The council is responsible for policy decisions such as enacting ordinances and hiring city officials. They will serve until June 30, 2009.
Friday afternoon, the council at at their reorganization meeting in the City Council Chambers elected Mariano Vega as the new City Council president by a 9-0 margin.
Six members represent wards, and there are three at-large members serving citywide.
The members are: * Michael Sottolano representing Ward A, * Mary Spinello representing Ward B, * Steve Lipski representing Ward C, * William Gaughan representing Ward D, * Steven Fulop representing Ward E, * Viola Richardson representing Ward F, * Peter Brennan, Willie Flood and Mariano Vega as at-large representatives.
Brennan, Gaughan, Lipski, Richardson and Vega were re-elected last month, and Flood, Fulop, Sottolano and Spinello are new members. That is the result of one-term Ward E Councilman E. Junior Maldonado losing his seat to Fulop and three other council members - Ward A Councilwoman Kathleen Curran, Ward B Councilwoman Mary Donnelly and City Councilman at-Large and City Council President L. Harvey Smith - deciding not to run.
Here is a profile of the City Council who will be serving the 240,000-plus residents of Jersey City:Michael Sottolano - Ward A (Located between the Bayonne-Jersey City border to the south and Carbon Place to the north.)
Born in 1941, Sottolano was raised near the Hudson County Courthouse and has lived in the Greenville section of the city for the past 39 years. Sottolano is a graduate of St. Joseph's Grammar School and Dickinson High School and he studied at Rutgers-Newark and St. Peter's College. He was employee of the City of Jersey City for 36 years until he retired from being assistant director of information technology in 2004. Sottolano is married with two children and two grandchildren. Sottolano, who won a runoff election on June 14 over challenger Karen DeSoto, has the same issues in mind as Mayor Jerramiah Healy in terms of pursuing quality-of-life initiatives.
"I want to work to clean up Ward A and Jersey City. Get one neighborhood at a time clean and designate some people from each area to make sure it stays clean," said Sottolano.
Sottolano also wants to focus on senior citizens, a somewhat neglected group of Jersey City residents.
"I will also work with the legislature to review the city's senior citizens programs; the eligibility requirements and the financial restrictions that are put on many programs.
They have not been updated in 20 years," said Sottolano.
He also plans to work on job placement for the city's youth and on continuing to reach out to his constituents in Ward A, whom he thanks for his election into office.
He said, "I'm very happy since I am doing community service, and I'm going to do it in a very rewarding fashion not only for myself but for my constituents." Mary Spinello - Ward B (located between St. James Avenue to the north and Carbon Place to the south.)
Mary Spinello is a graduate of St. Aloysius High School in Jersey City and received a bachelor's degree in political science from Rutgers University-New Brunswick. She is currently deputy executive director of administration for the Jersey City Incinerator Authority. Spinello is the former Deputy Division Chief of the Hudson County Housing and Community Development Agency, and former director of Marketing and Community-Based Employment for the Occupational Center of Hudson County, Inc. She previously ran for the Ward B City Council seat in the 2001 election. Spinello said she was "excited" about being elected to her first term in office and looked forward to making "positive changes" in her ward and the city.
"I want to work toward further development of Ward B, especially the Hackensack River waterfront to bring more housing," said Spinello. "Also improving the quality of life in my ward and throughout the city." Steve Lipski - Ward C (Bounded by Franklin Street to the north and Mercer Street to the south.)
Born and raised in Jersey City, Steve Lipski has served in the City Council since 2001. He is a graduate of Dickinson High School. Lipski enrolled in Seton Hall University where he earned bachelor's degrees in English literature and philosophy and a master's degree in English literature and education. Lipski spent 10 years in the New York City school system, moving from teaching to becoming union representative. He founded the CREATE Charter School in the Greenville section of the city in 2001. Lipski also is currently the co-chairman of the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency. He currently lives in the Journal Square section of the city with his wife Yraida. Lipski won re-election to a second term in office by winning approximately 51 percent of the vote over challengers Jimmy King and Dr. Joseph Buttigheri, thus staving off a runoff election.
If Lipski was grateful for the support of Ward C voters before, then he is even more so after being re-elected. "I thank the people of Ward C for giving their trust, considering the amount of negativity that had gone out prior to the election," said Lipski.
Lipski's first task as a second-term councilman is seeing a longstanding blight on the Journal Square landscape that is the Hotel on the Square and the Journal Square Plaza storefront area near the PATH train station be no more.
"First and foremost, what I would like to see is the Hotel on the Square demolished with all respect to the [nearby] tenants and their rights kept in mind," said Lipski. William Gaughan - Ward D (bounded by Van Keuren Avenue to the south and the Union City/North Bergen and Jersey City border to the north.)
William Gaughan has served in the City Council since 1993. He is currently chief of staff for Hudson County Executive Thomas DeGise and the chairman of the Jersey City Democratic Organization. He also serves as the president and funeral director of Houghton Funeral Home in Jersey City. Gaughan served in the U.S. Navy as a petty officer and received his Bachelor of Science degree in management from Rutgers University - Newark and is a graduate of the American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Services. He is also been active member of St. Anne's Church in Jersey City. After his re-election, Gaughan holds the unique distinction of being the longest tenured City Council member, serving a fourth term in Ward D.
"I'm thrilled. My ego is boosted. After 12 years, to be elected again by the people means they feel I have more work to be done," said Gaughan.
At the top of the work list is more available parking.
"Most important, I want to solve the parking issues in this city and I have three [initiatives]," said Gaughan. "Residents will have an opportunity to park overnight at metered spots in public lots. I want to change an ordinance to allow residents who have 20 feet or more in front of their property to convert that space into a carport. Also, families with more than one car can also park across the driveway."
