2025 Hoboken Mayoral Candidates Answer Your Questions

In anticipation of the non-partisan municipal elections that Hoboken has on the horizon on November 4th, The Hoboken Girl reached out to the candidates running to be Hoboken’s new mayor about their vision for the city. We also sourced questions from readers + residents for the candidates to address what matters most to Hobokenites. Read on for the mayoral candidates’ responses to questions regarding their background and qualifications to lead the Mile Square City.

Editor’s note: This article presents all of the candidates’ answers in full. Four other articles have the candidates’ answers grouped by subject. Please find those links below. All candidates and their campaigns were invited to participate. All of these responses are published alphabetically. The Hoboken Girl does not endorse candidates, nor do we allow for any political advertising on our website or social media for political candidates.

Part I – Meet the Candidates
Part II – Hoboken’s Future
Part III – Politics
Part IV – Quality of Life in Hoboken

Click the candidate’s name to go directly to their section.

Dini Ajmani Ruben Ramos Tiffanie Fisher Dr Michael Russo Emily Jabbour

Dini Ajmani

hoboken mayoral candidate 2025 - dini

Name: Dini Ajmani
Time in Hoboken: 10 years

Q: What is your background/experience in how it relates to local politics, and why are you running for mayor?

In making the decision to run, I asked three questions. What does the city need, do I have the skills to meet the need, is the rest of field equipped for the same. City needs someone with management experience and budget acumen. Till recently, I was a senior official at the US Treasury, Asst. Treasurer for New Jersey and have worked on Wall Street. I have a MBA from Stanford University.

Q: What endorsement for your candidacy are you most proud of and why?

Residents of Hoboken who have been an amazing source of encouragement. My candidacy is all about making their life better.

Q: We know Hoboken’s municipal elections are non-partisan, but considering that federal politics often make their way into local politics these days, what political party are you currently registered with (if any)?

I am a registered Democrat. I am a pragmatist who believes in adopting good ideas irrespective of the ideology.

Q: What are your top three priorities for your first year in office and what will you do in your first 100 days?

Lower taxes and rent, fix parking, bring back sense of safety.

Q: FINANCES: Please respond to residents’ criticism of the recent budget that was approved, which included both a tax increase for residents and cuts to operating expenses and salary line items.

This year’s budget is just a harbinger for what is ahead. Because of mismanagement of our finances, we could be looking at a 25% increase in taxes next year. This increase which will price residents out, is a result of excessive spending.

Q: EDUCATION: With the increasing number of children being enrolled in Hoboken schools each year, what are your thoughts on accommodating this population, such as the construction of new schools to address population growth and repairing aging school facilities?

Hoboken qualifies for assistance from State’s School Development Authority in building schools. With my 4 years as Assistant Treasurer for New Jersey, I have relationships that I can leverage to build facilities in Hoboken without raising taxes for residents.

Q: HOUSING + INFRASTRUCTURE: Many residents + would-be residents complain about the high cost of housing in Hoboken. What is your opinion and what do you think can be done?

Corporate landlords hold all the cards in rent negotiations. This imbalance could shift in favor of the renters if landlords were required to pay the broker fees. I am also concerned about upcoming surge in property taxes unless we change course.

Q: HOUSING + INFRASTRUCTURE: Even though infrastructure updates are desperately needed, the work to do these improvements is incredibly disruptive for residents and costly for the city. This can even be dangerous, as in the circumstances of contaminated water from a water main break and roadways in and out of the city being closed due to road work. What is your plan to better accommodate the needed repairs while lessening the burden on residents?

Hoboken is bursting at the seams. There is no evidence of thoughtful planning for many projects underway at the same time. Before approving a new development, I would ask – can our infrastructure handle additional load and does the development preserve the village-like feel of our city.

Q: HOUSING + INFRASTRUCTURE: Residents complain about the scarcity and high cost of parking. What is your opinion and what, if any, initiatives would you support?

Solving parking would be a priority for me. We have issued twice as many permits as spaces available. I would immediately review our permitting practices which are outdated and from a time when our population was half of what it is today. Non-residents should use private garages that sit empty. I would also look at building garages on unused land like the ShopRite parking lot.

Q: HOUSING + INFRASTRUCTURE: Public transit users are upset by ongoing delays and the increasing cost of service. What is your plan to advocate for your constituents with PATH and NJ Transit?

I was on the board of NJ Transit for four years. 126 route is very profitable for NJ Transit. I will use this leverage to add weekend service with more uptown pickups. For PATH, I will lobby the Port Authority to cross-honor as soon as there is any disruption in the PATH service.

Q: PUBLIC SAFETY + CRIME: Even though traffic fatalities are zero, injuries continue to occur. Many Hoboken parents are concerned about traffic safety near schools. The area around Willow Avenue between 11th Street and 16th Street, near Wallace School, is part of Hoboken’s High Crash Network and Hudson County’s Bicyclist High Injury network, according to both Hoboken’s and Hudson County’s Vision Zero Plans. What is your plan to address this issue and help keep our children safe?

I will consult experts in urban planning and traffic to ensure safety of our children is paramount in any redesign of this area.

Q: PUBLIC SAFETY + CRIME: Hoboken’s public safety director has said publicly that crime is down in Hoboken, yet the City Council has moved to expand the police force and put special officers in schools, and many residents report not feeling safe. How do you square this?

I am glad statistics are headed in the right direction. However, data often does not capture erosion in our sense of safety. I will augment street patrols with officers from Hudson county’s sheriff’s office.

Q: COMMUNITY ISSUES: Many residents raise concerns about the well-being of unhoused individuals in our community. What are your thoughts on the matter, and what, if any, initiatives would you support?

It is a tragedy that our society allows most vulnerable to languish on our streets. I will work on section 8 housing for those who have fallen on hard times. However, many who are unhoused, need professional assistance and in some cases, palliative care. No parent would feel safe with their kids playing in park that has become a de-facto homeless shelter.

Q: COMMUNITY ISSUES: Many residents have expressed hygienic concerns with the amount of dog feces on Hoboken’s sidewalks; would you address this problem, and if so, how? And how do you feel the City of Hoboken has handled it currently?

First I would install bag dispensers around the city. I think the citizen-run Instagram campaign has been very potent as a deterrent. I will work with this group of committed citizens on resources that they need.

Q: COMMUNITY ISSUES: Hoboken residents also expressed concern over a lack of accommodations for the elderly and disabled, particularly the lack of benches, ramps, and handicapped parking spaces. What’s your opinion and what, if any, initiatives would you support?

I fully support assistance that enhances the life of our citizens and seniors including benches and ramps. There are numerous ways to design benches that offer a respite without attracting overnighters.

Q: COMMUNITY ISSUES: Hoboken is seeing more national chains. How will you support small businesses and preserve local character while staying within legal/zoning constraints? Explain.

Small businesses need healthy consumers with “walking about” money in their pockets. I will work to put more disposable income in the pockets of our residents. I will also review all the requirements like sanitation and parking regulation some of which are unnecessary.

Q: CLOSING QUESTIONS: There are so many communication tools that are online (as in, social media, newsletters, Nixle, website), but not every resident has access. How are you going to communicate with residents as mayor to ensure access to information?

I will partner up with popular platforms like “Hoboken Girl” to get the message out. Hoboken is a walking city. I would use the LED screens at the EV charging stations, bill boards at the bus shelters, bike stations, etc. to connect.

Q: CLOSING QUESTIONS: How will you foster productive collaboration with the City Council while ensuring accountability and transparency?

Unfortunately, Hoboken’s council meetings are a horror show. Jersey Journal had this headline – “If it’s Hoboken, the council must be fighting”. Our council suffers from chronic dysfunction that hurts residents. Hoboken is about to turn a page. City is getting a new mayor and four new council members. If given the opportunity to lead the city, I will treat all members of the council and staff in City Hall with respect and dignity.

Q: CLOSING QUESTIONS: Hudson County politics has long faced concerns about pay-to-play and insider influence. What specific reforms will you champion (e.g. contracting rules, campaign finance limits, independent oversight, stronger OPRA compliance)?

I am not accepting any contributions from developers, unions, or any other special interest. I won’t be beholden to them when negotiating contracts. I will encourage council members to recuse when there is a conflict of interest and I will do the same. I will add resources to expedite OPRA requests. Preserving OPRA is essential to prevent corruption.

Q: CLOSING QUESTIONS: Who is another local government official you respect + admire?

Mayor Dawn Zimmer.

Q: Any other final notes/thoughts for The Hoboken Girl readers about your candidacy, share here:

I have the experience Hoboken needs today. As Deputy Assistant Secretary at US Treasury and Assistant Treasurer for New Jersey, I have run large organizations and run large budgets. Current city government has been ineffective. Council members who are running for mayor collectively have 57 years on the council. Our daily life is becoming increasingly challenging and now they want to add another 13,000 residents in the next five years. There is no planning, just ad-hoc decisions that are often self-serving. It is time to give Hoboken a fresh start.

