The vote to make Theresa Castellano Hoboken Council president said it all about which faction holds most sway in the newly elected council.
Prior to this, Mayor Dave Roberts had apparently anticipated being able to work with various factions within the council through his most loyal supporter Council woman Terry LaBruno and perhaps even counting on the help of Councilman Nino Giacchi.
But as soon as the city council began deliberating all these hopes went up in smoke as council members attacked the budget and Councilman Peter Cunningham questioned spending.
With Castellano setting the council agenda as president, Roberts’ influence is diminished again. The big three power players seem to be Councilmen Ruben Ramos, Peter Cammarano and Michael Russo.
You can expect a lot of horse trading on the council as various council members seek to get their agendas heard. But the real political fights in anticipation of the 2009 mayoral and at large elections won’t start in earnest until late in 2008.
But you can see the outlines of some campaigns forming.
The countywide battle between the Hudson County Democratic Organization and the Democratic for Hudson County had a huge impact in Hoboken, where people were forced to take sides.
While rumors claim that Mayor Roberts is thinking about resigning, some believe this is merely as political ploy.
While Robert may or may not be fading from the political scene, Councilwoman LaBruno said she is not, and that she intends to run for mayor in 2009.
“I need to start working on that right now,” she said. “We need leaders who are going to unite people not divide them.
Freeholder Maurice Fitzgibbons, recently elected chairman of the Hoboken Democratic Organization, disputed some of the gains claimed by the Reform movement in Hoboken.
“I’m in the driver’s seat in the February primary for president,” said Fitzgibbons, who predicted he will face a challenge for his freeholder seat next June. But he issued a warning. “If they think Ruben Ramos [who won the Democratic nomination for state Assembly) gave them a licking in this primary, wait until they see what I do to them in 2008.”
One ticket that is apparently being contemplated has Cammarano for mayor with Frank Raia, Carol Marsh (or Tony Soares) and Ramos for at large tickets.
Soares, however, said he is not running for office, nor does he believe such a ticket combining former political opponents could be put together.
Although Dawn Zimmer only slipped into office by a narrow 9-vote margin over incumbent Councilman Chris Campos, she is expected to grow stronger over the next year. But the most interesting newly elected Councilperson will be Beth Mason, who will be faced with the significant task of changing focus slightly and broadening her agenda to take on some of the most contentious issues the council faces such as the development of North Hoboken.
Traditionally, the political landscape is populated by two basic kinds of candidates, those who are advocates for specific issues, and the career politician, whose agenda often broader in scope. While Zimmer and Cunningham are also seen as part of the reform movement, Mason is seen as a bridge vote, someone who may be courted by various factions on the council.
It will be curious to see how she handles the challenge of broadening her agenda, while still maintaining her vision as reformer.
Jersey City mayoral race already started?
Betrayal has always been a watch word with Louis Manzo, who is likely seeking to run for Jersey City mayor in 2009. In the early 1990s, Manzo found his former aide Vicki Marogliotta campaigning for then challenger Manny Portnoy.
Manzo, who has aligned himself with Union City Mayor Brian Stack, may have to worry about the recent closer relationship between L. Harvey Smith and Stack.
Contenders for the seat in 2009 may include Manzo, incumbent Mayor Jerramiah Healy, Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop, Smith, Sandra Cunningham, Bret Schundler, even possibly Willie Flood.
Some dream people’s ticket see Fulop seeking people like Sean Connors as a possible Ward D candidate and perhaps Jimmy Carroll as a candidate for an at large seat.
A forgotten bit of history
Of all the mayors of Union City, Mayor William Musto most resembles current Union City Mayor Stack in popularity.
Musto became one of the most powerful political forces in the state, and is credited for legislation that allowed Atlantic City gambling and to create a state lottery.
While Musto did not try to create a new Democratic Party in Hudson County the way Stack did, he had aspirations of stretching his influence beyond the borders of Union City. In this plot to create a more powerful political base, Musto teamed up with then Hoboken Mayor Steve Cappiello and Wally Sheil of Jersey City. The plot failed when Sheil lost to Gerald McCann in the 1981 Jersey City mayoral race.
Is Doria leaving as mayor?
Bayonne Mayor Joseph Doria at his 61st birthday celebration last week suggested he may remain mayor for a while yet.
This may be partly due to the fact that no one from the Governor’s office has actually offered him any lucrative jobs with the administration. Insiders suggest three possible jobs: special educational aide to Gov. Jon Corzine, Commissioner of Education, or possibly the chairman of the Department of Community Affairs.
Most likely if he leaves, Doria will do so after Sept. 8, avoiding a special election for this November.
The problem is: who will replace Doria if he goes.
Under law, Council President Vincent Lo Re becomes acting mayor for the first 30 days or until the council votes on a replacement until a special election can be held in 2008.
Nicholas Chiaravalloti, one time commissioner on Hudson County Improvement Authority and former executive director of the Bayonne Redevelopment Agency, is said to be in consideration.
But he would need three votes to get the job, and with Lo Re as the deciding vote, all Lo Re needs to do to retain the seat is to vote against Chiaravalloti. If the council cannot find a replacement within the 30 days, Lo Re remains mayor until the special election.
Recall for Turner?
As reported prior to the June 8 primary, the first official rumblings of a recall election against Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner have started.
Although too early to say who will run against Turner, several key people are said to be involved such as former Weehawken Mayor Stanley Iacono, Alberto Cabrera and Richard Decosmis.
“We have the support of other mayors in Hudson County who are angry at Turner,” Decosmis said.
An initial fundraiser is expected to take place near the beginning of August.
Iacono, however, has since disavowed his role in the recall effort, and several political observers claimed Turner’s ability to turn out the vote in the primary showed he is not vulnerable.