New Energy. New Ideas. New Opportunities.

Neighbors,

It's been some time since I last connected with you here, and thought I’d take a few minutes to provide you with a few important neighborhood updates and also fill you in on some big news for me, personally.

Relocation of the Public Works Garage: Last month we officially signed a deal to purchase the Academy Bus property in the far northwestern portion of the city in order to relocate our municipal garage from the First Ward.  This plan is a win for everyone, as the property comes with a pre-existing garage and gives us future opportunities to program the remaining space to meet the needs of the community and Northwest Redevelopment Plan. I was proud to work with the administration and stakeholders to bring all parties to the table.

A European Style Market at Lackawanna Terminal.  Late last year, I was proud to stand with Governor Murphy and Mayor Bhalla to announce the investment of $182 million in federal funds to historically preserve our train terminal and build a European-style market, similar to Chelsea Market in NYC and Redding Terminal in Philadelphia.  Planning is already underway and we will be announcing a tour of the facility in the coming weeks to elicit community feedback. 

Court Street Rehabilitation.  Court Street is Hoboken’s most historic street, but unfortunately, has fallen into disrepair over the decades; it fails to meet ADA accessibility requirements and has become a breeding ground for vermin from neighboring restaurants.  By working collaboratively, we secured over $3 million to replan the street and preserve it historically. We recently wrapped up a community survey and will be sharing plans for the final design in the coming weeks. 

While all of this is exciting, I also wanted to take this opportunity to share some personal news with you. 

Over the past 13 years, I’ve had the privilege of serving the City of Hoboken, first as a Zoning Board Commissioner and for the past 8 years as your City Councilperson.  I’ve grown so much since my first swearing in at 26 years old, and like many, life has taken me in so many new and exciting directions.  Many of you know I work as a media executive in the private sector as my “day job.” Over the past three years, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to grow in my professional career, leading social justice awareness campaigns for a major media brand and being nominated for 7 Emmy Awards. 

With my current term nearing its end, I’ve had a lot to think about: what’s best for the City and what’s best for me, personally and professionally.  After months of consideration and reflection, I have come to terms with the fact that my current schedule can no longer support both endeavors full-time, without one impacting the other.

So today, I'm announcing I will not be seeking re-election this November. 

This decision was not an easy one, and it's one I've struggled with for some time.  Though it is with a heavy heart that I close this chapter, I feel confident in saying we’ve brought “New Energy and New Ideas” to Hoboken, together. In addition to the massive successes I’ve listed above: bringing a European-style market, relocating the public works garage and historically preserving Court Street, we’ve changed the political conversation and Hoboken, by:

• 🖼️  Bringing public art to Hoboken.

• 🚗 Implementing a $2 million street safety plan along the Newark Street Corridor

• ☕️ Reactivating vacant kiosks on Pier A

• 👩‍🎨 Supporting programs for makers and creators, like the upcoming Neumann Leathers Factory rehab project, protecting artists indefinitely into the future.

• 🚨 Eliminating predatory parking enforcement policies (like the infamous boot) 

• 💰Fighting against unjust tax hikes and large-scale government. 

• 🚶‍♂️Making Hoboken more pedestrian friendly and multi-modal through programs like CitiBike

• 🏦 Updating zoning to make the city more friendly for mom and pops, resulting in over 30 new businesses over the last 3 yrs.

• 🏞️ Working across the political divide to acquire Union Dry Dock and expanded park space in the N/W and S/W parts of town

• 🏳️‍🌈 And, as the only LGBTQ+ elected official, championing equality in Hoboken.

And I’m so damn proud of it all! 

Hoboken has always been my adopted hometown - it's where I began my career fresh out of college, discovered my passion for public service, and built lifelong friendships. Thank you for trusting me to be your representative on the City Council for the past eight years. Thank you for welcoming me with open arms. And thank you for being part of the most important and meaningful years of my life, so far.  Though I’m moving on from elected life, I plan to stay actively involved, especially in the historic rehabilitation of our train terminal over the next few years.  
 
I’m sure many of you will have questions and speculations about what’s next for the First Ward, and I’ll be happy to share more thoughts with you in the coming weeks. But for now, I am putting politics aside to focus on serving as your Councilman through the end of the year.  My inbox is always open, and will continue to be even at the end of this term. 
 
