In 1985, reform Councilman Thomas Vezzetti challenged the system. Vezzetti ran around Hoboken with his bullhorn and urged people to unseat four-term Mayor Steve Cappiello. The eccentric Vezzetti became a lightning rod in a storm of political change. Many people were fed up with climbing rents and condo conversions in Hoboken, and by a slim margin of 343 votes, Vezzetti was victorious on Election Day.
He went on to become synonymous with reform in town, but also became known for missteps including forgetting where he left a city car. One New York City newspaper dubbed him “the wackiest mayor in America.” But Hoboken obviously felt it needed a change.
Vezzetti died of a heart attack before finishing his term. Change was fleeting, but it was what the people wanted, and now many people in Hoboken are seeking change again.
This year, out of the six candidates running for Hoboken mayor on May 12, three are independent, running without a slate of council-at-large candidates or prior experience in elected office. The other three are members of the current City Council.
Of the independents, one candidate has vowed to revamp the system in City Hall; another wants to turn the city’s dire fiscal straits into a budget surplus; and the third is hoping to create a greener master plan for zoning.
Even if these candidates fail to get elected – as is often the case with independents – the May 12 election affords them the chance for their ideas to be heard.
Or perhaps one will emerge as the new Vezzetti. Change required. Bullhorn optional.
The profiles
Below are profiles of independent candidates Ryn Melberg, Frank Orsini, and Tom Vincent. Next week, we will profile the three incumbent councilpeople who are running for mayor: Peter Cammarano, Beth Mason, and Dawn Zimmer.
Each candidate was asked three questions, each with word limits.
Ryn Melberg
Personal: 40 years old; single; Hoboken resident for nine years.
Professional: Business and financial consultant; former chief of staff for CFO at Credit Suisse; former instructor with New Jersey Small Business Administration.
Civic: Citizen representative during the Hudson County budget review process; president of the Financial Council of Saints Peter and Paul Church.
Please tell us why you are more qualified than your opponents.
For far too long, economic decisions have been made by politicians who don’t understand budgeting or finance. This has resulted in massive deficits, the state takeover of our budget, and the dramatic increases in our property taxes.
This year, we need to hire a financial manager with the skills, experience, and judgment to fix our budget, retain services, and reduce property taxes.
I am the only candidate with a financial management and accounting background and experience managing budgets five times larger than Hoboken’s. I am also the only candidate with a comprehensive plan to fix Hoboken’s finances which can be found on my website.
Hoboken needs a mayor with a plan and the experience to address our financial issues, lower property taxes and create true economic development. I know I am that person and that is why I am asking Hoboken voters to hire me as their mayor.
What do you think is the most pressing issue facing Hoboken right now, and how do you propose to solve it?
When I walk around Hoboken and talk to my neighbors about our city, I hear an outcry of discontent and anger. We have a wonderful city that should have a budget surplus. Instead, we have had huge property tax increases and cuts in services.
My priority is to fix Hoboken’s finances. As mayor, I will streamline our budget, collect the more than $2 million owed to us, and seek out new sources of revenue to reduce our dependency on property taxes.
I will aggressively pursue grant and foundation monies, and create an economic plan to attract and grow businesses. The right economic development projects could generate $10 to $100 million. It is clear that we cannot afford another politician. We need a financial manager as our next mayor. I know I am that person and that is why I am asking Hoboken voters to hire me as their mayor.
What makes Hoboken great?
We can talk about all the things that make Hoboken famous and fascinating. For me, Hoboken is great because life is lived at street level. We sit on stoops, walk dogs, play with kids, and greet neighbors all on street level. It creates a special sense of community that is Hoboken.
Frank Orsini
Personal: 41 years old; single; Hoboken resident for 19 years.
Professional: Self-employed as commercial mortgage broker; 15 years experience in operations and compliance at New York financial institutions
Civic: Former member of the Planning Board and Historic Committee; former board member of the Hoboken Shelter; deacon in the Reformed Church of America.
Please tell us why you are more qualified than your opponents.
It’s who I am as a person that sets me apart. I can be trusted. I work hard and I listen. I’m confident I can bring people together, gain consensus and make the decisions needed to return this city to prosperity. I will change the city’s form of government. I will create a green master plan. I will eliminate financial errors and lower taxes.
The current administration is frozen, afraid to make decisions. They’ve gone back on the oath they swore to do. Politics first, people of Hoboken second is their mantra. They hired someone else to do their job and broke the backs of the people of Hoboken with a 47 percent tax hike. They don’t deserve your vote. Their time is up.
As your mayor, I promise to move forward and work to make Hoboken a city people and families will call home for a lifetime.
What do you think is the most pressing issue facing Hoboken right now, and how do you propose to solve it?
The council itself. Their inability to work together has robbed us of our quality of life. Zimmer, Cammarano, and Mason are part of the current council that contributed to the 47 percent tax hike, $4.2 million compliance error, decreased property values, rising rents, decreased public safety, no new recreational facilities, and still no parking. Their talk of change and a better future falls short with their résumé of inaction and neglect.
