Dear Editor:
This Tuesday, Nov. 5 is a critical election for our city’s future. Aside from the multiple state elections, you have the opportunity to change the direction of our city’s leadership: Mayor, City Council, and Board of Education.
Mayor and City Council-At-Large: Our community continues to face many quality-of-life issues; parking and flooding being the ones that continue to plague our city. Last year, Fox 5 did a segment on the confusing and out-of-date parking policies in Hoboken. The One Hoboken Team will revise Hoboken’s parking laws and use parking revenues to create more parking for residents and businesses.
Every time it rains, the waters rise through the streets of our neighborhoods, but there is a solution to solve the flooding. Unfortunately, the solution has only been talked about, instead of being enacted. The One Hoboken Team will install the three wet-weather pumps that are needed to finally stop the flooding within 18 months of taking office.
I urge you to support The One Hoboken Team: Tim Occhipinti for Mayor (1J) and Frank Raia (5K), Peter Biancamano (6K) and Britney Montgomery-Cook (7K) for City Council.
The One Hoboken Team will unite our community and represent all the people of Hoboken.
Board of Education: Hoboken is a first class community and deserves a first class school system. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. The Wall Street Journal ranks Hoboken schools the least desirable in the country. Our annual school budget is $64 million for 2,000 students, which is about $30,000 yearly per student. This is more that the cost of annual tuition at prestigious universities, such as Notre Dame. These resources need to be better managed.
James Gilbarty and Natalie Rivera are respected community leaders and accomplished professionals. They will ensure your money is invested in the classroom, not in bureaucrats and they will work with parents to improve our schools. James and Natalie represent the change we need on the Board of Education.
I urge you to support The One Hoboken Moving Forward Team: James Gilbarty (1I) and Natalie Rivera (4I) for Hoboken Board of Education.
Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. I look forward to seeing you on Election Day.
Together we can make Hoboken an even better place to live and raise a family.
Beth Mason
City Council member, 2nd Ward