Tiffanie Fisher

tiffanie fischer hoboken city council

How long have you lived in Hoboken? 31 years

What is your background/experience in how it relates to local politics, and why are you running for mayor?*

I’ve served on the Hoboken City Council for nearly 10 years. Professionally, I’m a former CFO and seasoned real estate finance executive with over 23 years of experience leading large, complex projects, budgets, and companies. I’ve brought this experience and financial discipline to Hoboken—cutting tax increases that saved $35M, negotiating a better water contract that freed up $33M to invest in upgrades, founding the Hoboken Business Alliance, spearheading resiliency and infrastructure projects like Rebuild by Design, and advocating for policies to protect tenants and small businesses. I’m running for mayor because Hoboken needs a different kind of mayor – someone with the experience to run the city well and deliver from day one. I’m ready to be that different kind of mayor – one who will keep her sleeves rolled up and make sure city government works for the people it serves.

What endorsement for your candidacy are you most proud of and why?*

I’m most proud of the support from neighbors across every ward. This campaign is powered by the community—hundreds of volunteers and donors who believe Hoboken deserves a mayor focused on them, not political insiders. That grassroots trust means more to me than any political endorsement.

We know Hoboken’s municipal elections are non-partisan, but considering that federal politics often make their way into local politics these days, what political party are you currently registered with (if any)?*

Democrat

What are your top three priorities for your first year in office and what will you do in your first 100 days?

Safety + Quality of Life

Safety: Curb reckless e-bike riding, fully enforce the Tests & Vests law that I co-authored, fully staff all crossing guard posts, and take a more hands-on approach than in the past, with our police – including continuing the work I am doing with neighbors to create a new constituent services role within the Police Department to respond directly and better align police resources to community concerns.
Quality of Life: Quality of Life: Open City Hall to make access to services and information more accessible, manage infrastructure improvements better to minimize disruptions, prioritize parking as the quality-of-life issue it is, improve maintenance of our parks and public spaces, strictly enforce rent control laws, finalize plans for a new recreation center, create a community advisory board for recreation to ensure programs meet residents’ needs – and require simple, common-sense measures like placing a “Road Closed Ahead” sign one block before the block that’s actually closed, so residents aren’t trapped in traffic detours.

Fiscal Responsibility

Conduct a top-to-bottom budget review to root out inefficiency, increase transparency, and tie spending to measurable outcomes.
Review all healthcare contracts to better control rising costs while protecting quality of care for city employees.
Implement long-term financial planning to stabilize taxes and rebuild public trust in how our money is spent.

Transportation + Infrastructure

Appoint a dedicated official to coordinate and hold accountable all construction projects, ensuring they are scheduled with a residents-first approach to minimize disruption.
Continue the citywide water infrastructure upgrade plan I helped initiate in 2018 to reduce future water main breaks.
Begin plans for a new, electrified HOP/Bus network that has broader reach within Hoboken, expand corner car program (into garages), advance the 15th Street Light Rail stop, connect directly with the Port Authority to advocate for more reliable PATH service, and partner with NJ Transit and NY Waterway to expand 126 bus routes and improve ferry service.

In my first 100 days, my top priorities will be safety, the budget, and the structure of city government. Safety starts with strengthening our Office of Emergency Management and ensuring we have clear, coordinated plans for emergencies and major catastrophes – because this is fundamental to leading a city. The budget is the instrument that funds the services we all rely on, and we must align it with real priorities and fiscal discipline. And reviewing how the city is organized – and where it needs to change – is where we will find better, more effective ways to run our government. None of this is flashy, but it’s the essential work of building a different kind of government – one that works better for you.

FINANCES: Please respond to residents’ criticism of the recent budget that was approved, which included both a tax increase for residents and cuts to operating expenses and salary line items.

This administration has spent the last eight years chasing headline-grabbing projects with little visibility on cost – and we are now paying the price. That is not how you run a city.

The largest drivers of our taxes are interest and principal payments on bonds issued for parks, infrastructure, and the DPW garage, as well as rising healthcare costs and public safety salaries – all difficult to make cuts to.

As someone who has consistently led efforts to cut the mayor’s proposed increases and delivered $35 million in savings over the years, I can tell you that this year there was very little left the Council could cut. The mayor delivered the budget two months late – after most spending was already committed – making meaningful reductions nearly impossible.

Some candidates have made political claims. Mike Russo has said he could deliver a 0% increase, but he started with the wrong numbers and has never done the work on the budget. Ruben Ramos proposed slightly more cuts than I did but refused to collaborate with other council members, instead using his “no” vote to score political points.

The Council did make targeted cuts – in line items we knew were overbudgeted and wouldn’t be spent – to keep City Hall operating and avoid a potential state takeover. Critics will say “Tiffanie cut housing and public safety,” but the truth is those were technical reductions to surplus funds that the administration historically never used. In fact, I’ve long pushed to expand funding for our Housing Department, while the mayor repeatedly diverted their budget to other departments.

We need a return to disciplined, transparent, year-round financial planning – and leadership that treats the budget as what it truly is: the roadmap that funds the services our community relies on. That is what I will bring as mayor.

EDUCATION: With the increasing number of children being enrolled in Hoboken schools each year, what are your thoughts on accommodating this population, such as the construction of new schools to address population growth and repairing aging school facilities?

I fully support expanding the footprint of our Hoboken District Schools. I was the first to raise concerns about the enrollment crisis after being told during the 2016 budget process about a “doubling of 7- and 8-year-olds” coming through our recreation program. I immediately reached out to Dr. Johnson – literally my first year in office in March 2016 – and have been in regular conversation with her ever since about how to meet this growth.

This perspective has informed many steps I have taken as a councilmember. I’ve made sure educational uses are incorporated into all of our redevelopment plans – because land use (and recreation) are where the City Council can have the biggest impact on our schools. I pushed for our Master Plan Redesign in 2017 to include a deep dive into our educational facilities needs (but was declined). I also connected the Board of Education with developers to find space for the pre-K program, helping free up classrooms in our elementary schools and to consider building a new school. Although two-thirds of Hoboken voters opposed the proposed new high school during the 2022 referendum, I know most – including me – are waiting to learn about and would support a stronger, more viable proposal.

And regarding recreation, when the Northwest Resiliency Park was originally planned as a passive park, I pushed back and secured what are now the soccer field and basketball court to support this growing demand for space. And as the growth in our school-age population – along with more residents of all ages – has increased competition for our limited recreation space, I have developed a recreation plan to expand our overall field capacity to meet this demand, including completing plans for a new recreation center within my first year as mayor and having it built before the end of my first term.

HOUSING: Many residents + would-be residents complain about the high cost of housing in Hoboken. What is your opinion and what do you think can be done?

The cost of housing in Hoboken is high – and not just housing. The cost of everyday living has risen too, with “Hoboken prices” often higher than surrounding areas. We are, in many ways, a victim of our own success: we created a community people want to move to, which pushes up prices.

Without government action to maintain a balance between housing supply and the people who work here, market conditions will increasingly make Hoboken unaffordable for most. We must use every tool available to protect existing residents from being priced out. That means strictly enforcing our rent control laws, and completing the nearly 700 affordable units already planned as part of the 6,000-unit development pipeline.

We also need to revisit how these new units are structured – creating more moderate-income (80–120% AMI) housing and more three-bedroom units, which currently make up less than 10% of new buildings. Three-bedrooms are scarce, often leaving growing families without a way to stay in Hoboken.

Finally, we must rein in taxes – one of the largest expenses for property owners and one that can be passed on to tenants. And for seniors, I would advocate at the state level to expand and strengthen the senior tax freeze program to better help them stay in their homes.

INFRASTRUCTURE: Even though infrastructure updates are desperately needed, the work to do these improvements is incredibly disruptive for residents and costly for the city. This can even be dangerous, as in the circumstances of contaminated water from a water main break and roadways in and out of the city being closed due to road work. What is your plan to better accommodate the needed repairs while lessening the burden on residents?

I have chaired or served on every City Council infrastructure subcommittee since I first joined the Council. In 2017, I took over from then-Councilman Bhalla, who had myriad conflicts of interest through the law firm he worked for. That same year, joined by my running mate and then-Councilman Dave Mello, I pushed Mayor Zimmer to dedicate funds in the 2016 budget to upgrade our water infrastructure. And when a new water contract was proposed in 2017 that I believed wasn’t good enough, I pushed back – made my case – and then led the effort to negotiate a better agreement that freed up $33 million within the contract to reinvest directly into system upgrades.

