This is the second of two articles on Hoboken’s upcoming Nov. 3 City Council races.
The Hoboken City Council election will be held Nov. 3. Six of the nine seats are up for election, each representing a different part of town.
Mayor Dawn Zimmer currently supports candidates in five wards, and most of the wards have two candidates running. Zimmer’s allies have a 5-4 majority on the board, something that may increase or decrease depending on the election.
Fourth Ward: Three candidates
Three candidates are competing in the 4th Ward, the southwestern ward that contains many of the city’s public housing projects.
The candidates are incumbent Councilman Tim Occhipinti, former 33rd District Assemblyman Ruben Ramos, and Housing Authority (HHA) chairwoman Dana Wefer.
Wefer has been endorsed by Zimmer. Occhipinti and Ramos have run against Zimmer for mayor in the past and have split the anti-Zimmer vote, helping her get re-elected. It is possible they will do the same with Wefer.
Occhipinti says he has greatly improved the quality of life for his neighborhood as a councilman.
“We’ve seen a great improvement throughout the ward [including] upgrading both parks on Jackson and Jefferson streets with new play equipment and safety surfaces and revamping the 3rd and Jackson [streets] community garden which was decimated by Sandy,” said Occhipinti, who is single and runs a group called Hoboken Volunteers.
“I’ve also advocated for the revitalization of Mama Johnson field,” he said, “[and] completed the most expensive resurfacing project in the history of the ward.”
During a debate held Oct. 15 by the Quality of Life Coalition at Hoboken’s Multiservice Center, a highly-contended topic in the 4th Ward was bonding and surplus issues.
While former Assemblyman Ramos – a lifelong Hoboken resident – believes the city’s surplus should go to infrastructure projects, challenger Wefer said the city should leave the surplus intact in order to maintain a healthy bond rating.
“I think Dana doesn’t have a substantial plan with substantial initiatives to lower taxes,” said Occhipinti in a phone interview last week. “I think she’s saying that to win support amongst voters. I think the administration and City Council have done a great job keeping municipal taxes flat. The surplus is used to offset the raise in the municipal tax levy and I will continue to advocate for that.”
During the debate, Wefer said there is a notion that bonding is a bad thing, which she denies.
Occhipinti said in the past he’s been for and against bonding because he feels the use of bonding should be determined on a case by case basis. Ramos agrees.
In terms of Occhipinti’s claims against Wefer toward not having a “substantial plan” to lower taxes, she said, “He’s wrong.”
“I have an extremely long and detailed plan that looks at the issue…at all three levels of government,” said Wefer, who is married, has a daughter, and has been on the HHA for nearly two years.
“When it comes to bonding, I think it’s important to bond for infrastructure because you’re talking about a long term investment. There’s no need to burden today’s taxpayers for years and years, and future generations as well,” she said.
Both Occhipinti and Ramos believe their track records make them the ideal representatives for their ward.
Ramos was elected to the City Council in 1999 at the age of 25, making him the youngest elected official in Hoboken’s history. He subsequently served as the councilman-at-large while living in the 4th Ward. Eventually he left the council and became an assemblyman.
“While walking around town and the neighborhood, you see a lot not happening,” said Ramos, when asked why he is attempting to unseat Occhipinti. “It’s simple things like keeping the streets and parks clean, and basic constituent services.”
Both Occhipinti and Ramos noted that traffic on Jackson Street needs to be addressed.
However, in regard to not upholding basic services in his ward, Occhipinti said “no problem is too small” and added that he has worked with residents on such issues. For instance, he said, this past week, after requests from a resident, he managed to get a flashing yield sign at Third and Jackson streets.
“He hasn’t come to HHA meetings and I don’t think [Ramos is] currently engaged in the community,” said Wefer.
Ramos laughed when hearing the claim.
“I’ve been part of Hoboken my entire life and living in the neighborhood for over 30 years,” Ramos said. “I speak to neighbors and watch the council meetings.”
