It’s no surprise that development is a hot button issue for the four candidates running to represent the 5th Ward in the upcoming City Council election on May 10.
The northwestern portion of Hoboken known as the 5th Ward has been referred to as the final frontier of development in the mile square city. With many studies regarding the future of the ward underway, the area serves as a blank slate for future development in Hoboken.
Councilman Peter Cunningham, a financial service professional, has represented the ward for the past four years, and serves as an ally of Mayor Dawn Zimmer.
In order for the mayor’s allies to re-take control of the City Council, the 5th Ward is seen as ground zero for Zimmer’s fight.
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Cunningham has lived in Hoboken for the past 20 years, and first became involved with civic life through the formation of the Hoboken Dog Association. Cunningham said he became frustrated dealing with politicians, and decided to enter the political realm.
“Our needs were only being recognized at election time,” Cunningham said last week. “Once the elections were over, some of the things got done but many of our concerns were not addressed.”
Although he doesn’t consider himself a political junkie, he said he wants to “fix the problems of this city, and then move on,” and doesn’t want to be a career politician.
Belfiore was born and raised in Hoboken and works in construction management.
He has become a fixture on the Hoboken political scene, and has served on the school board, Hoboken Housing Authority, and the Planning Board.
“There’s been no progress,” he said when asked why he is running for office. “One of my favorite movies is ‘A Bronx Tale’, and the theme of the movie is about wasted opportunity. Hoboken has suffered from wasted opportunities for years.”
Delea has lived in Hoboken for 12 years, and said he doesn’t believe Cunningham deserves another term.
“He’s moved the city backwards,” Delea said last week at his office in the 5th Ward. “I refuse to allow him to have another four years.”
Delea is the founder of Party with a Purpose, a Hoboken charity, and has served two years on the Hoboken Historical Museum. He is also the executive vice president of the Hudson County Boys and Girls Club, and is a founding member of Hoboken Revolt.
Luizzi is the city’s official historian, and has served on many boards in the community, including as the past president of the Hoboken Historical Museum, a member of the Hoboken waterfront advisory panel, and the New Jersey Historic Sites Council. Luizzi has family roots in Hoboken dating back to the late 1800s.
“I felt that the direction that Hoboken is going in is not the direction I want to see it move,” Luizzi said. “The streets are dirty, the [Sinatra Park] soccer field isn’t there, Pier C isn’t completely open, taxes are too high, and services aren’t what they should be.”
Development
Much of the undeveloped land in the 5th Ward is seen by candidates as an opportunity to build a new community.
Cunningham believes there’s been too much emphasis on residential development in the past 10 years in Hoboken.
“There’s no reason why we can’t have light industry,” Cunningham said. “We can have some commercial space, incubator space, maybe some biotechnology companies. We need to provide for growing families so we have a more stabilized population, not one for a transient society.”
Belfiore said he campaigned four years ago to diversify the tax base, and is doing so again.
“I would love to see commercial development north of the 14th Street Viaduct along with open space,” Belfiore said. “I don’t think an entry level job for a Hoboken youth should only be at a restaurant. We need to create economic opportunities for this city.”
Delea has a different approach to development in the future, which he says involves drawing up a 5th Ward master plan.
“We need to have the taxpayers, families, business owners, owners of the empty lots, all come together to create a 5th Ward master plan,” Delea said. “We need to create a similar document as the city master plan, but get the vision and also the funding…we need to look beyond just infrastructure to maybe have something like WiFi in the ward.”
Luizzi said he would like to see “smart development” – which to him includes no more high rises, maintaining a community in the ward, as well as having more housing, retail, and “a little bit of commercial space.”
All of the candidates also emphasized that there should be more park space in the ward, but many challengers attack Cunningham on the fact that there is not a city-owned park in the 5th Ward.
Budget issues
Cunningham serves on the revenue and finance committee. His opponents have taken him to task for being on the council that did not pass a budget in 2008 by Mayor Dave Roberts because it was underfunded. Cunningham’s opponents also say that the council should have funded the budget at the time, and then passed it.
“If we hadn’t taken the action by not voting for the underfunded budget we would be much worse off today,” Cunningham said. “We would have had massive layoffs in police, fire, city hall, along with a hefty tax increase. It’s not something I’m proud of that the city had to go through, but there was no easy way around it.”
In the fourth quarter of the 2008 fiscal year, tax bills never went out, and a fiscal monitor came into Hoboken.
“The number one problem in Hoboken is taxation because my opponent didn’t do his job by adopting a budget,” Luizzi said last week. “Cunningham said it was because it was underfunded, but it’s his job to fund it.”
Delea also criticized Cunningham on the issue, but also said Cunningham uses “one shot revenues.”
This year’s budget anticipates using $9.5 million of the city’s surplus for budget items.
Zimmer has often spoken out against one-shot revenues.
Belfiore believes the city shouldn’t hold on to the surplus.
“You have to make capital investments,” Belfiore said. “You should plan during an economic downturn and build at the cusp of the upturn. We’ll be coming out of a bad economy with no plan.”
Affiliations
Cunningham has the backing of Zimmer, but all three challengers have not officially received any endorsements from opponents of the mayor.
The race could continue past May to a June runoff election, according to many political insiders in Hoboken. In order for a candidate to be declared the winner, one person must receive more than 50 percent of the total vote.
Delea and Belfiore split votes when they last ran against Cunningham in 2007, and Cunningham defeated Belfiore in a runoff.
“The mayor and I were elected at the same time,” Cunningham said. “We have long shared policy beliefs. I was part of her cabinet to build an administration and I’m proud of that.”
However, Cunningham said he doesn’t see himself as the mayor’s “rubber stamp” vote as some have painted him.
“We don’t always have the same path to the same goal, but if there’s something we disagree on I’ll say it’s not something I can support,” Cunningham said.
Delea says he is an independent, and isn’t overly critical of Zimmer.
“I endorsed her in the election [against former Mayor Peter Cammarano],” Delea said. “But I’m not running against the mayor. I just think she made a poor choice believing Peter [Cunningham] is the best choice. I would work very well with her and with anyone who has the best intentions of the city.”
Belfiore is more critical of Zimmer.
“I don’t think there’s an outcome the administration is working toward,” Belfiore said. “If there is, they’re not letting anyone know about it.”
Luizzi said he believes Zimmer is a “sincere, honest person” but says he and the mayor have “two totally different visions for Hoboken.”
“She hasn’t surrounded herself with great people,” Luizzi said. “They talk about transparency and they don’t show it.”
What’s at stake?
Cunningham is the only candidate supported by Zimmer who is up for re-election. The council is currently aligned by a 5-4 margin, often voting against Zimmer. In order for the mayor’s allies to re-take control of the City Council, the 5th Ward is seen as ground zero for Zimmer’s fight.
If Cunningham wins re-election, then Zimmer’s slate only needs to win one seat in the other wards for the council to once again shift in her favor.
To view three of the candidates debate the issues of the 5th Ward, log on to HudsonReporter.com and visit the videos section.
Ray Smith may be reached at RSmith@hudsonreporter.com