Dear Editor:
We are a few short days away from the most important decision Hoboken will make for a very long time. I write you as a City Councilman, a Fourth Ward resident, and father to ask that you join me in supporting Dawn Zimmer, this Tuesday, as the best choice for Mayor of Hoboken.
As fellow residents of the Fourth Ward, Dawn and I know that a paramount issue in our community is flooding. Just last month, partly as a result of her passionate advocacy, the Hudson County Board of Freeholders approved an easement that will allow the construction of a wet-weather pump station in Hoboken. Finally, a Mayor that does more than talk: Mayor Zimmer obtained results. This is a critical first step toward solving our very serious, very complex flooding problem.
In my few months serving our City as a Councilman At-Large, I’ve found Councilwoman Zimmer to be a stellar advocate for fair and democratic processes in our local government. I was proud to sponsor a resolution, initiated by Councilwoman Zimmer, which gave the power of making appointments to our Zoning Board back to our City Council. The power to make these decisions should never rest in the hands of one individual. Dawn Zimmer realized this. This past July, the day after this resolution was continuing its way through the City Council’s vetting process, Hoboken was given a severe example of how potentially corrupting a single individual’s influence over the zoning process can be, via some very serious and public allegations and arrests. Hoboken was fortunate to have a Councilwoman with the foresight to understand this threat, and advocate for the zoning board appointment power to rest with a deliberative body of many, rather than in the hands of one executive.
Under very harsh circumstances, Dawn Zimmer is bringing a new sense of integrity, dedication and hands-on leadership to the office of Mayor. Instead of going down the all too typical roads of cronyism and nepotism, Mayor Zimmer has identified candidates for City Director positions with fresh perspectives and years of relevant professional experience. Hoboken is a cutting edge community, and Mayor Zimmer is choosing Directors that will lead us to the forefront of cities that embrace New Urbanism concepts and provide their citizens with an excellent and progressive quality of life.
Watching Dawn Zimmer step up and lead Hoboken through an unexpectedly tumultuous time, I am constantly impressed with the professionalism, grace and integrity with which she’s guided us. Our community is capable of moving forward in a multitude of positive and cutting edge ways, and many of us understand, now more than ever, that Dawn Zimmer is the Mayor to lead us forward. Please join us on November 3rd by casting a vote for a continuance of the leadership Mayor Zimmer has shown over these past few months.
Thank you,
David Mello
Councilman-At-Large