What many newer residents don’t know is that before we launched this program around 2018, Hoboken suffered water main breaks almost weekly – incidents that would bring our community to its knees. Since then, we’ve invested about $30 million into upgrades, and water main breaks have dropped dramatically. Maintaining and accelerating this program will remain a top priority for me – including installing leak detection technology – so we can finally live without these constant disruptions. It is also critical that we, as a city, do everything possible to provide better information to residents, have emergency supplies of water ready, and get the system back up and running as quickly as possible – without triggering boil water advisories.

That said, we clearly still have more work to do. More recently, when water service was turned back on in some larger buildings after outages, we saw devastating impacts that had never occurred before. We need to find the root cause and review our building codes to see if they need to be strengthened to better withstand changes in water pressure.

And as it relates to the quality-of-life disruptions from infrastructure work: right now, the city has no one with infrastructure experience overseeing all construction. A top priority for me will be hiring the right person for this role to coordinate projects, hold contractors accountable, and better schedule work to minimize disruption for residents.

PARKING: Residents complain about the scarcity and high cost of parking. What is your opinion and what, if any, initiatives would you support?

Whether you rely on street parking every day or just when visitors come, parking is one of the biggest quality-of-life frustrations in Hoboken – yet it hasn’t been treated that way by this administration. I’ve been the biggest pro-parking councilmember – adding 26 new parking spots in the 2nd Ward and constantly looking for ways to expand parking citywide. We are working with a developer to deliver the long-promised uptown municipal garage, which will free up street capacity in surrounding neighborhoods and have a positive ripple effect across the city. I’ve also pushed the city to rebuild the 916 Garden Garage as parking, and if the Garage B redevelopment moves forward, I will make sure there’s a plan to accommodate the roughly 800 people who currently park there.

Parking is expensive because, like housing, when demand exceeds supply, prices go up. Pricing is more market-driven, and we have fewer tools to keep it low. I support providing lower-cost parking for Hoboken residents – including continuing our below-market monthly garage rates and $52 annual street permits. But we also need smarter pricing. We should explore charging by car size, revisiting the higher rates for second and third cars, and requiring residents of new buildings with on-site parking to pay more to park on the residential side of our streets overnight.

At the same time, one of the best ways to address parking challenges is to reduce the need for a car in the first place. I will push for a more expansive bus system within Hoboken so people can get from one end of the city to the other without a car, and I will secure more corner cars (in the corners of our parking garages, not on street corners!) to give residents convenient shared-car options when they need them.

PUBLIC TRANSIT: Public transit users are upset by ongoing delays and the increasing cost of service. What is your plan to advocate for your constituents with PATH and NJ Transit?

I’ve been the only Hoboken leader consistently showing up in Trenton, Newark, and Jersey City to advocate for better transit – not just when it’s convenient before an election. I have been working since day one, often in the face of resistance from the administration, to secure a new 15th Street Light Rail station for our growing northwest neighborhoods. Early in my term, I also secured the 11th Street crossover and express 126 bus to better balance demand for uptown residents, and I will continue to push for a third 126 route serving the Madison/Monroe corridor.

Reliable, affordable public transit is essential to our quality of life and our local economy. I will work with NY Waterway to reduce ferry costs by bifurcating the fare into a ferry ticket and bus ticket on the other side, which would help lower the cost of crossing the river. And I will work closely with the Port Authority to ensure PATH capacity keeps up with the rapid growth in Hoboken and Jersey City – so our residents aren’t squeezed out by rising demand.

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY – WILLOW AVE: Even though traffic fatalities are zero, injuries continue to occur. Many Hoboken parents are concerned about traffic safety near schools. The area around Willow Avenue between 11th Street and 16th Street, near Wallace School, is part of Hoboken’s High Crash Network and Hudson County’s Bicyclist High Injury network, according to both Hoboken’s and Hudson County’s Vision Zero Plans. What is your plan to address this issue and help keep our children safe?

I have been advocating to improve safety on Willow Avenue – which partly runs through the 2nd Ward – since I first joined the City Council. One of my own neighbors was hit and broke her pelvis crossing Willow at 15th Street. I get it.

As mayor, I will fully support and prioritize the long-overdue safety improvements already planned for this corridor and will push to accelerate their design and construction. I also recently joined others in advocating for a crossing guard at 11th and Willow. No one should feel unsafe simply crossing the street in their own neighborhood.

PUBLIC SAFETY + CRIME: Hoboken’s public safety director has said publicly that crime is down in Hoboken, yet the City Council has moved to expand the police force and put special officers in schools, and many residents report not feeling safe. How do you square this?

Even if crime statistics are down, feelings of safety matter – and right now, many residents don’t feel safe. That disconnect is real, and it demands action.

We need to return to true community policing – where officers are consistently visible, build relationships with residents, and respond quickly to neighborhood concerns – and we need to do it now using the resources we already have. Hoboken has done this successfully before with the same resources we have today, and I know that with a more hands-on mayor, we can quickly work together to better deploy our resources so they meet the community’s concerns.

We’ve already made progress on staffing. We have backfilled 23 previously open positions (which had been hard to fill due to outdated residency requirements), I supported adding 10 more officers, and the Council just approved another 14. The latter will take time to hire and train, but as mayor I will not wait – I will work with our public safety leaders to increase presence on our streets while new hires are phased in. We also approved hiring retired police offers to work in our schools and free up additional police resources.

This kind of approach is exactly what I am doing right now with neighbors around Church Square Park – stepping into the role my late colleague Jen Giattino once filled – bringing police leaders and residents together to directly address safety issues. As mayor, I will build on that approach citywide and create a constituent services role within the Police Department to respond directly to community concerns.

Safety isn’t just about numbers — it’s about visibility, trust, and responsiveness.

COMMUNITY ISSUES: Many residents raise concerns about the well-being of unhoused individuals in our community. What are your thoughts on the matter, and what, if any, initiatives would you support?

I work closely with some of our unhoused residents, and with agencies in Hoboken and Hudson County that provide supportive services. Together — with support from neighbors — we successfully housed someone who had been homeless in my neighborhood, and I’m currently working on a second case.

Through this work, I’ve seen four things clearly.

First, the people who work in this space — the social workers, case workers, homeless advocates, and shelter staff — are heroes. Full stop. They have some of the hardest jobs out there and work tirelessly to support people who have fewer choices than most of us and face much more uncertain futures.

Second, without an advocate, many who are unhoused struggle to access even basic support or services because the system is so hard to navigate. I’ve helped one neighbor get food stamps, General Assistance, and medical appointments. If I wasn’t helping him — and I don’t say this to pat myself on the back, just to be honest — he wouldn’t be able to do it on his own due to mental health challenges. He would slip through the cracks and end up back on the street.

Third, while the system is full of heroes, it is also fragmented. There are duplications of services, gaps, and a lack of coordination. When it works, it’s amazing. When it doesn’t, it’s frustrating. Many people working inside the system have told me they would like to see all the resources come together in a more coordinated way.

And fourth, this is not just a Hoboken or Hudson County issue — it is a national one. One of the greatest challenges facing our country is a growing population of adults without a stable future. Our policies — and both parties share the blame — have made it harder and harder for people to reach stability.

Here in Hoboken and Hudson County, we will not solve this entirely. But we can do more, and do it better. As mayor, I will bring together all of our local and county resources to work in a more coordinated, efficient way to serve those in need — while also ensuring the safety of our communities by addressing situations where individuals, whether facing mental health challenges or acting out of desperation for basic necessities, may pose a risk.

COMMUNITY ISSUES: Many residents have expressed hygienic concerns with the amount of dog feces on Hoboken’s sidewalks; would you address this problem, and if so, how? And how do you feel the City of Hoboken has handled it currently?

This is absolutely a quality-of-life issue — and the city has not taken it seriously enough.

As mayor, I will increase enforcement of Hoboken’s pet waste cleanup laws, expand the number of bag dispensers across the city, and partner with large building owners and property managers to improve compliance in high-traffic areas. I will also upgrade our outdated reporting system and include a feature that allows residents to submit photos of violations so problem locations and repeat offenders can be tracked — and if someone is identified more than once, they can be issued a ticket.

Right now, the city’s approach has been inconsistent and reactive. I will make it proactive, visible, and citywide.

COMMUNITY ISSUES: Hoboken residents also expressed concern over a lack of accommodations for the elderly and disabled, particularly the lack of benches, ramps, and handicapped parking spaces. What’s your opinion and what, if any, initiatives would you support?

We need to make Hoboken far more age- and ability-friendly. Right now, it can be difficult for many seniors and residents with disabilities to get around safely and comfortably — and that has to change.

