Dear Editor:
For the past twelve years, I have dedicated a great deal of my time and energy to the people of the 3rd Ward. In the past, I have advocated for plans that benefit the community and I have fought against measures that would hurt it. Now, I am running for re-election so I can continue serving the needs of the people of the 3rd Ward.
As 3rd Ward Councilman, I have fostered a deep commitment to public safety. I have already fought against Mayor Zimmer’s police lay-offs and prevented a citywide public safety debacle. The cuts that Zimmer proposed would have drastically reduced the amount of patrolling officers in the 3rd Ward. This means fewer officers available to respond to distress calls and fewer officers patrolling the area for crime as it occurs.
I also fought to upgrade the city’s camera system on the waterfront after two tragic losses. The system was failing because the equipment we were using was outdated and needed to be replaced. Similarly, during Hurricane Sandy our police and fire communications system failed because it was too old and basically obsolete. During a natural disaster, the one thing we shouldn’t have to worry about. If elected, I will continue the push to upgrade the technology our police and firefighters work with in order to prevent future tragedies.
In addition to my dedication to public safety, I have also put in effort to create public spaces for the families in our community. I advocated for the creation of the Madison Street Splash Park, which was one of the first splash parks in Hoboken. I also fought for proper restrooms for families within the park instead of less-than-sanitary porta-johns.
I plan to create even more spaces for families in the future, including the development of more pocket parks throughout the ward as space becomes available. One example of such a space would be the lot on 5th and Madison. It is my view that any space that isn’t being used for productive activity can be redeveloped into a space for the community.
I have also fought to make sure all the roads in the 3rd Ward were repaved after last winter’s snow. Within the past six months, most of the streets in 3rd Ward’s have been smoothed out and not a single major pothole remains. Additionally, during my time as councilman, hundreds of new parking spaces have been created in the 3rd Ward and I have fought against council decisions that would have reduced the amount of parking as well.
The population of Hoboken is steadily increasing with each passing year. This means that we will need more on-duty police officers to keep us safe. We will need a more advanced communications system for rescue workers. It means we’ll need to create more public outdoor spaces for our children and more parking spaces so we’re not all constantly circling the block looking for a spot. There are all issues I have already fought for and will continue to fight for when re-elected as councilman of the 3rdWard.
Michael Russo