Down to the wire

Candidates for two at-large City Council seats made a final appeal for votes Wednesday at a community forum sponsored by the Downtown Coalition of Neighborhood Associations. Twelve of the 17 candidates on the ballot participated.
Candidates Adela Rohena, Jamie Vasquez, Nabil Yousef, Richard Boggiano, Daniel Levin, Suzanne “Sue” Mack, Ihor Ed Ciolko, Omar Perez, Rolando Lavarro, Imtiaz Sayed, Brian Lane, and Juanita Lopez all took part in the forum. Fellow candidates Kalimah Ahmad, Radames “Ray” Velazquez, Viola Richardson, Melissa Alexander Clark, and Patrick Leonard did not attend.

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Polls will be open from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m.
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The candidates answered about eight questions that had previously been e-mailed to them by forum organizers. The questions ranged from “What would you do to balance the city’s budget?” to “What is your position on abatements?” and “What grade would you give to the city on crime prevention?”
Four written questions from voters were asked at the end of the event.

Candidates have their say

In response to the question on crime prevention, Lavarro gave the city a grade of C. “If it weren’t for the hard work of the Jersey City Police Department, they’d probably get a D,” he said. “I would advocate for community-oriented policing, so that we engage our community and get them working together with our law enforcement officers to combat crime.”
Stating that the city has “destroyed the morale” of the Police Department, Boggiano, a former JCPD officer, said he would advocate for more street patrols to help reduce crime.
In response to a question about attracting more businesses to Jersey City, Levin said, “One thing Jersey City does not have is a strategic plan. I think we have an incredible opportunity to bring light industry and specialty manufacturing to Jersey City. We have a wonderful location, transportation, and huge market next to us. We have all of our legacy warehouse space, and I think it’s a shame to convert it all to market rate luxury housing, which we then subsidize.”
Vazquez said Jersey City should try to tax reverse commuters who work here but live in New York, similar to what New York City does. Several candidates echoed this idea.
Boggiano said the city needs to do a better job promoting itself as a good place to do business.
Throughout the forum, Vazquez noted that some issues – notably crime and problems in the schools – could be curbed if the city re-instituted its Division of Youth and Family Services and created after-school and summer programs for kids. Several candidates agreed.

Voters weigh in

At the forum’s conclusion several voters had already settled on at least one candidate to support for the citywide positions. However, few had selected a second candidate to support.
“Dan Levin, definitely,” said Mike Selender. “I’m still undecided on who else. I’ve known Dan from his civic activism for a number of years. I know what he stands for. I think he has good ideas and I think he understands exactly what a councilperson does. Some of the people up here were pontificating as if they were running for mayor.”
Selender and other voters who had considered Boggiano and Ciolko said they were turned off by the suggestion that Liberty State Park be sold (by the state) and developed, an idea both candidates support.
“I’m supporting Adela Rohena because she’s been working for 15 years as an activist in Jersey City,” said Ward D resident Austi Valcarcel, who owns several properties and is concerned about how her tax dollars are being spent. “She feeds the homeless on Sundays. She buys food for them, she buys them clothes. This is a woman who cares. She’s advocated for senior citizens, school children, the homeless, obviously…I’m undecided on who else I’m going to vote for.”
Chester Rothman of Ward E was one of the few residents who had selected two candidates to support.
“I’m going to vote for Dan Levin and Rich Boggiano,” he said. “I’m supporting them for two reasons. First, I don’t think it’s good to have too many government employees on the city council. It’s a conflict of interest.” He noted that some of the other candidates work for either Jersey City, Hudson County, or hold civil services jobs in other towns. “Second, in the candidate forums, these guys most directly answered the questions.”
Ward C resident John Lynch said he was completely undecided about who he will support. Like several residents interviewed, he could list the people who would not get his vote, but was still having difficulty narrowing the rest of the field down to two people.
“I don’t know,” said Lynch. “I’m really going to have to think about this.”
E-mail E. Assata Wright at awright@hudsonreporter.com.