All my best and talk soon! 

Why Hoboken needs an Independent Council

Tomorrow is Election Day in Hoboken and for our mile square city, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

When I announced in August that I wasn’t running for mayor, it caught many by surprise. After coming in a close second in 2017 and being a staunch advocate for governmental transparency, efficiency, new energy and new ideas, I understand how people wanted me to run as a counterpoint to the current administration.  

After deciding not to run in this election, I had hoped independent candidates would find the courage to run for office… and they did!  There are seven independent candidates on the ballot tomorrow to fill three open seats on the City Council, and they’re all running because they know Hoboken can deliver more for residents.  

We can! 

Whether you like Mayor Bhalla or not, the fact remains that he is running unopposed and will remain our mayor. Political loyalists aside, one can’t help but question why voters should feel compelled to elect all of his hand selected Council candidates, thus eliminating all voices except the mayor’s. Especially given the blatant misses of the last four years: advancing holistic flood policy, street safety and keeping our budget stable. The mayor interestingly continues to repeat that he needs his team to get things done, which implies the council not affiliated with him is stopping good policy. 

Quite the opposite, we make policy better for Hoboken.

Everything I see on Team Bhalla’s campaign literature are success items we in elected office have all worked tirelessly on. This isn’t about keeping Hoboken safe, the entire Council prioritized allocating funds to combat the COVID-19 health crisis. The glossy parks you see photos of, those are funded too. And the connected waterfront… we’ve made incredible strides forward in getting this accomplished with unanimous support from the City Council. 

Let’s be clear, none of this progress is at risk, but transparency and having representatives who prioritize you over special interests are. 

That’s precisely why we need more independent voices on the City Council who will work with the administration when they propose good policy, but aren’t beholden to the mayor’s political agenda. The current independent council has, in fact, stood up to his attempt to raise taxes on four different occasions, and lay off essential city workers days before the pandemic took hold.  We fought against a development deal that a judge eventually ruled was a “blatant quid pro quo” that would “create an unacceptable possibility of abuse and fraud”, as well as another that would have decimated my downtown neighborhood with a 30-story residential tower atop our historic train station.  Instead, we now have a European-style market, a future home to makers and creators, artists and innovators being planned. 

It’s well known the mayor is shopping for higher office, likely as soon as this spring, and to do so he’s using Hoboken’s taxpayer funded resources to advance his own career. The truth is, the incumbents in this election wouldn’t even be on the ballot if it weren’t for the mayor’s patronage from out of towners and businesses looking for contracts with the city. For example, Mayor Bhalla wheeled in $20,000 as of the most recent election filing to cover the sources of those donations.  

Earlier this year, the mayor and his slate used city resources to take three independent Council candidates to court in an effort to have their names removed from the ballot. These candidates -- a charter school mom, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and small business owner -- are good community-minded people, who put in countless hours of hard work to get their names on the ballot. So ask yourself, what is the mayor so concerned about?

He’s worried he can’t control them. 

Machine politics is about delivering votes. It’s why I’m such a thorn in the heel of this administration - because they know that I won't stay quiet on important issues, my vote can’t be bought or traded and this level of independence scares them. Right now, the City Council is split 5-4 majority of council members who haven’t run with the mayor and won’t always vote the way he tells them to. The balance of Hoboken’s legislative body is at stake tomorrow. 

We need more independent voices like mine on the Council… not less. 

Mayor Bhalla may have made buzz worthy headlines during the height of the pandemic, but his headlines for actually doing his job are quite the opposite.  This is a mayor who was censured by the state Supreme Court, took a second job at a politically connected Republican law firm after he promised to serve in a full time capacity, and couldn't deliver a balanced budget until the county and federal government stepped in to help.  

In the last week, several of my Council colleagues, past and present, have supported the Independently Together slate of Cheryl Fallick, Sheila Brennan, and Paul Presinzano. I too believe that this team has an interesting and powerful combination of experience levels that is worthy of serious consideration. I personally know Paul, a downtown Hoboken resident, as a family man and experienced finance professional and I am excited to cast my vote for him this Election Day.

So, there we have it — the balance of our City Council is at stake tomorrow and I’m asking for your help to elect more independent voices to help me continue bringing new energy, new ideas and real change to Hoboken. Polls are open tomorrow, November 2, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m -- click here for information on where to vote.

