Dear Editor:
Like many of you, I am passionate about many things, but Hoboken is where my heart lies. In the 18 years I have lived here, I got married, had all three of my sons and have become increasingly invested in this community we all love.
When Mayor Zimmer made her surprising decision, I decided that I wanted to step up to not only carry forward all of the important matters that I have been supporting under her leadership but to also bring what I believe is a necessary voice to a number of key issues that I have raised for our community that have not been addressed.
As a community, we are all aligned behind our need to continue investing in our aging infrastructure, addressing our flooding concerns, making our streets safe for everyone and securing land while we still can for parks and open space given our unique land constraints. But I believe we need to consider alternate ideas and approaches to make Hoboken better and ensure the best quality of life possible to all of our residents.
This means taking a more strategic and comprehensive approach to planning, zoning and economic development that will be more beneficial to all members of our community. As examples we need: to include school related, infrastructure and municipal requirements in all planning; to collaborate with our local businesses and create a thriving local economy for all of us; to revisit our affordable housing regulations so they work for Hoboken residents who need it most; and to re-examine our flood ordinance so that it best supports maintaining our historic character. We also need to have tough discussions with our development community to ensure that any new development is Hoboken-friendly, includes investment in our community, and is in-line with our community priorities.
I am committed to working collectively with all residents and stakeholders to identify and employ the best ideas for Hoboken. I will continue to be on the ground making sure that our streets, sidewalks and parks are safe and clean so that we can be more proud of our town. I will build partnerships to ensure Hoboken taxpayers do not bear the entire cost of improving our community. The dialogue between government and stakeholders will change from one that has been more insular in the past to one that will be more inclusive in the future.
I have proudly served our community for the past six years on City Council, three times as Council President. With your continued support, look forward to being your trusted leader and Mayor for the next four years.
We have accomplished many good things but we have not had a clear plan for the future. Now is the time to take the foundation we have built and improve upon and expand it. I hope you will join me on Monday, July 17th to help me kick off my campaign and begin the important process of making Hoboken even better for all of us.
Jen Giattino
Council President,
Candidate for Hoboken Mayor
