Longtime good government advocate and community leader Daniel Levin has announced that he is a candidate for the Ward E City Council position in the upcoming May 2013 municipal election.
Levin, who previously ran for mayor and at-large for City Council, has been a Ward E resident for several years and is well known in the downtown community. Earlier this year, Levin said he was contemplating another run for City Council. At that time, however, Levin and his family were in the process of selling their Third Street home and he was unsure whether their next residence would be in Ward E or the neighboring Ward F.
Levin recently confirmed to the Reporter that his family has moved and continues to reside in Ward E. He will now make a run for the Ward E seat that will open up when Councilman Steven Fulop runs for mayor in May 2013.
For nearly 15 years Levin has worked with various community groups on a range of issues, including crime, parks/open space, development, planning, and transportation.
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For nearly 15 years Levin has worked with various community groups on a range of issues, including crime, parks/open space, development, planning, transportation, arts, entertainment, pedestrian safety, flooding, and historic preservation.
As founder and president of Civic JC, Levin was instrumental in the development of Jersey City’s pay-to-play laws. A former president of the Harsimus Cove Association, Levin also spearheaded the design of what is currently known as Grove Street Plaza, a multi-functional space outside the Grove Street PATH Station.
“I am committed on working to expand Jersey City’s pay-to-play reform laws to cover the Board of Education, to implement NJ’s Open Appointments requirements that will provide residents with greater opportunities to serve and have a voice in our city government, and to adopt locally the state’s strict ethics code, which will reduce conflicts of interest,” Levin said.
He added, “I am committed to aligning resources with results and prioritizing services to optimize efficient government spending through outcome budgeting, for a more strategic, transparent budget process.”
At present, Levin is running independently and is the second announced candidate for the Ward E seat. Public relations professional Candace Osborne is running for the Ward E spot on Fulop’s slate.
Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy, who is also running for re-election next year, has not announced any running mates thus far.
After Levin made an unsuccessful run for an at-large seat during the 2011 special election, there was speculation that he might team up with Fulop and run for Ward E on Fulop’s slate. Many downtown residents were somewhat surprised when that did not happen and Fulop instead selected Osborne for the ticket.
Over the past few weeks there has been new speculation that Levin might be entertaining the possibility of joining Healy’s ticket. However, some of Ward E’s most politically-active residents believe that such a move could cost Levin votes among his downtown base.
Candidates who run without the backing of a slate typically lack the money and other resources to fend off their politically-connected challengers. However, Fulop has twice succeeded in running independently in Ward E, first in 2005 and again in 2009, so voters in the ward may care little about Levin’s unaffiliated status.
E-mail E. Assata Wright at awright@hudsonreporter.com.