Housing Authority residents.
Ruben Ramos Jr.
Incumbent Ruben Ramos Jr., a born-and-raised Hobokenite, is a graduate from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1995 with a B.A. in Political Science, and is now a teacher in Paterson.
In 1999 he becomes the youngest councilman elected in Hoboken when he won the 4th Ward seat. In 2001, he ran on Robert’s ticket for an at-large seat and again won.
In 1999, Ramos was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease, and after a regimen of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, he was declared cancer free in 2000. He later became council president. He also was a keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention in 2000 in Los Angeles.
Why are you the most qualified candidate to serve on the Hoboken City Council?
I feel that I am uniquely qualified based on my past governmental experience and my vision to ensure that our great city and residents prosper in the future. I am extremely grateful to have been Hoboken’s youngest councilman when I joined our legislative body as a 25-year-old in 1999. During that time, I have worked to build coalitions to tackle issues that affect our entire community, from quality of life to budgetary.
I feel that many opponents of the Roberts Team are trying to polarize our community, pitting those born and raised in Hoboken against newcomers.
I was born and raised in Hoboken. I am a husband and father who plans to raise my family here. I believe in inclusion and protecting the interests of all residents, whether they have lived here 70 years or seven days. We need to work as a team.
I am honored to have served the residents of Hoboken for the past six years and I greatly appreciate the trust you have shown in me serving as a council member and, for two years, as council president. I hope you share my vision as Hoboken moves forward into this new millennium.
What do you believe to be the most important issues facing Hoboken and how do you intend to address those issues, should you be elected?
Hoboken is a complex urban environment with a diverse population that expects a high caliber of City services.
Our biggest challenge is to maintain and expand the quality of life for our entire population. Much of our needs are outlined in our new Master Plan, for which I was proud to have been a close advocate and participant. The Roberts administration has made significant strides to incorporate its recommendation into municipal policy. We have already outlined a comprehensive initiative to nearly double the amount of open space in our community utilizing traditional and creative techniques. We are an advocate of “smart growth.”
As many more residents choose to raise their families here, I am proud that we have made educational advances a top priority. This initiative should continue. We have created a dynamic linkage program between our public schools and Stevens Institute to provide an advanced curriculum of science and technology that is continually expanded through each grade.
We have already accomplished much over the past four years, but we can do more. That is why I ask you to support me and the Roberts Team on May 10.
Evelyn Smith’s ticket Elizabeth Falco
Elizabeth Falco is a graduate of the Hoboken Public School system and New Jersey City University where she received a B.A., M.A. and certificate in administration and supervision. Falco is currently the principal of the Demarest Middle School. Active in the community, Falco is a member of H.O.P.E.S. Board of Directors, a former president of the Saint Mary’s Hospital Auxiliary, and she has held numerous offices with the Hoboken NAACP, including president. She is married to Hoboken Police Lt. Peter “Chipper” Falco and is the mother of three children.
Why are you the most qualified candidate to serve on the Hoboken City Council?
I am the most qualified candidate for City Council at Large because I am in the unique position to see many different areas of our community. As principal of Demarest Middle School I see the improvements our schools need to stem the tide of declining enrollment. As a member of many organizations in our community and having served on a city board, I understand the workings of city government and can realize how we can work within the system to affect positive change. As a wife and mother to Hoboken police officers, I know what improvements we need to make to our essential services.
What do you believe to be the most important issues facing Hoboken, and briefly describe how you intend to address these issues, should you be elected?
The most important issues facing our community in Hoboken are affordable housing for all families, an overhaul of our budget system and continued improvements to education. Many of these issues are related. If we work to develop affordable housing stock to encourage people to raise families in Hoboken instead of moving out, we will have a growing community that will infuse our school system with fresh minds and improve education. If families continue to move out, Hoboken will suffer declining enrollment in our public schools, which will undermine our ability to develop homegrown leadership for Hoboken’s future. If I am elected, I will travel the streets of our community and listen to the residents whom I represent to learn what I can do to serve them better. I am not beholden to any special interests so I will remain unbought, unbossed and accountable to people of Hoboken.
