Bayonne Mayor Davis releases statement citing 100-day accomplishments

BAYONNE – Mayor James Davis released a statement on Wednesday, Oct. 8, citing what he said were accomplishments during his first 100 days in office.
Davis was elected mayor in a June 10 runoff, following his close 49 to 47 percent finish behind then-Mayor Mark Smith in the May 13 regular municipal election. The runoff was forced since neither candidate received the required 50 percent plus one vote needed for victory.
Davis was sworn into office with his council team on July 1.
“In our first 100 days we set the stage for a new era of government in the Peninsula City,” said the mayor. “From resolving the teachers’ contract to putting an elected school board on the ballot to rescuing the Veterans Stadium project, we’re moving Bayonne in the right direction.”
Davis and his administration worked side by side with the Bayonne Teachers’ Association and Bayonne Board of Education throughout August and the first few days of September to resolve the four-plus year contract dispute.
“In the end, the teachers received a five-year contract and started the school year off on the right foot,” the mayor said. “The teachers’ contract put money in the pockets of hardworking and dedicated public servants, all while protecting taxpayers.”
Davis also cited as a success the Aug. 13 Bayonne City Council vote to place a question on the Nov. 4 ballot asking residents whether the city’s nine-member school board should continue to be appointed by the mayor or should become an elected board. He had campaigned in favor of an elected board.
The construction work on the Bayonne Bridge has been high on Davis’ priority list, the statement said. Since taking office, Davis has held two public meetings with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He’s also appointed an environmental consultant to conduct an air quality study, reinstituted bi-monthly meetings with the Port Authority, and appointed a point person to handle constituent complaints.
A few days after taking office, the mayor learned that the proposed Veterans Stadium renovation project did not have all of the required funding for it to move forward, according to the statement.
“In the last 30 days, Mayor Davis was able to identify and secure an additional $1 million to close the gap and bring the project to a start,” a spokesman said.