I co-sponsored an ordinance to prohibit the removal of public seating anywhere in the city without City Council approval, but it was voted down (4–4) by Team Bhalla. The recent removal of benches along Washington Street has been very disruptive, and it shouldn’t take public pressure campaigns or finger-pointing to replace something so basic.

As mayor, I will implement a citywide seating plan to add benches on corners throughout Hoboken. This will create natural resting points that allow people to travel farther and access more of our city — and it could even support businesses in less-frequented areas by encouraging more foot traffic.

This is personal to me. My mother used a wheelchair for the remainder of her life, so I understand how important accessibility is to maintaining independence and dignity. I will add more general handicapped parking spaces citywide and conduct a full ADA accessibility assessment to ensure Hoboken not only meets the legal standard but exceeds it. I will also create a municipal ADA & Accessibility Commission to guide these improvements, hold the city accountable, and ensure residents with disabilities have a direct voice in shaping solutions.

And beyond infrastructure, we must also expand our recreation programming for seniors and residents who are differently abled. I will create a Community Recreation Advisory Group, including representatives from both groups, to help design programs and activities that truly meet their needs and make our public spaces more welcoming for everyone.

COMMUNITY ISSUES: Hoboken is seeing more national chains. How will you support small businesses and preserve local character while staying within legal/zoning constraints? Explain.

Our small businesses are the heart of Hoboken’s character — and they need a City Hall that works with them, not around them. I founded the Hoboken Business Alliance after seeing how devastating the Washington Street construction was for our local shops, and as mayor I will rebuild and strengthen that partnership citywide.

We will work together to improve zoning so it’s more predictable and reliable for small businesses to open and stay open, and I will shore up our Building Department with additional resources and a clearer, more predictable schedule of requirements to lessen the burden on new and existing businesses.

As mayor, I will partner closely with the HBA to do everything we can together to support and accommodate our small businesses so they can stay and thrive here in Hoboken.

CLOSING QUESTIONS: There are so many communication tools that are online (as in, social media, newsletters, Nixle, website), but not every resident has access. How are you going to communicate with residents as mayor to ensure access to information?

I have sent out over 400 newsletters in the past eight years and provided more information to Hoboken residents on more important issues than anyone. I know the importance of communication — and this will continue. (If you aren’t on my list, email me at [email protected] to sign up! )

Communication is one of my strengths — and it needs to become one of City Hall’s. We must deliver clear, transparent messaging on issues that matter to our community, and we need to do it when people actually need to know it. That means everything from emergency notifications to registration for recreation programs to construction alerts.

As mayor, I will overhaul how the city communicates by creating a clear, centralized system with a residents-first approach — designed to deliver information where people are, when they need it. This means upgrading the city’s website and notification tools, expanding language access, and using community hubs like senior centers, schools, and libraries to reach residents who may not be online.

I also believe communication must be two-way. I will hold regular open office hours in neighborhoods across the city, so residents can speak directly with me and my team. People shouldn’t have to chase down information or fight to be heard — City Hall should come to them.

CLOSING QUESTIONS: How will you foster productive collaboration with the City Council while ensuring accountability and transparency?

I have a full policy on this on my website — “The Mayor and City Council: A New Era” — because I believe building a strong partnership with the Council is essential to restoring trust and delivering results for Hoboken.

I’ve served on the City Council for nearly a decade and know how important it is for the mayor and Council to work together — and how damaging it is when they don’t. As mayor, I will partner with the City Council so they are fully involved in key decisions and public events, working together for the benefit of our community.

I will attend all City Council meetings, hold public caucuses before each meeting to review the agenda with Council members, and support Council initiatives even if they aren’t directly aligned with my own priorities — as long as they benefit residents. I will also ensure legislative transparency by requiring that every item on the Council agenda include a simple, clear summary so the public (and Council) knows exactly what is being voted on in advance.

Finally, I will work with all elected officials — promoting the best ideas regardless of the source, sharing credit when it’s due, and helping them be the best public servants they can be.

CLOSING QUESTIONS: Hudson County politics has long faced concerns about pay-to-play and insider influence. What specific reforms will you champion (e.g. contracting rules, campaign finance limits, independent oversight, stronger OPRA compliance)?

I have a policy on my website called A New City Hall: Built on Trust, Transparency & Fiscal Responsibility — because restoring public trust starts with ending the perception of insider deals and political favoritism.

It’s important to be clear: there’s only so much Hoboken can do on its own right now because the state legislature and governor recently changed New Jersey’s pay-to-play laws to effectively allow the kind of political contributions that used to be prohibited. These changes overturned what were once some of the strongest local protections in the state — protections that Team Bhalla and Mike Russo tried to weaken three years ago.

What we can do is focus on transparency and disclosure. As mayor, I will lead by example by disclosing any political donations that could relate to legislation — and I will ask the City Council to do the same. This simple step will help ensure transparency and prevent conflicts of interest.

I will also push to strengthen our local ethics rules, require more detailed public disclosure of campaign donations and business relationships, and improve OPRA compliance so residents can easily see how decisions are being made and where money is going.

CLOSING QUESTIONS: Who is another local government official you respect + admire?

I deeply respect (and miss) former Hoboken Council President Jen Giattino. Jen always put residents first, led with integrity, and never shied away from doing the hard work behind the scenes to get things done for our community.

She showed that local government works best when it’s focused on people, not politics — and that’s the approach I’ll bring as mayor.

Any other final notes/thoughts for The Hoboken Girl readers about your candidacy, share here:

This election is about the future of Hoboken — and who will put residents first.

I’ve spent nearly a decade doing the hard work on the City Council: solving problems, leading on major infrastructure and resiliency projects, protecting tenants and small businesses, improving public safety, and pushing for fiscal discipline and transparency. I’m proud of that record — but I also know we can do better.

Hoboken needs a different kind of mayor — one who knows how to run the city better and has the experience to deliver on day one. That’s what I bring: deep financial and operational experience, proven leadership, and a commitment to building a City Hall that works for you.

Emily Jabbour

emily jabbour, 2025 hoboken mayoral candidate

Time in Hoboken: 17 years

Q: What is your background/experience in how it relates to local politics, and why are you running for mayor?

For the past 8 years, I have had the honor to serve the city as a Councilperson-at-Large. I got into politics after Mayor Dawn Zimmer – the first female Mayor of Hoboken – suggested that I consider running for office. I came to meet Mayor Zimmer after founding the Hudson County Chapter of Moms Demand Action, having witnessed an active shooter drill at my daughter’s Pre-K program and feeling compelled to take action. By training, I am a social worker and have spent my 19-year career serving the Administration for Children and Families, part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. I feel that my candidacy for Mayor is a progression of my existing commitment and track record serving the people of Hoboken in big and small ways – whether that’s advocating for safe streets as part of Vision Zero, supporting additional police officers to keep Hoboken safe, or addressing every day issues like potholes and trash to keep our city a desirable place to live, work, and play.

Q: What endorsement for your candidacy are you most proud of and why?

I am most proud of the 5,684 votes that I received in the 2021 election for my re-election to the City Council from constituents, small business owners, and senior citizens – all are my neighbors in our Mile Square. These votes are my highest endorsement.

I am a registered Democrat. But I understand, clearly, that not every national issue is a local one. I have been a Councilperson for every Hoboken resident, irrespective of their political leanings, and will do the same as Mayor. My priority is always the people of Hoboken.

Q: What are your top three priorities for your first year in office and what will you do in your first 100 days?

My top 3 priorities are: public safety, quality of life issues, and responsiveness of City Hall. We need to ensure Hoboken is safe, that Hoboken is accessible, and that Hoboken is fair. In the first 100 days, I will stand up a functional ticketing system that is app based that allows residents to make reports to City Hall, convene a working group on homelessness that includes Hudson County, move forward on the renovation of the Multi Service Center (124 Grand), and begin meetings with the Councilmembers to take on the budget challenges ahead.

I think the biggest challenge when it comes to talking with residents about the annual budget is that residents don’t feel like they see their tax dollars at work – they see potholes, litter, and broken trashcans. As Mayor, I will focus on these small details that can add up to make residents feel like their tax dollars are being spent in ways that improve their daily lives. This year, the Administration proposed a budget that came in with a 6.5% increase; the City Council approved a final budget that came in at just over 4% by taking more funds from the city surplus. This strategy has been employed for many years and it is not sustainable, and further, may harm the strong credit rating of the city (A++) if too much of the surplus is used to plug budget gaps.

The growth in the population of children in the city is a good thing – thriving schools are a great signal for a strong community. That comes with challenges, however, as our school facilities are aging and nearly filled to capacity. We, as a community, need to work together to identify spaces for new, permanent buildings to accommodate this growing demand, and invest in the renovation of the aging facilities. I will always be in support of both conversations and actions that set our children up for success.

