HOBOKEN — Mayor Dawn Zimmer has accepted the resignation of city Corporation Counsel Michael Kates.
“After sufficient period of time to assess the matter, I have to come to the conclusion that my part-time service to Hoboken is insufficient, and is jeopardizing your ability to address your daunting tasks,” Kates wrote to Zimmer. “I am therefore tendering my resignation. I do so with a continuing commitment to you and the office, for as long as it will take to transition a replacement.” In a press release on Wednesday afternoon, Zimmer said she thanked Kates for his service to Hoboken.
“I am incredibly grateful to Michael for his work on behalf of Hoboken as we tackled a multitude of inherited legal challenges,” Zimmer said. “When I offered him the position, Michael was concerned about the difficulty of meeting the demands of his law firm while serving as Corporation Counsel, but there was never any doubt about his commitment to Hoboken, and that is evident from all we have been able to accomplish in a short amount of time.”
The Zimmer administration is in negotiations for new Corporation Counsel, and will notify the City Council and the public when the process is completed, according to a city press release.
The resignation comes at a time when the city is entangled in legal battles regarding the municipal garage sale on Observer Highway, as well as a case involving a prior lease at the new Willow Avenue location. — Ray Smith