Occhipinti hopes to continue to advocate for issues in his ward, including two open-space initiatives; the Southwest Park, which will break ground this fall, and creating open space at a vacant lot at the corner of First and Jackson streets which the council authorized during the Oct. 21 public meeting, as well as additional repaving of roads.
He feels his background has proven he can work with Mayor Zimmer and any council colleagues regardless of party affiliations.
If elected, Ramos said he will propose requiring time constraints for parking on Jackson Street to circumvent traffic, make the town cleaner, pave Washington Street, which is an “embarrassment,” and create a parking facility on Washington Street.
Wefer said she will push to address the tax burden on residents, improve transportation and parking, promote responsible development, add more retail to the 4th Ward, repair potholes, and add garbage cans.
On her campaign website, she also proposed increasing the cost of an annual parking permit. A statement on the website reads, “The current cost for a parking permit is only $15 a year…that’s less than 4 cents a day.”
Fifth Ward: Elysian board president challenges 8-year incumbent
Two candidates have put their names in the hat for the 5th Ward seat: Elysian Charter School Board President Eduardo Gonzalez and incumbent Councilman Peter Cunningham.
Gonzalez, who is married and a father of three, is also a former commissioner of the Housing Authority. Cunningham, who is married and has two children, is on various committees that look at city improvements; Revenue and Finance, Parking and Transportation (chair), Community Development Wards 2, 5, 6 (chair), and Master Plan/Zoning Ordinance.
“Personally, I’ve always been involved in the community,” said Gonzalez, who ran for a council at large seat in 2013. “It’s the way my parents raised me. Since I moved here, I fell in love with Hoboken and the community. I decided to run because after eight and a half years with the current councilman, it’s time for a new direction.”
Gonzalez added, “Just because you were on the City Council for eight and half years doesn’t mean you are a better candidate. Look at what’s been done and what hasn’t been done.”
Cunningham, who has boasted about his accomplishments while on the City Council, said he is running because there are still matters that need tending.
Cunningham said he has been instrumental in rebuilding the city’s finances from scratch after inheriting a budget in 2007-2008 that was overspent by $12 million. He said that in part to his efforts, the city now has a AA+ credit rating from Standard & Poor’s, and didn’t increase the tax levy for this year’s budget.
Last May, the City Council approved a $108.4 million budget with no city tax rate increase for the 2015 calendar year. The administration made minor cuts and used $9 million of its surplus in order to keep the municipal property tax rate flat.
The amount to be collected by the city from residents via taxes – or the municipal tax levy – rose slightly, from $51.79 million to $52.38 million. But thanks to a $198 million boost in the city’s ratables over the last year, the tax rate stayed the same or will potentially decrease.
“I think I’ve demonstrated that I’ve been very successful in my job as councilman,” Cunningham said. “I’m not only crafting policy for the betterment of everybody, but also I’m in touch with the constituency.”
For those who say Cunningham will be beholden to the mayor when he votes, he disagreed.
“Generally speaking, we share the same policies. How we get there can be very different,” he said. “There are plenty of instances where I haven’t been supportive of the mayor. Sometimes we see that in public. Sometimes it doesn’t make it to the dais.”
A major point of contention between the two candidates is the acquisition of the BASF-property located in Ward 5 near Madison and 13th streets.
The 6-acre parcel of land is currently owned by chemical-giant BASF (previously Henkel/Cognis). The city passed a $16.7 million bond in September to help acquire the property in the northwest for a flood-resilient park and parking garage.
Prior to the bond passing, council members discussed the possibility of using eminent domain to obtain the BASF property. Eminent domain allows local governments to condemn property for public-use as long as “just compensation” is provided to the owner. If the city of Hoboken and the property owners don’t reach a deal themselves, the courts will establish a fair market price. If the property owners don’t agree with the price, they can file suit against Hoboken in the U.S Court of Federal Claims.
This may lead to litigation costs and thus place a burden on tax payers, a point raised by Gonzalez in public meetings prior to the passing of the bond.
