Part 2 of a continuing series
Although the northeastern portion of the city known as the 2nd Ward is the largest of the six wards in Hoboken, there’s still only room for one representative on the City Council. Council President Beth Mason will defend her seat for the first time on May 10 against challengers Tom Greaney, Franz Paetzold, and Patricia Waiters.
The ward is home to the celebrity-studded Hudson Tea Building, elegant mansions on Hudson Street, and the luxurious riverfront Maxwell Place condominiums. Some view the uptown area as the expensive ward. For two of the four candidates, the political fight will most likely make it the most expensive race.
The uptown ward is home to luxury condos.
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Beth Mason
The incumbent Mason, 50, first moved to Hoboken 27 years ago from Virginia, and she and her husband commuted to New York City.
Mason has worked in advertising and public relations in the past, and now is a consultant. Her first jump into political activism was in 2001, when Stevens Institute of Technology presented a multi-story garage and athletic center in an area Mason felt was historic. She believed the project did not belong.
“I started organizing with people and became part of the Hudson Street Coalition,” Mason said. “We brought people from all over the immediate area concerned about the development project.”
The Stevens project was halted, but she says she didn’t want to shut the door on the college and their ideas.
“We went back to Stevens and asked them to work on a master plan with us to say, ‘Look, we’re not anti-development,’ ” she said. “We’re about reasonable development in an area of town that is of historic significance, and we want to work with you.”
Mason also made a name for herself suing the city to get public information. She helped found a group called the People for Open Government (POG).
Former Mayor David Roberts appointed Mason to the Planning Board, and Mason chaired the master plan subcommittee.
Mason said people are sometimes surprised that this May will be her first time defending her 2nd Ward seat after being elected in 2007.
“I don’t know if it’s because of how much I’ve accomplished in a short period of time or if it’s that I’m just not so soft spoken,” she said.
Mason believes residents are overtaxed, and the city should give the surplus back to taxpayers to provide relief. Mayor Dawn Zimmer has proposed maintaining a 5 percent cash budget surplus, which, according to the city auditor, is on the low end of an appropriate surplus.
Mason, who has run for mayor against Zimmer and is often critical of her, said, “I’ve looked at this budget and we can do better.”
She was elected council president by the anti-Zimmer majority on the council after Councilman Tim Occhipinti came on board early this year. Mason and her largely self-funded political action committee were large supporters of Occhipinti.
“I find my position as council president energizing because it allows me to work with everyone, assuming they want to,” Mason said.
Mason’s and Zimmer’s supporters split several years ago when some believed Mason was taking stances contrary to the “reform” movement. Mason has also been criticized for spending hundreds of thousands of dollars during elections.
Mason cites specific examples of her involvement in the ward, including assisting a local business owner to keep her store open during a transition period.
“It’s not about talk, it’s about getting things done,” Mason said when asked why residents should vote for her over her opponents in the race. “I’ve got the record to show that I can get things done.”
Challenger #1 – Zimmer’s choice
Believe it or not, Mason helped her main opponent, Thomas Greaney, register to vote in Hoboken.
“In 2003, I met Carol Marsh and Beth Mason when they ran [for council], and Beth ran in 2003 and I actually became involved,” Greaney said. “They were registering people to vote at a table on the street downtown and they actually registered me to vote.”
Greaney is a human resources executive at a major insurance company who first moved to Hoboken in 2003. He is originally from Boston, but has lived in Florida, Colorado, California, and Japan before moving here.
Greaney is running with the full support of Zimmer, something he said he is proud to have.
“We can move Hoboken forward in an honest, efficient way,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with the mayor as she shapes Hoboken. But when you’re a ward councilperson you represent the needs of the ward. I would hold the administration accountable to ensure the 2nd Ward needs are being addressed.”
Greaney said that if he were elected, he would implement a 48-hour turnaround time for constituents and quarterly town hall meetings. Greaney is calling for 5 percent tax reductions for the next three years, and said he is committed to serving the ward for a full four-year term, not seeking a higher office.
Greaney believes a broad background in business and human resources will allow him to govern effectively.
