HOBOKEN — The Hoboken City Council engaged in a heated debate Wednesday night over a controversial decision that ultimately led to the appointment of Greg Lincoln to the Hoboken Housing Authority Board.
The HHA oversees the federally funded low income housing in Hoboken. Seats on the agency’s seven-member Board of Commissioners are unpaid.
Lincoln was appointed to the board in a 5-4 vote Wednesday; all votes in favor were received from the majority members of the council, who are typically aligned with Mayor Dawn Zimmer’s administration. Lincoln, who was one of four candidates for the slot, is an ally of Zimmer. He ran unsuccessfully for City Council against Councilman Michael Russo last year.
The vacancy was caused by Commissioner Marianne Camporeale, who was recently forced to leave her position after it was pointed out at a meeting that she failed to complete the training courses within the required 18-month period. Camporeale has been a vocal opponent of Zimmer in the past.
Wednesday night, the four-member council minority attempted to nominate local bar owner Joe Branco to the slot. In May, Branco had applied for a different vacancy and was frustrated when he was not chosen, asking whether he had even been considered. Branco hoped to be chosen this time, but still lost out.
Members of the council minority, who are typically opponents of the city’s administration, have argued that the appointment process is political in nature.
Council President and majority member Ravi Bhalla told the Reporter that the council has a “fiduciary responsibility” to fill the position now, and that there was already a list of four qualified candidates who had applied in the past.
“This is a well coordinated attack,” said councilman Tim Occhipinti, who later stormed out of the room after the minority’s attempt to nominate Branco failed with only four votes.
To find out more about this story, keep watching hudsonreporter.com and pick up the print edition this weekend for the full story. -Stephen LaMarca
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