“Should Hoboken taxpayers pay for acquisition of open space when we don’t know final cost or would you rather work with land owner and compromise?” said Gonzalez.
He noted that despite the $16.7 million bond ($11.9 million of which will go to the approximate 4-acre park/2 acre parking garage), the land acquisition and construction of the BASF property would ultimately cost between $37.5 million to $42.5 million, not including possible legal costs and cleanup.
“We’ve been pursuing the BASF property for eight years…in early 2008 we instituted an open space trust account, funded consistently since then, and approved a referendum by an overwhelmingly large percentage,” said Cunningham in defense of the decision. “[This was done] so that we could acquire open space and properties [like the BASF property], rather than through a developer deal. You don’t run unto six continuous acres at one property owner in a one square mile city often.”
If re-elected to his seat, Cunningham hopes to continue to improve the quality of life, balance the creation of open space while being mindful not to overdevelop the city, and address traffic flow problems.
Gonzalez said, if elected, he hopes to create more open space, improve the city’s flood protection from massive storm events and more common flash floods, improve the city from a financial perspective, and advance affordable housing.
Sixth Ward: Assemblyman looks to unseat incumbent
Outgoing Assemblyman Carmelo Garcia is facing off with Councilwoman Jen Giattino for the 6th Ward seat.
Giattino, who is married and has three boys, was first elected to the council in 2011. She has served as the council president and says she’s proud of countless feats, “leading the effort to fix and upgrade Church Square Park, successfully pushing for new parks, promoting fiscal responsibility by ensuring that an adequate rainy day fund is maintained, advocating for Frank Sinatra Park and helping to secure a new flood pump.”
“I feel like I’ve made a really positive difference in the city, and I really enjoy fighting for neighborhood improvements,” said Giattino.
When asked what makes her a better candidate than her opponent, Giattino said, “I only have one reason to represent the 6th Ward. This is not a stepping stone for me.”
Garcia, however, contends that he is running because it is his “purpose in life to serve fellow residents.”
“I felt I had to come back home because my neighbors are tired and frustrated about the disconnect from City Hall and council representatives,” said Garcia, who is married and has four children. In 2002, Garcia was elected to the local school board and resigned in January 2014 to take a post in the state Assembly.
Although she’s running on the Zimmer ticket, Giattino said in the past she has disagreed with the mayor on a number of issues and has been very vocal about the opposition in those cases.
If reinstated as a councilperson, she plans to continue to openly communicate with residents, work on the North End Redevelopment project, and address the city’s flooding problem via the Rebuild by Design proposal.
Garcia feels the biggest difference between himself and his opponent is the ability “to provide common sense solutions” in addition to “15 plus years in public service.”
Like Giattino, he says he will be open to residents in whichever form of communication they prefer.
His goals include putting forth an ordinance that would exempt residents from having to feed parking meters after 6 p.m., giving homeowners a tax relief, giving a percentage of the city’s surplus back to taxpayers, creating more parking and improving its maintenance, and repaving Washington Street.
Two weeks ago, a Sept. 18 letter from Garcia surfaced concerning animal rights laws as they impact Hoboken. Some alleged the letters, which were sent from envelopes in the name of Assemblyman Sam Fiocchi, were sent out specifically to 6th Ward residents and therefore campaign related. However, Garcia denies the claims.
“First of all I [consistently] give my constituents updates necessary to continuously engage their electorate community. At no time was there every any misuse or campaigning from my legislative office,” he said. “Although I believe it was technically a mix-up, my office is finding out now that the envelopes may have been doctored.”
Garcia said he believes his opponents may be attempting to “evoke tactics that are improper in order to smear me.”
Garcia was the head of Hoboken’s federally funded housing authority, which administers more than 3,000 units of subsidized housing in town. He was terminated by the Zimmer-allied board majority after they questioned his awarding of no-bid contracts and raised various other issues. Garcia has filed a lawsuit over the firing. See previous Reporter stories for more on Garcia’s tenure at the HHA.
Steven Rodas can be reached at srodas@hudsonreporter.com.