Q: HOUSING + INFRASTRUCTURE: Many residents + would-be residents complain about the high cost of housing in Hoboken. What is your opinion and what do you think can be done?

We need to protect renters by supporting rent control protections and fighting corporate landlord tactics like using algorithmic software to set prices. As Mayor, I will work with our state legislators to set a definition of “unconscionable rent increases” so that Hoboken can fight back on behalf of all renters getting annual increases well over 10, 15, sometimes 20%. The topic of affordable housing is critical – it impacts the make up and diversity of our community. We need to prioritize investing in workforce housing to help meet the gap of housing for our middle class – our teachers, public safety staff, laborers – so that people can live and work in Hoboken. That’s why I voted to support the proposal to renovate Garage B and expand its use to include workforce and affordable housing.

With more development comes increased pressure on our infrastructure – so each time there is a new project approved, we must require that the developer improve the surrounding infrastructure as part of the scope of the project. The aging water main system is an issue no matter how much development is occurring, because they are part of the system that is well over 100 years old. The City has pursued a water main replacement program over the past several years – but more needs to be done to move this replacement forward in a timely way. As Mayor, I would implement a new timeline with more rigorous targets to get more of this replacement done in a more timely way.

Q: HOUSING + INFRASTRUCTURE: Residents complain about the scarcity and high cost of parking. What is your opinion and what, if any, initiatives would you support?

First, as Mayor I will prioritize the repairs to the midtown garage. It has been incredibly frustrating to hear from residents over and over about the damage to their car due to the melting cement, or the massive amount of bird feces that is present – the City Council passed the bond to do this work in November of 2023 – and it still has not been done. Second, we need to support the addition of at least one more parking garage in the North End of town and ensure that the Garden Street automated garage is updated and brought back online. Adding more garages throughout the city reduces the pressure for street parking. We need to keep those garage parking options affordable and connected to an online or app-based wayfaring system to make it a no brainer for residents and visitors. Finally, street parking has been made even more challenging with the excessive use of the “no parking” signage on any given day thanks to so many construction projects going on throughout the city – we need to do a better job monitoring and managing how we approve this signage so that it isn’t taking up spaces needlessly.

Q: HOUSING + INFRASTRUCTURE: Public transit users are upset by ongoing delays and the increasing cost of service. What is your plan to advocate for your constituents with PATH and NJ Transit?

I have been actively part of the advocacy efforts for improved PATH services by partnering with Hudson County Complete Streets – including collecting petitions signatures and speaking out at Port Authority Board Meetings on behalf of Hoboken residents. As Mayor, I plan to continue to engage regularly with Port Authority and NJ Transit to better communicate our needs to them, and share back information with residents so that they are always in the know. Also, I hope more residents work with Hudson County Complete Streets on this topic to make our collective voices heard!

The success of Vision Zero, with Hoboken not having a single fatality in the past 8 years, cannot be overstated – particularly as other communities and the state of New Jersey at large is seeing more aggressive driving and massive increases. Hoboken is a national model when it comes to pedestrian safety – but we still need to do more. The “near miss” instances must be investigated and treated with similar vigilance so that the infrastructure improvements that ensure safer conditions can be implemented.

Hoboken is a safe city. That said, there are still challenges with respect to our urban setting that can cause residents to feel anxiety that reflect this point in time. The quarterly Community and Public Safety (CAPS) meetings have been a very successful tool for residents to engage with our public safety teams directly and get credible information – and we need to be even more transparent and forthcoming about the information that is shared (to the extent that it does not jeopardize investigations, etc). I voted in support of expanding the number of police officers hired in order to create a dedicated community policing team – the presence of officers in places like Church Square Park and along Washington Street can prevent and deter negative situations from developing.

Hoboken is a compassionate community and there are a number of local non-profits that are doing yeoman work to support the unhoused population. That said, there is not enough being done to meet these needs and there is not enough coordination of services – which results in residents feeling concerned about what’s happening. As a Councilmember, I called for the hiring of social workers as part of our public safety team to do more outreach in the community. As Mayor, I would pull together all of the stakeholders – city social workers, local non-profits, Hoboken Police Department, Hoboken Hospital, Hudson County, Hoboken Library, etc – to identify the gaps in our services and take these gaps head on. One critical component that we are not doing enough to address is mental health – when someone is experiencing a crisis, they often are directed to Hoboken Hospital, but then discharged after only hours because that’s not the appropriate resource to address their needs. A dedicated mental health crisis intervention team is needed to better address the challenges that are coming to bear in the community of late.

As a dog owner myself, I am constantly frustrated by this issue – and as a mom, nothing is worse than having a kid step in poop! It is a super challenging issue because no matter how high you make the fine – and the City Council did double that fine back in 2018 – it is incredibly difficult to catch someone in the act, if only because human nature means that people generally don’t do this unless no one is watching them. As Mayor, I would do an inventory of the existing “adopt a station” program to ensure that the residents who signed up for these stations are actually filling them – and if they are not, we need to step in. The city can also take a more active role partnering with residents who can share camera footage of violators – similar to the recently created Instagram page called Hoboken Poop Patrol. As Mayor, I would also invest in portable power washers that can be used on a regular basis to properly and more thoroughly clean our sidewalks, rather than just pick up litter.

At the end of my mom’s life, she was in a wheelchair – so when she would visit with us in Hoboken, I was regularly thinking about the accessibility of our town. The city needs to prioritize doing an inventory of accessibility throughout town – for example, residents often flag for me when the edge of the curb is not in line with the street and it causes a bump or fall because of that gap. While I appreciate that residents take the initiative to flag this concern, I think the city needs to actively examine construction projects that result in this condition – and prioritize upkeep of resources like the truncated domes (bumpy red square pads on corners). Benches are also a vital aspect of the city that must be maintained for senior citizens and people with mobility challenges – we need to commit to investing in benches that are accommodating and can be easily cleaned as part of our regular sanitation activities.

Q: COMMUNITY ISSUES: Hoboken is seeing more national chains. How will you support small businesses and preserve local character while staying within legal/zoning constraints? Explain.

As Mayor, I will make it easier for small businesses to open in Hoboken. The biggest challenge now is that business owners don’t know what to expect, they don’t know how long it will take, and they can’t anticipate all of the hoops to jump through. We need to provide a standardized checklist of all of the forms/documents that one must provide to open a business with the estimated timeline associated with each step of the process. This checklist would come as part of a “welcome wagon” style of outreach promoting Hoboken as a community that loves and supports small businesses as an essential part of our local economy.

As Mayor, I am committed to holding regular town hall meetings throughout the city to sit and meet with residents face-to-face. I think this personal connection is an important way to build community trust in local government. I also would like to see more visiting office hours for City Hall staff throughout the city – for example, visits from the social work team to senior buildings, and meeting with the Transportation Team in neighborhoods concerned about safety. The City has done more in recent years to update its presence on social media – but it can sometimes be confusing because there are multiple different accounts (e.g. cultural affairs, public safety, main city page). I think we need to consolidate this online presence by anchoring it to a city website that is more user friendly and linked directly to the social media pages. Nixle is also a great tool to get the word out – particularly during emergencies such as the recent water main break – but City Hall needs to be more actively engaged in the back and forth of social media – something I have done often over my last 8 years on the City Council.

Q: CLOSING QUESTIONS: How will you foster productive collaboration with the City Council while ensuring accountability and transparency?

As Mayor, I think it is critically important to be more engaged with the City Council so that their decision-making process has the benefit of all of the information that the Administration can bring to bear. We have a shared goal in strengthening our community – we disagree at times on the order of the priorities and the means to get there. Fostering more open dialogue with regular caucus style meetings can help bridge this divide.

Given the history of politics in Hoboken, I understand this concern. As mentioned previously, implementing changes like a standard checklist for all new businesses ensures a level playing field. At a larger level, I would love to see New Jersey strengthen public finance laws by applying them to the local level and a strengthening of pay-to-play laws for the state. While Hoboken was once able to establish a stricter landscape of pay-to-play laws for our local elections, the state overruled these local laws and instructed us to follow state law.

Q: CLOSING QUESTIONS: Who is another local government official you respect + admire?

Council President Jim Doyle is a true public servant, and a colleague who I deeply admire and respect. Jim had no interest in becoming Council President, but stepped up at a time when leadership was needed on the Council to bring us together in the aftermath of the tragic passing of Councilwoman Jen Giattino. Jim got into local politics because of his strong sense of activism and commitment to public good. When I was first elected in 2017, Jim was my running mate and I have learned so much getting to work alongside him these last 8 years. I also appreciate that Jim is deeply humble and has a great sense of humor – it is always about people for Jim, not politics.