“I’ve spent my entire career in human resources,” Greaney said. “A large portion of the budget is personnel costs, and I’ve worked with union and non-union contracts, so I can bring the experience to address that issue.”
Greaney feels now is the time to run for office.
“As I watched the mayoral election, I felt like I had something to offer that was not being demonstrated, and that I had a broad skill set that I can bring to the council,” Greaney said. “It was time to do this. I received a lot of support and encouragement.”
Greaney said he sees the opportunity to be on the council as a way to serve the community.
“The work you do is the rent you pay for being on this earth,” he said. “I’m very drawn to that and am driven by that in some sense.”
With Zimmer’s support, and because he is the only candidate besides Mason to run a television commercial, Greaney is believed to be the most formidable opponent.
Franz Paetzold
Many of the candidates agree on what the issues are in the 2nd Ward and beyond: lower taxes, infrastructure, transportation, parks, and development. But in Hoboken, it’s not only about the issues in politics; it’s about whose support you have.
Franz Paetzold, 37, believes that this will work to his advantage.
“The important point that differentiates me from Tom and Beth is that if you vote for them, they’re going to vote for their political allegiances,” Paetzold said. “Their allegiances may be at odds with what’s best for the city.”
Paetzold also believes major issues for the city are clean elections, fiscal responsibility, rent control, parking, and open space issues.
Paetzold is a bank auditor and licensed attorney and has lived in Hoboken for “a little over 10 years.”
“My most important principle is ‘Hoboken first,” he said. “It’s the name of my campaign. What that means is that I stand for three important principles: putting the city’s interest ahead of all other interests, only voting for what I feel is good for the city, and I will not ally with any political faction. I’m independent, will apply my audit skills, ask good questions, and place the city’s needs against all other issues.”
Paetzold said his experience as an auditor will help in the process of cutting taxes.
“The most important topic you need to address is personnel costs,” he said. “We cannot have a meaningful discussion about how to lower taxes and spending if we don’t attend to personnel costs.”
He also said he would support “balanced development,” which he defines as “not weighing too much on either residential or commercial development, and doing more to preserve historic and scenic spots.”
Paetzold also said he would work to try and generate local jobs and green development.
Mason and Greaney are well funded, but Paetzold said last week his campaign costs will be “very, very low.”
“I am meeting as many people as I can through personal interactions,” Paetzold said. “I haven’t really spent anything yet. I don’t have a lot of the financial resources of the other two candidates [Mason and Greaney], and to an extent I’m proud of that. I like to reach out and talk to voters personally about the issues.”
When asked why he would be a better choice than his opponents, he said he will put Hoboken first, and he won’t vote along the party lines in a polarized Hoboken political scene.
“I’m not connected to town politicians and I’ll vote for what’s right in this city,” he said.
Patricia Waiters
A fourth candidate, Patricia Waiters, 49, is running for the Board of Education at the same time (although she would not be able to hold both positions if she won).
She said she is running to “give the power back to the people.”
“I am independent, and I am my own person,” Waiters said. “I’m tired of people buying these seats. I don’t have any money. I don’t want to buy or sell votes. I want to run with a clean campaign and I have nothing to offer but my assistance as a public servant.”
Waiters is unemployed, and said although she did not finish college (for financial reasons), she feels that she is educated enough to serve on the council.
“I’m not intimidated by college degrees and academic achievements,” Waiters said. “I educate myself everyday in the library. I do research. I feel like I’m highly qualified. I watch the council meetings and it’s like they have a sixth grade education anyway.”
Waiters, who carries a pad with her to write down peoples’ concerns, said she would bring integrity back to Hoboken elections.
“I would address all the people’s matters and concerns,” she said.
What is her biggest campaign expense? She says it’s “fatigue.”
“I run knowing that I have no money,” she said. “I always run with no money. I have barely enough to pay my bills. I use my energy knocking on doors. I’ll be a little fatigued but I will continue to go building to building.”
Waiters said she is frustrated watching city politics unfold.
“They need to stop pointing fingers and try to get the job done,” she said.
Ray Smith may be reached at RSmith@hudsonreporter.com