Carrie Gilliard
Carrie Gilliard is a 28-year resident of Hoboken, and the first and only African-American female elected to a citywide position in Hoboken’s history. She is a real estate agent with First Platinum GMAC Realty of Hoboken and a former administrative assistant of Air Express at Newark Airport. Gilliard is a graduate of Fashion Institute of Technology and Adelphi Business School. She is a former Trustee of the Hoboken Board of Education and the recipient of numerous awards and citations from organizations throughout the region for her community leadership activities. Gilliard is the mother of three sons.
Why are you the most qualified candidate to serve on the Hoboken City Council?
I am the most qualified candidate because I bring my professional business experiences coupled with integrity; my great communications skills and a true desire to work tirelessly for all the citizens of Hoboken. My motivation for running is summarized in the campaign slogan: “Unbought and Unbossed.” I will be an advocate for the citizens.
What do you believe to be the most important issues facing Hoboken, and briefly describe how you intend to address these issues, should you be elected?
I believe the budget, tax relief for homeowners, open space, large scale development, traffic and parking are the most serious issues facing the City of Hoboken today. I also think the development of real affordable housing for all Hoboken’s families should be a top priority of the city administration.
I would be the voice on the City Council to advocate for the abolition of tax abatements to developers. Hoboken is attractive enough to developers without offering incentives that compromise our budget.
Hoboken needs to improve government services for seniors and youths and our school district, although improving, still needs further improvement and reform. Traffic and parking is still a nightmare and we must seek better solutions like city operated garages.
Finally, the City Budget must start at 0. We need a ‘Changing of the Guards’ in order to balance the budget – it is not going to happen with the current administration.
I will be an effective voice on the City Council; my goal is to eradicate injustice for all people as your representative. I will continue to fight for “quality of life issues” and I am dedicated to serve – ensuring continuity and progress for the betterment of the future of “all of the citizens” of the city of Hoboken.
Diane Nieves
Diane Nieves, a lifelong resident of Hoboken, graduated from Hoboken High School and has worked for the City of Hoboken for the past decade. She is currently the assistant to the division chief in the Hoboken Rent Leveling Office and Secretary to the Hoboken Municipal Employee Association. Nieves has been active in the community as a former employee of the Office of Hispanic and Minority Affairs and a tenant advocate. Nieves is a single mother of two daughters.
Why are you the most qualified candidate to serve on the Hoboken City Council?
I have been employed by the City of Hoboken and serving the public for a decade in various capacities. As a municipal employee and officer in the municipal employee union I have unique hands-on experience in the operations of city government and the impact of budgetary cuts on the delivery of essential services. In addition, as a former employee of the Office of Hispanic and Minority Affairs, I will ensure that all the diverse communities within Hoboken are involved in City government and that their important needs are represented in City Hall. In order to make true change in this city government, it is essential to have a solid grasp on municipal operations and I have that knowledge and ability.
What do you believe to be the most important issues facing Hoboken, and briefly describe how you intend to address these issues, should you be elected?
In the wake of the shutdown of city government, it is obvious that keeping a balanced budget should be the highest priority to the next administration. We must promote fiscal responsibility and ensure the delivery of essential services. There is no reason that hardworking municipal employees should worry for their paychecks because of political games and a complete failure to manage city finances. The city must do more to provide stable municipal employment opportunities with a living wage and good benefits for the people who keep Hoboken running. We must also do more to promote the creation of real affordable housing to all segments of Hoboken’s population and enforce rent restrictions on landlords who fail to provide their mandatory percentage of affordable units. As councilwoman, I will represent the people who make this town work by fighting for a balanced budget that will protect families, municipal employees and protect essential services without overburdening the taxpayer.