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.