My Choice for the November 2021 Election

I first ran for City Council against a 21 year incumbent because I knew Hoboken and First Ward residents were ready for new energy and new ideas. I’m so incredibly proud to have brought creative and thoughtful policy to our mile square, including expanded business districts, improved pedestrian safety, lowered taxes and investment in green space, like a new downtown dog park. This advocacy has been, and remains, the honor of my life. I’ve never been more energized to continue fighting to improve my neighbors’ quality of life and to be a voice for accountability in City Hall.

Many know me as a passionate and effective politician, but at times over the past few years, politics became a toxic force in my life. Mental health isn’t something you typically hear those in elected office talk about but today, it’s a topic I want to address. I’ll be honest, when I lost the 2017 mayoral election by 400 votes after being wrongfully associated with a racist attack on the now Mayor, it impacted me dramatically.  

Politically, the two years that followed were wildly successful for me: I lead a referendum to bring democracy back to our elections, held the administration accountable for overspending, defended our hardworking City employees when they faced unnecessary layoffs, and spoke out against the Mayor’s broken campaign promise to serve in a full time capacity. But while I was politically strong, my personal life and mental health suffered. I gained 40 pounds, my eight-year relationship ended when I ran for re-election, and I lost touch with many of the things that mattered most to me outside of public service. 

I knew that I needed to make a change, so shortly before the pandemic, I decided to concentrate more on policy and less on political noise. I also invested in myself and elevated my health, my family and my career in ways that I hadn't since before I was elected to City Council. This investment has paid off -- I was nominated for two Emmy Awards, regained strength through daily workouts, spent more time with my aging parents and young nieces, and expanded my advocacy efforts volunteering at an LGBTQ+ center in Colombia for Venezeulan migrant youth. All of this while still maintaining my strong commitment to Hoboken, and my neighbors. But although my efforts shifted, others’ did not and the callous and destructive attacks on my personal life from the Mayor and his allies continued at a feverish pace. Consistently, my reaction has been to avoid the toxicity of their predatory politics and I still refuse to let it back into my life.   

For all the reasons above, as I shared with those closest to me a few months ago, I have decided not to run for Mayor this November. Many of my neighbors and supporters have reached out to me in recent weeks urging me to toss my hat into the ring again. This support has meant everything to me and actually briefly made me reconsider my decision. But for now, I’m looking forward to continuing to bring my healthy spirit -- new energy and new ideas -- to the City Council and also to the upcoming City Council race.

But to be clear, don’t count me out for mayor in four years time.

2021 CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS: A RENEWED OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW ENERGY AND NEW IDEAS

In this November’s election, there are three City Council seats that will need to be filled. As you may know, the Council is a nine member legislative body: six members, including mine, are elected by individual neighborhoods (wards), and three members are elected by the entire city. On Tuesday, November 2, those three seats are up for election, and the stakes couldn't be higher. For us to continue to have a system of checks and balances in Hoboken, we need to elect an independent Council who will work with the Mayor when he is right and hold him accountable when he is not.  

important to have diverse and unique voices on the City Council. If all three of the Mayor’s handpicked candidates win, including two incumbents, he will have a five vote majority who will rubber stamp his agenda without any opportunity for questions or challenges. A Mayor with a City Council that doesn't question policy is terrible for good, representative government and this will translate to more out of scale development, increased legal costs, unnecessary litigation, and once federal stimulus funds run out… more taxes.

This is why I am thrilled that independent candidates looking to run for City Council have approached me to ask for my support.  We have the chance to get these independent Council candidates on the ballot this November and onto the dais in January, but to do so, they must get 600 ballot petitions signed before THIS MONDAY 8/30 at 4 p.m. They need your help to meet this goal. 

I can tell you that in my experience of getting ballot petitions signed, it’s a daunting task. Since these independent candidates are running a grassroots effort, not being supported by shadowy Super PACS nor funded by the Mayor’s war chest of out of town donors, they are relying on you to sign their petitions in order to get their names on the ballot so you have choices on Election Day. If you believe in democracy and keeping our local government honest, simply:

Thank you for continued support in me and in those looking to bring new energy and new ideas to Hoboken. I know that together we can fight divisive politics and continue the progress we’ve made to build a city that works for everyone.