Q: Any other final notes/thoughts for The Hoboken Girl readers about your candidacy, share here:

Thank you for considering me to be the next Mayor of Hoboken – I hope you will also consider supporting my Council team – 1H: Joe Quintero, 2H: Caitlin Layson, and 3H: Steve Firestone. I feel that they bring the combination of experience and diversity of experiences/viewpoints to strengthen the makeup of the City Council.

Ruben Ramos

ruben ramos, 2025 hoboken mayoral candidate

Time in Hoboken: Lifelong resident

Q: What is your background/experience in how it relates to local politics, and why are you running for mayor?

As a Council member, former State Assemblyman, public school teacher, cancer survivor, husband, father and lifelong Hoboken resident, I’m running for Mayor to get our city back to basics by delivering for the community on critical priorities like public safety, quality of life, programs for children and seniors, and housing affordability.

Q: What endorsement for your candidacy are you most proud of and why?

Councilman Paul Presinzano, because as a fellow sitting Council member he has worked closely not just with myself but with three of the other mayoral candidates, and he’s decided that I am the best choice for Mayor.

Democratic Party

Q: What are your top three priorities for your first year in office and what will you do in your first 100 days?

My top three priorities are to address the many pressing quality of life concerns that residents have shared by creating a Code Enforcement and Quality of Life Division, to increase police foot patrols in our neighborhoods and parks, and to move forward with building an indoor Recreation Center in the Northwest through a public-private partnership.

I voted no on this budget because it not only includes a property tax increase, it also makes significant cuts to important priorities like public safety and housing where we should be investing more, not less. I worked closely with Councilman Presinzano to identify $2.2 million in responsible cuts from the Mayor’s original budget proposal that could have reduced the tax increase significantly without threatening core services, but unfortunately Councilwoman Fisher and Councilwoman Jabbour refused to consider them and instead voted for an unnecessarily high tax increase. Hoboken deserves better, and as Mayor I’ll get our city back to basics and instill the fiscal discipline we need to protect Hoboken taxpayers.

As someone who served in the State Assembly, I was proud to secure over $30 million in state funding from the Schools Development Authority (SDA) for Hoboken’s public schools to rehabilitate and modernize our facilities. Unfortunately, much of that money remains unspent, and as mayor I will work with the district to ensure it is fully put to use improving classrooms and repairing aging buildings.

At the same time, we must plan responsibly for enrollment growth, particularly in the lower grades where the increase is most pronounced. The greatest need is for Pre-K through 5th grade space, and I will make it a priority to partner with our schools to create additional academic space in both redevelopment projects and on city-owned property. This approach allows us to grow capacity without overburdening taxpayers.

I have already demonstrated this model at 38 Jackson Street, where I worked to secure space for Pre-K classrooms as part of the redevelopment. As mayor, I will expand this strategy citywide, ensuring that as Hoboken grows, so too do the educational opportunities for our children.

Q: HOUSING + INFRASTRUCTURE: Many residents + would-be residents complain about the high cost of housing in Hoboken. What is your opinion and what do you think can be done?

I believe that we need to prioritize the building of affordable housing in order to ensure that the middle class and working families can afford to live in Hoboken. That means making development work for our city with tougher inclusionary housing rules that deliver results, faster permitting for projects with genuine affordable units, and development that serves residents first, not developers. We also need better enforcement of rent control and other tenant protections and I will make this a true priority.

I’m just as sick of the construction chaos that we’ve seen across our city as anyone, and I’ll work immediately as Mayor to solve it. We need a public infrastructure schedule with timelines residents can track, transparent funding plans tied to grants, bonds, and developer contributions, coordination across departments and agencies so work gets done right the first time, and accountability measures to keep projects on time and on budget.

Q: HOUSING + INFRASTRUCTURE: Residents complain about the scarcity and high cost of parking. What is your opinion and what, if any, initiatives would you support?

Parking in Hoboken is both scarce and expensive, and I share residents’ frustration. The city has not done enough to manage parking smartly or to give residents real relief. As mayor, I will push for a comprehensive parking strategy that includes: better management of existing garages, adding residential parking in new redevelopment projects, and exploring opportunities for shared use agreements with private lots so residents can access underused spaces at night and on weekends.

I will also work to ensure that technology makes parking simpler — from real-time availability apps to modernized meters — so residents spend less time circling for spots. Above all, any plan must put residents first, not commuters or outside interests, so that parking is affordable and accessible for the people who live here.

Q: HOUSING + INFRASTRUCTURE: Public transit users are upset by ongoing delays and the increasing cost of service. What is your plan to advocate for your constituents with PATH and NJ Transit?

The truth is the PATH and NJ Transit aren’t getting any better and the state government and especially the Port Authority aren’t doing anything to fix it. We can and will advocate for better service, but we will also focus on what the city actually has the power to do itself, which is to create a permanent $5 Ferry program for Hoboken residents. This will make commuting by ferry affordable to everyone, giving more residents access to a faster and easier commute while also taking pressure off of the PATH.

Keeping our children safe near schools must be non-negotiable. While Hoboken has had zero traffic fatalities, we cannot accept the number of injuries, especially around corridors like Willow Avenue near Wallace School, which is identified as part of the city’s High Crash Network.

As mayor, I will focus on commonsense enforcement: cracking down on speeding, reckless driving, and illegal scooter and bike use near schools. I will ensure crossing guards are fully staffed, add safe passage patrols where needed, and strengthen clear, visible signage and markings around school zones.

Vision Zero goals are important, but they only work if they are backed by real enforcement and accountability. My plan puts safety first so every child and parent can walk to school without fear.

We had one of the most harrowing criminal acts in recent Hoboken history last year in Church Square Park, so I believe that residents are absolutely justified in feeling less safe than in years past. I’ve spent my entire life in Hoboken and I know that residents do not feel as safe as they did in the past. To correct this, I believe we need to free up our police officers to do their jobs and not be pulled in different directions, which is why I will create a dedicated Quality of Life enforcement team to handle issues that police do not need to be involved in. I’ll also bring back foot patrols to have a more visible police presence in our parks and neighborhoods.

Homelessness is a serious concern in Hoboken, and we must approach it with both compassion and accountability. Every resident deserves to feel safe in their neighborhood, and every unhoused individual deserves access to the services that can help them get back on their feet.

As mayor, I will work closely with local partners like the Hoboken Shelter to expand access to rehabilitation programs, mental health services, and workforce re-entry opportunities. I will also support the Shelter in using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to hire a security guard during peak times, ensuring a safer environment for both shelter guests and the surrounding community.

At the same time, I will ensure that public spaces near schools, parks, and transit remain safe and accessible for all residents by increasing outreach teams and coordinating with public safety officials. The goal should be to provide real pathways out of homelessness, not simply to move people from one corner to another. By focusing on services, accountability, and safety, we can maintain the quality of life in our neighborhoods while helping those most in need.

This is just one of many areas where quality of life in Hoboken has fallen off, and the city needs to prioritize making improvements here. I’ll create a Code Enforcement and Quality of Life Division by reorganizing and retraining city workers we already have. Their job? Not just handing out tickets, but working with residents, solving problems fast, and bringing pride back to our neighborhoods.

Hoboken must do a much better job of making our city accessible for seniors and residents with disabilities. Simple improvements like benches, ramps, and additional handicapped parking spaces are not luxuries, they are basic necessities that allow all residents to move safely and comfortably through our community.

As mayor, I will prioritize an accessibility audit of city streets, parks, and facilities to identify gaps and fix them quickly. I will also ensure that redevelopment projects and city-funded improvements include ADA-compliant features from the start, rather than leaving accessibility as an afterthought.

This is a back-to-basics issue of equity and respect. Every resident, regardless of age or ability, deserves to feel that Hoboken is a city where they can get around safely and with dignity.

Q: COMMUNITY ISSUES: Hoboken is seeing more national chains. How will you support small businesses and preserve local character while staying within legal/zoning constraints? Explain.

Hoboken’s small businesses are the backbone of our community and what make our city unique. While national chains will always look to move in, we need to make it easier, not harder, for local entrepreneurs to succeed. Right now, too many small business owners get buried in red tape and confusing regulations.

As mayor, I will create a Small Business Support Desk within City Hall to guide owners step by step through the permitting and licensing process so they do not get lost in paperwork or delay. I will streamline approvals, set clear timelines, and hold the city accountable for meeting them. Small businesses should not have to hire lawyers or lobbyists just to open their doors.

I will also explore incentives and partnerships that favor local ownership in redevelopment projects, and use zoning tools where appropriate to preserve the character of key commercial corridors. Just as importantly, the city should actively promote its small businesses through shop local campaigns, cultural events, and support for farmers markets.

Preserving Hoboken’s local character means cutting red tape and giving small businesses a real partner in City Hall.

