Hoboken Government

Hoboken Democrats for Hudson County raised $28,000 for City Council candidates Michael Russo, Richard Tremetiedi, Chris Campos and Nino Giacchi

Hoboken Councilman-at-large Peter Cammarano is currently under review by the state Election Law Enforcement Commission for what some allege is improper activity in this past June's state Senate, Assembly and Hoboken municipal elections.

Eric Kurta, a Hoboken resident and president of the reform group People for Open Government, filed the complaint against Cammarano and received a letter from ELEC stating it is opening a review to determine if Cammarano violated election law as the chairman of Hoboken Democrats for Hudson County.

(left to right) Council members Terry LaBruno, Peter Cunningham, and Dawn Zimmer sit and watch as a crowd of cab drivers in the back of the room gets angry. The council decided to permit more cabs in town, and make it easier for drivers to lose their cab licenses.

In the knock down, drag out world of Hoboken Politics, nothing beats the free entertainment courtesy of the City of Hoboken.  The February 6, 2008 City Council Meeting was no exception when over 200 spectators packed the meeting with another large group lingering outside in the hallway.   A local newspaper, Hoboken Reporter, reported that a "majority of the audience was comprised of Hoboken taxicab drivers, owners, and supporters, who showed up to protest an ordinance that would allow the city to auction off seven more medallions, bringing the total number of taxis allowed in Hoboken to 65. This would increase the competition."  Although fares would be increased from $4 to $5, changes in the law would now allow for the suspension of a Hoboken taxi drivers permit if the driver accumulated 4 points on his state issued drivers license. 

Kenner, Louisiana Mayor Phil Capitano and representatives from his city were in Hoboken last week to express their appreciation for the residents' charitable donations in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Shortly after the hurricane hit in August, the Hoboken City Council voted to "adopt" Kenner, a town of about of 70,000, which is about 15 miles west of New Orleans.

Residents donated baby food, baby wipes, diapers, flashlights, batteries, and a multitude of other supplies. Enough items were collected to fill an 18-wheel tractor trailer.

Last month, Mayor David Roberts and Councilman Michael Russo were part of a large group that embarked on a 30-hour, 1,300-mile journey to Kenner.

Dear Editor:

I accepted Mayor David Robert's appointment as an Advisor for $1.00 per year to provide advice and suggestions to help with financial planning and quality of life issues important to the taxpayers and residents of the City of Hoboken. At that time I was not aware that the 2008 fiscal year budget (yet to submitted) would rise to $86 million from the current budget of $78 million.

Wednesday November 07, 2007, Jersey Journal

Just in case you didn't get enough election news last night, here's the breakdown of votes in the Fourth Ward by district, from Hoboken City Clerk Jimmy Farina:

1st District: 137 Campos; 265 Zimmer
2nd District: 49 Campos; 474 Zimmer
3rd District: 178 Campos; 131 Zimmer
4th District: 384 Campos; 56 Zimmer

So again, for machine votes, that's a total of 748 for Campos and 926 for Zimmer. In absentee ballots, Campos got 208 and Zimmer received 144, bringing the total votes to 956 for Campos and 1,070 for Zimmer. There were 41 provisional ballots - too small a number to have any effect.

So, Campos conceded, Gerry McCann called Dawn to say congrats, you know the story...This time around, Zimmah really is the winnah!

HOBOKEN - Dawn Zimmer was elected to the 4th Ward City Council seat in the "do-over" balloting last night, defeating Christopher Campos in a special election called after both candidates agreed to set aside the results of the June runoff.

Zimmer got 1,070 votes to Campos' 956, including absentee ballots. There are 41 so far uncounted provisional ballots, not enough to affect the outcome.

"I did it! I'm stunned," Zimmer said by cell phone last night on her way to her victory party. "I can say that I truly didn't know that this would happen when I gave up my seat. I'm grateful to my supporters, I'm overwhelmed by the amount of support I received by everyone in the 4th Ward and Hoboken."

Supreme Court of New Jersey

Top row, L to R: Justice Roberto A. Rivera-Soto; Justice Barry T. Albin; Justice John E. Wallace, Jr.; Justice Helen E. Hoens; Front row, L to R: Justice Virginia Long; Chief Justice Stuart Rabner; Justice Jaynee LaVecchia.

A New Jersey Supreme Court's ruling will be felt around the state because it is likely to give voters more opportunities to overthrow ordinances they oppose with properly certified petitions, officials say.

The ruling affects the 125 municipalities governed by the Faulkner Act, which includes all major cities such as Trenton and large urban and suburban areas like Hamilton and New Brunswick.  Hoboken is also governed by the Faulkner Act.

In 39 years of case law rulings, state courts have made a distinction between municipal ordinances that are administrative in nature and ones that are legislative.

Legislative ordinances that addressed more permanent issues were subject to voter referendum, but administrative ordinances that addressed more temporary or general issues were exempted from referendums.

Yesterday's high court ruling cleared that up, saying there was no distinction, and reverted to state statutes that say, "the voters shall also have the power of referendum which is the power to approve or reject at the polls any ordinance submitted by the council to the voters or any ordinance passed by the council, against which a referendum petition has been filed. ..." 

Hoboken City Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer has agreed to vacate the June election she won in the face of a court challenge to the results by Christopher Campos, whom she defeated, and the two will run against one another again in November.

The stunning announcement, made as both sides were gearing up for a trial, came today and leaves the Fourth Ward City Council seat vacant.

HOBOKEN - The first day of the new fiscal year began with three new City Council members - and a new council president and vice president.

The loudest cheers from the crowd of about 150 at yesterday's swearing-in ceremony at City Hall were reserved for the new members - Second Ward Councilwoman Elizabeth Mason, Fourth Ward Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer and Fifth Ward Councilman Peter Cunningham.

But applause also rang out as City Clerk Jimmy Farina swore in re-elected First Ward Councilwoman Theresa Castellano, Third Ward Councilman Michael Russo and Sixth Ward Councilman Angelo "Nino" Giacchi.

HOBOKEN - Councilman Chris Campos suffered another loss yesterday when a state Superior Court judge denied his request for an injunction to prevent Dawn Zimmer, who defeated him in the 4th Ward runoff, from taking office tomorrow.

Campos will challenge the results of the June 12 runoff in a trial set to begin July 30. He went to court yesterday hoping to keep Zimmer from being sworn in until the case is settled.

Campos's attorney, Alex Booth, argued that Zimmer's swearing in should be postponed because of an important July 18 council meeting, which cannot be pushed back. Decisions made at this meeting, Booth said, could not be changed even if Campos were to eventually be reinstated.