Hoboken solves its problems by electing new leadership. My administration will make sure City Hall opens its books and wasteful spending is eliminated. Budget issues will be no longer and taxes will be reduced. I will demand community development with recreational facilities for children to seniors. We improve our quality of life by making Hoboken a town that serves the entire community. A community that has additional parks, tennis courts, recreational centers, and even a bowling center.
What makes Hoboken great?
The people – young to senior! From our diversity in culture, to fresh bread and mozzarella to outdoor cafés and ice cream. From apartments to brownstones to modern high rise condos. But in the end, the people! Hoboken is great, because it is a city we can call home.
Tom Vincent
Personal: 54 years old; single; 28 years in Hoboken.
Professional: Self-employed database and workflow designer; clients include Time Magazine, New York Magazine, Conde Nast Publications, small to medium-sized print shops, a film festival, and an assortment of small businesses.
Civic: Musician; emcee for Hoboken Arts and Music Festival.
Please tell us why you are more qualified than your opponents.
The tax increase, the state monitor, the budget crisis: all of these are symptoms of a broken, severely outdated system. Right now we need to modernize the entire thing, top to bottom. I have lots of experience doing this very thing and I can do it for less.
We also need a complete break with the past. I can provide new perspectives and positive energy. I want to make it rewarding and enjoyable to work for the city so we can attract real talent. I hold no grudges and have no political agenda so I am free to do what’s right for the city.
I’m also serious about sharing information. Transparency is just the beginning. I want to make the government easy to understand with explanations instead of simply posting documents. The more the citizens understand, the better the public dialogue gets.
What do you think is the most pressing issue facing Hoboken right now, and how do you propose to solve it?
There are two pressing issues. We have to fix the system and share information. We can’t really fix anything until we get the government operating efficiently and everyone knows what’s going on.
Then we’ll be equipped to deal with the budget, flooding, parking, the hospital, health insurance costs; it seems everywhere you look there’s something that needs fixing.
With a state monitor running things, this is the perfect time to revamp the entire system so that when she leaves we’ve got a nimble and responsive government to take back our city.
These are the most pressing issues because they are at the heart of our problems.
Here’s some of what we get: eliminated waste and duplication; easy access to information; reduction of abuse; redefined job descriptions.
In short, we finally get the tools we need to run the city so we can start to explore our incredible potential instead of putting out fires.
What makes Hoboken great?
Where to start? The people, the architecture, the history, but mostly the incredible potential. We have the opportunity to be an amazingly progressive, green, caring community and our government has let us down. It’s like watching a good friend in a bad relationship and someone finally has to do something.
Candidates were required to report their campaign finances recently, as part of quarterly reports made to the state’s Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC).
Only one of six mayoral candidates, Beth Mason, was not current with the reports, according to the state’s website. However, Ann Holtzman, a spokesperson for Mason, said the team got their forms sent back in the regular mail marked “Return to sender.” She said the campaign can show receipts proving that they mailed their forms to ELEC on time. Mason staffers also faxed a copy of the reports to the Reporter last week.
Mason and her slate of three council people have, by far, the most money in the campaign: a total of $270,000.
Her campaign filed two reports: One just for Mason, and one for the entire committee. The funding sheets for Mason alone report contributions totaling $145,000. The sheets for the committee report $125,000, including a $100,000 personal loan from Mason herself.
The fundraising efforts of the tickets of Peter Cammarano and Dawn Zimmer have both registered roughly $50,000 in the past quarter.
The breakdowns of Cammarano’s contributions, which due to technical issues do not display properly on the state website, are divided among numerous smaller contributions to his campaign, the candidate said.
Zimmer, whose contribution breakdowns are clear on the state website, has loaned herself half of the roughly $50,000 total her committee has collected.
As for the independent candidates, they generally are hamstrung by a lack of funding, like Tom Vincent, who only had to sign an affidavit attesting that he received less than $4,000 and not more than $300 from any one contributor.
Independent candidates Ryn Melberg and Frank Orsini have collected roughly $3,000 each. – TJC
Three candidates are running as independents – or without mayoral running mates – for the three at-large City Council seats available in the May 12 election. All three are relative newcomers to the Hoboken political scene.
Christopher Carbine is a 32-year-old systems engineer who has worked in the financial services industry for 10 years. Carbine is confident he can find more savings in the city budget. Carbine said while he agrees with gradual reductions in staff, he is not supportive of the city’s proposed layoff plan.
Timothy Occhipiniti is a 31-year-old who works in the information technology field. Occhipinti has vowed not to accept any donations from political organizations. He said the tax increase was a result of politics and said he will bring integrity to the council.
Patricia Waiters is 46 years old and a single mother of three who claims she was fired as a Hudson County corrections officer without cause in 2005. Waiters said she has since been fighting against the miscarriage of justice. Waiters said she will work to streamline personnel costs and eliminate any dual job holdings.
Nine other candidates who running for council as part of mayoral slates will be featured in next week’s Reporter. – TJC
Timothy J. Carroll may be reached at tcarroll@hudsonreporter.com.