I believe that elected officials have to be visible in the community in order to have consistent two-way communication. I’ll hold regular town halls and office hours to hear directly from residents about their concerns, and I’ll improve communication about major city projects by creating a dashboard on the city website with clear timelines and benchmarks.

Q: CLOSING QUESTIONS: How will you foster productive collaboration with the City Council while ensuring accountability and transparency?

I’ve served on the City Council for many years and have always strived to work collaboratively to move our city forward. Other Council members know that while we might not always agree, I’m always honest and willing to find common ground whenever possible without selling out my core principles. The working relationships I’ve built over many years will ensure that as Mayor I have a productive relationship with the Council.

Hudson County politics has a reputation for pay to play and insider influence, and Hoboken deserves better. As mayor, I will champion strict contracting rules that prevent politically connected firms from cutting special deals and ensure contracts are awarded fairly and transparently. I will push for tighter campaign finance limits so that no candidate can buy influence through oversized contributions.

I will also strengthen OPRA compliance so residents can get answers quickly and without delay, and I will support independent oversight to keep City Hall accountable to the public, not to insiders. My priority is simple: government should work for residents, not for special interests.

Q: CLOSING QUESTIONS: Who is another local government official you respect + admire?

One public official I deeply respect is former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill, who reminded us that all politics is local. O’Neill believed that while a representative must always stay true to their conscience, they also have a duty to put the needs of their district at the center of every decision. I admire that balance, and as a local leader in Hoboken I strive to do the same — to act with integrity and to always put the voices of our residents first.

Q: Any other final notes/thoughts for The Hoboken Girl readers about your candidacy, share here:

Thank you for covering this election — with the closing of the Jersey Journal, the Hoboken Reporter and many other legacy media outlets, it’s critical that platforms like Hoboken Girl inform residents about important issues in our community.

Dr Michael Russo

michael russo hoboken city candidate

Q: How long have you lived in Hoboken?

I’m Hoboken-born and raised, graduated from Hoboken High School (and its football program), and today my beautiful wife Lisa and I are raising our four children here. Through a twist of fate and irony, my kids get to grow up in the same apartment that I grew up in. I love that life comes full circle that way sometimes.

Q: What is your background/experience in how it relates to local politics, and why are you running for mayor?

I’m the longest-serving member of the Hoboken City Council in modern history; I’ve spent more than 20 years fighting for my neighbors. Whether the issue is flooding, rats in your building, or a looming eviction, I’ve taken literally thousands of phone calls from residents and helped them with countless everyday problems. Those experiences have formed my campaign for Mayor. I’m running to bring a practical, service-first approach to City Hall: restore safety and basic quality of life, expand middle-class housing supply without displacement, finally tackle our parking and traffic nightmare, and make sure residents don’t face exorbitant tax increases when the economy has many at their breaking point.

Q: What endorsement for your candidacy are you most proud of and why?

If you go on my website, russoforhoboken.com, you’ll see endorsement videos from the people who count the most: our neighbors here in Hoboken. Those kind words from people who I’ve had the pleasure of serving over the years mean more than they know. While the screening and endorsement process for many organizations is still ongoing, I’ll also use the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters as an example. Labor endorsements matter because I’m a fighter for the working class. Frankly, when I’m Mayor there will be a lot of housing and other projects that need to be built… and I look forward to getting that done with decent paying union jobs with the highest safety standards and maximum Accountability.

Q: We know Hoboken’s municipal elections are non-partisan… what political party are you currently registered with (if any)?
I am a registered Democrat—and to this day, my values are deeply rooted in what have historically been Democratic values: fighting for working people, keeping the pulse on the ground in your neighborhood, advocating for the environment and park space, and really trying to keep that cost of living down. That said, I’ll be honest: many of my family and friends are Republican, and I still love them. I do not subscribe to either political extreme. I talk all the time with people who deeply disagree with me and they are welcome at the table. That’s what real leadership is. We don’t talk down to anyone, we let them say their piece and then we make decisions and stick to them.

Q: What are your top three priorities for your first year in office and what will you do in your first 100 days?
I am proud to be the first mayoral candidate to release a concrete 100 Day Plan for Hoboken. While my top three priorities generally speaking are expanding working class housing supply, tightening up those quality of life and safety issues, and fixing our parking and traffic nightmare, the Team Russo 100 Day Plan maps out exactly what practical steps I’ll take in the first three months. Some of the highlights include: assigning a permanent parks patrol, ticketing unsafe and noncompliant e-bike delivery drivers without exception, introducing right-to-counsel (RTC) legislation similar to Jersey City’s to protect tenants from unjust evictions, introducing legislation to repeal Sunday parking meter fees that have not brought in the money we were promised, and looking at ways to reduce the overhead of our municipal government without cutting services—like consolidating departments, for example.

Q: Please respond to residents’ criticism of the recent budget that was approved, which included both a tax increase for residents and salary cuts for city employees.

I have almost never voted for a tax increase. When my opponents have supported exorbitant tax increases, I’ve made sure that my no vote was leveraged to bring that number down. What I will say is that the City is staring off of a fiscal cliff. There are two schools of thought about how to fix our multimillion dollar structural deficit; some of my opponents want to raise taxes to infinity and beyond, and I want to expand ratables. We do this by expanding housing supply, by having revenue-generating components in new public projects like parks (and a new pool on the waterfront, which I’d like to build), and more.

I’ll also seek to implement zero-based budgeting with the exception of money already encumbered, prioritize inefficiencies and one-time costs before recurring tax increases, seek grant funding wherever possible, and look to public-private partnerships to sponsor bigger projects so our taxpayers don’t feel the burn.

Q: With the increasing number of children being enrolled in Hoboken schools each year, what are your thoughts on accommodating this population, such as the construction of new schools to address population growth and repairing aging school facilities?

To put the bottom line up top: our population is growing, and we need to expand our schools at some point—but that will require new revenue streams to come into the city and our education system. As a Councilman, I proudly sponsored the legislation that allocated PILOT revenues from a developer project to all of our public schools (Hoboken was the first in the state to do this), and as Mayor I’d continue that course of action. We also need to look at corporate sponsorships to do some of the things I want to do, but our city is so perfectly located, and our community so incredibly talented, that I am confident we can find partners to help cultivate our young talent into a top-notch workforce in the modern economy.

Q: Many residents + would-be residents complain about the high cost of housing in Hoboken. What is your opinion and what do you think can be done?
The average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Hoboken is now more than $3,500 a month. That is unsustainable. Part of the reason prices are so high is that we have not had one major project come online in the last 16 years! Now, Hoboken has no shortage of luxury condos; I’ll focus on building back our middle class. When I voted to redevelop Garage B, I made sure that vote was premised upon the residential part being 100% affordable and workforce housing. I’ve advocated to build additional workforce or senior housing on the former PSEG site, and as Third Ward Councilman, and former HHA Commissioner, I’ve led the fight to revitalize the Hoboken Housing Authority without displacing a single resident.

At the same time, Hoboken has its share of bad actors when it comes to building owners and landlords. I’ll relentlessly enforce Project Labor Agreements in any redevelopment agreement, PILOT or no PILOT; I’ll hold law-breaking landlords to account in court, and as I have done for years; and I will personally canvass buildings where tenants are experiencing issues to educate them about lease agreements and tenant rights.

Q: Even though infrastructure updates are desperately needed, the work to do these improvements is incredibly disruptive for residents and costly for the city. This can even be dangerous, as in the circumstances of contaminated water from a water main break and roadways in and out of the city being closed due to road work. What is your plan to better accommodate the needed repairs while lessening the burden on residents?

I think this all comes down to communication, coordination and proactive leadership. Think about that perfect storm we experienced a few months ago: you had construction on Jersey Avenue at the same time as the PATH was having issues…but then we had the added possibility of a prolonged strike by NJ Transit workers. This is why I am in constant communication with our labor organizations. Why would we have major construction when we knew there was the prospect of a shutdown elsewhere? A City Hall that fails to coordinate and display proactive leadership is a City Hall that subjects residents to an exacerbated emergency in one of the busiest small cities in America.

Q: Residents complain about the scarcity and high cost of parking. What is your opinion and what, if any, initiatives would you support?

Parking is objectively one of Hoboken’s biggest nightmares. We all know someone who wanted to meet us here in town, circled the block six times, and then gave up. To do that for a cup of coffee or lunch is insane, and when that happens, our small businesses languish. I’ll expand parking on the periphery of our city, simplify and delineate existing zones and curb space, expand our Hop service to help people get around town without driving, and revise the permit process for parklets so that those decisions are made seasonally and not annually. I’ll enforcethe abuse of loading zones, and in my first 100 days I’ll work to repeal Sunday meter fees, which are yet another unnecessary tax on the people of Hoboken.

Q: Public transit users are upset by ongoing delays and the increasing cost of service. What is your plan to advocate for your constituents with PATH and NJ Transit?

A Hoboken without a working PATH and NJ Transit is like having major arterial blockage. It threatens our economy and our residents’ quality of life. As Mayor I’ll be a relentless advocate: like I mentioned above I’ll always be at the table and my Administration will communicate with every part of our transportation network to make our residents’ lives easier. This is going to be paramount with the World Cup coming up. We do not have room for failure and it’s going to take all hands on deck to handle the influx of people that will be traveling through our city. I expect the next Governor to be a coequal partner in this effort, and they will be hearing from me nonstop!

Q: Even though traffic fatalities are zero, injuries continue to occur. Many Hoboken parents are concerned about traffic safety near schools. The area around Willow Avenue between 11th Street and 16th Street, near Wallace School, is part of Hoboken’s High Crash Network and Hudson County’s Bicyclist High Injury network, according to both Hoboken’s and Hudson County’s Vision Zero Plans. What is your plan to address this issue and help keep our children safe?

My plan is to implement hypertargeted innovation and enforcement near schools, including protected bike lanes where road width permits, mid-street crosswalks (recent changes in the law now make this easier to implement), simpler signage, and more. Most importantly, I’ll have a dedicated liaison in my office that has a strong relationship with the Board of Education, because we cannot afford to operate in silos.

Q: Hoboken’s public safety director has said publicly that crime is down in Hoboken, yet the City Council has moved to expand the police force and put special officers in schools, and many residents report not feeling safe. How do you square this?
Close your eyes and really ask yourself if you feel more safe in Hoboken than you did five years ago. Part of the reason the answer is “no” for most people is that a lot of these quality of life issues go unenforced. We have e-bike drivers on our sidewalks, we have mental health outbursts in public, and we have violent crime incidents that beg for more constant patrolling, particularly in places that are frequented by families and students.

I accept that our police department has reported a slight decrease in violent crime. Nevertheless, assaults, catcalling, public defecation, and complete disregard for traffic safety are all problems we have to deal with. These have all been reported in the last year and it’s not infrequent. These are basic quality of life issues—and even if they are not all able to be classified as “violent crimes,” that doesn’t mean that it’s not lawbreaking, and it doesn’t mean that our residents don’t have the right to feel concerned about it. In my first 100 days I will ramp up enforcement of the laws we actually have on the books, and I’ll install a permanent parks patrol. It’s a start to getting where we need to be.

Q: Many residents raise concerns about the well-being of unhoused individuals in our community. What are your thoughts on the matter, and what, if any, initiatives would you support?

A Mayor Russo will never punish someone for not having a home. This is about dignity and a path to betterment. I’ll expand the Hoboken Shelter and services by creating a new facility in the northwest part of the city, and it will be full of decent living arrangements for transient individuals. We will seek every funding path possible for job training, drug and alcohol programs, and covering security deposits in order to get those individuals into stable housing. This is not novel; this is just expanding on the phenomenal work the shelter already does. At the same time, we will not allow public drug use and we will not allow encampments to remain and expand. Our job is to take care of everyone in Hoboken for the betterment of our entire community. That’s what we will do.

Q: Many residents have expressed hygienic concerns with the amount of dog feces on Hoboken’s sidewalks; would you address this problem, and if so, how? And how do you feel the City of Hoboken has handled it currently?

I talked about this in one of my recent town halls, but there used to be a time in Hoboken where people who left animal waste on the sidewalks would get called out by name. This is a quality-of-life issue. I’ll partner with community advocates to expand the availability of waste bags around the city at the same time as I ramp up enforcement. The enforcement component is important here, but even more basic is fostering a community where people really don’t feel great about being the type of person to casually do something like that. At the end of the day, it’s a choice.

Q: Hoboken residents also expressed concern over a lack of accommodations for the elderly and disabled, particularly the lack of benches, ramps, and handicapped parking spaces. What’s your opinion and what, if any, initiatives would you support?

Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act is incredibly important to me. One of my biggest supporters, for example, lives on Jackson Street, and her son is a wheelchair user… she’s told me there have been times where he needed to leave the sidewalk and go into the street because the deterioration was so bad. In my first 100 days I’ll begin an ADA audit citywide. We have to remember that this is the law, and our government’s responsibility is to make sure that anything public is accessible to every single resident. That is non-negotiable.

Q: Hoboken is seeing more national chains. How will you support small businesses and preserve local character while staying within legal/zoning constraints? Explain.

I’ve spent years talking to small business owners. A great example of this is one of my running mates, Pete Keeling, who’s running for an At-Large seat on the City Council. He tried to open a shop in Hoboken but the red tape was too much. Now he’s up in the Heights. City Hall does not do enough to help small entrepreneurs open businesses. We still have paper forms that go unprocessed for months. We have business owners that are paying their lease for eight months before they’re allowed to open their doors! Imagine eight months of rent and payroll in Hoboken and you don’t have a dollar in sales. Who can last under those conditions? It should come as no surprise, then, that we have large chain stores next to vacant storefronts on Washington Street, because only those businesses with a massive, off-the-bat cash advantage can survive long enough to really make it here. I don’t call that a fair environment. When I’m Mayor, we’ll digitize critical processes, and I’ll dedicate resources to expediting that opening process. I am the only candidate in this race with experience owning a brick-and-mortar business in Hoboken and I feel that pain. It’s time for this headache to end.

Q: There are so many communication tools that are online (as in, social media, newsletters, Nixle, website), but not every resident has access. How are you going to communicate with residents as mayor to ensure access to information?

In addition to socials, for years I’ve communicated by hosting open office hours, through text, and via my email list. My website has had my personal cell phone number on it for years, and I pride myself on being incredibly responsive. As Mayor, in addition to what I just mentioned, my administration will run a tight ship with regards to Nixle so people are never caught off-guard during an emergency. I’ll also establish proactive lines of communication with large buildings and continue to host roundtables with community groups. Finally, my running mates on Team Russo—Nicole, Pete, Dean, and Ryan—are already experts in listening to their neighbors and bringing up their concerns. We’ll all hit the ground running here, because we’ve all been communicating with our neighbors in some shape or form for years.

Q: How will you foster productive collaboration with the City Council while ensuring accountability and transparency?

One of my biggest complaints about the current administration is that we’ve always started the budget process WAY too late, and so by the time it comes to negotiations and amendments everyone is scrambling to pass temporary appropriations. When you play “hurry up and wait,” you forego the ability to scrutinize things as well as you’d otherwise be able to. I will start constructing the next fiscal year’s budget in my first month as Mayor.

Right now OPRA requests take too long to fulfill. This is a function of limited manpower combined with an ever-increasing volume of requests. A lot of these requests are generated by artificial intelligence, and I believe that our municipal government has a responsibility to respond in-kind, because at the end of the day our residents deserve to know what’s going on in a timely manner. I’ll explore the use of AI to assist our City Clerk’s office with OPRA requests as other municipalities have done, while still leaving second-round review and manual redaction to our qualified professionals.

Q: Who is another local government official you respect & admire?

Our City Clerk, James Farina, is a Hoboken legend…and I can think of few who love this city more. Some may remember this, but in addition to being a phenomenal clerk, Jimmy spent 36 years on our Board of Education. He’s sung in the council chambers for charity, brought awareness to community causes, and has been involved since before I was born. But what I love most about Jimmy is his demeanor. In a world that’s politically crazy, he is the most friendly, neutral, professional person. And I think we need that now more than ever.

Q: Any other final notes/thoughts for The Hoboken Girl readers about your candidacy, share here:

Hoboken in my blood, and I am proud to be from here. I’ve spent my life caring for my neighbors… as a physical therapist, 20+ year councilman, 10 year HHA commissioner, PAL coach, Eagle Scout, and more. This campaign is about our government fulfilling its promise to make people’s lives easier: from public safety to being able to afford a place to live, from solving insane traffic congestion to tightening up our recreation processes. If you want a Mayor who’s been listening for decades, fights for working families, enforces the law fairly, and gets things done with clear accountability: I’d be honored to have your vote. That being said, a Mayor can’t do this alone; they need teammates on the City Council who support them. That’s why I’m running with a full slate of Council candidates who come to the table with fresh ideas. Team Russo and their ballot positions are: Michael Russo for Mayor (1-G), Nicole Magaña (9-H), Pete Keeling (10-H), and Dean Murray (11-H) for Council At-Large , and Ryan Cunningham (7-I) for the 6th Ward Council seat. Please visit russoforhoboken.com to read my policy proposals, including my FULL 100 Day Plan, and remember to vote by November 4th. Together with your support, we can finally fix Hoboken’s issues and restore its promise as a place where people can build their futures. Thank you!

2025 Hoboken Mayoral Candidates Answer Your Questions

The Hoboken Girl Team

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