Gaughan also plans to work on addressing the serious problem of gangs in the city, a particular problem in different parts of the Heights section of the city that Gaughan represents.
"I am presently working with Mayor Stack of Union City for both cities to create a joint task force. I don't want Jersey City police going across city lines to arrest gang members in other towns," said Gaughan.
On the issue of police, Gaughan is also set on getting a new police station built before his current term finishes for the Jersey City's Police Department North District, with officers currently stationed in an antiquated facility on Central Avenue.
Taking what is old or undeveloped and creating something new is what Gaughan wants to do with Tonnele Avenue, which runs through the west side of Jersey City from Journal Square to the North Bergen border and has long been a thoroughfare where factories and motels have coexisted. But Gaughan is pushing to revitalize this area.
"Let's try to get some good commercial outlets there since it is tremendously underutilized," said Gaughan. Steven Fulop - Ward E (The ward is situated between the Jersey City-Hoboken border to the north and Audrey Zapp Drive to the south.)
Steven Fulop grew up in Edison. He earned an undergraduate degree at State University of New York in Binghamton and attended Oxford University. After college he went to work on Wall Street at Goldman Sachs. He was working at his job when the World Trade Center was attacked on Sept. 11. Moved by that incident, he took a leave of absence to join the Marine Corps. When his tour was over, he returned to the business world and is now working as a vice president at Merrill Lynch. He also returned to school and is working on completing two master's degrees - one from Columbia in public policy and the other at New York University in business. Fulop knows the issue that he wants to address as soon as he assumes office. "The immediate issue for the city and for downtown is more police presence," said Fulop. "There seems to be the perception that there's a spike in crime."
He also sees his involvement in the City Council as helping to move the council in a direction different from past councils.
"I think we need a new model for the City Council, a more results-oriented city council just like in the business world."
Fulop, 28, will be starting his first term as the youngest member of this City Council and probably one of the youngest council members in the city's history. Fulop was also the only challenger to defeat an incumbent.
"I think the way we [won] is the most difficult way since it is running against an incumbent, but I thank everyone for electing me into office and I look for everyone that I serve to put their trust in me," said Fulop. Viola Richardson - Ward F (situated between Woodlawn Avenue to the south and Mercer Street to the north)
Richardson was elected to the City Council in 2001 to represent Ward F. She previously served in the Jersey City Police Department for 20 years. She also has been an active member in her community for many years through her Viola S. Richardson Civic Association. Richardson has introduced programs to help her community such as the Second Chance Program to help inmates after they are released from jail and a summer camp for youth. Earlier this year, Richardson and Mayor Jerramiah Healy initiated the "Operation Life Saver" gun buy-back program that took approximately 900 guns off Jersey City streets. Richardson's re-election victory was especially sweet in light of the fact that it was expected that she would run on Healy's election ticket but instead was passed over in favor of Rev. Ronnie-Calvin Clark, who finished a distant second to Richardson.
For Richardson, four more years means continuing to pursue the agenda that she has been working on for the past four years.
"I will work toward ensuring more job opportunities, especially on these construction projects that are happening on a constant basis in Ward F, but the people that are working on them are not from the ward," said Richardson. "Another issue is putting a stop to all these shootings that are taking place."
But paramount to Richardson will be to work toward the "betterment" of the lives of the residents in her ward and in the city. Peter Brennan - Councilman At-Large
Born and raised in Jersey City, Brennan is currently serving councilman at-large, having taken over the seat from Healy in November after Healy stepped down when elected as mayor. Brennan previously served as Ward A city councilman after he was elected in 2001. He served previously as the executive vice president of Brennan's Transportation and Warehousing Company. Brennan is a former deputy mayor of Jersey City and is currently vice chair of the Hudson County Democratic Organization. Brennan said that he was looking forward to serving as a city councilman-at-large because it would allow him to accomplish more as a politician than he would if he had been elected as a ward councilman. Among the projects is opening some new swimming pools in the city.
"We have to look at opening a new swimming pool. There's only one open at Pavonia and West Side avenues. When Mayor Cunningham was still alive, he had plans to open a pool in [Jersey City's Greenville section] and [Jersey City's Lafayette section]," said Brennan, who said he will meet with the city's business administrator in the near future to find out if there is money available in the city's budget for building a new pool.
Brennan will also look to develop other projects during his term, such as working with the city's Board of Education to construct a middle school/community center on West Side Avenue and working with developers to build more affordable housing. Willie Flood - Councilwoman At-Large
Flood is a native of Alabama who has lived in Jersey City since 1963. She ran for mayor in last year's special election and in the 1992 special mayoral election. Flood also served as city councilwoman-at-large from 1981 to 1989. Previously, she worked as a teacher in the Jersey City public school system for 16 years, and most recently was a member of the Jersey City Board of Education until her term ended earlier this year. She was also an aide to Cunningham until his death in May 2004. Flood was not available for comment for this article as it was going to press. Mariano Vega - Councilwoman At-Large
Vega is a native of Puerto Rico who has lived in Jersey City for over 50 years. A graduate of Montclair State College, Vega has served as a Jersey City councilman since 1997. He also works as the director of Hudson County Department of Public Resources, where he oversees the county's Divisions of Planning, Buildings and Grounds, Parks, Roads and Bridges, and Engineering. Vega has also served previously as the Chief of Hudson County's Division of Social Services and director of Jersey City's Division of Welfare. He lives with his family in Downtown Jersey City. After eight years in office, Vega is still full of ideas and initiatives that he wants to carry to fruition in his third term in office. The subjects ranged from more dog runs in the city to a new police/fire station complex in Ward F.
"What I see as one of primary issues is affordable housing for seniors. Our senior citizens are saying 'Look, I like the city and I want to stay here but I need to afford it,' " said Vega.
He listed other concerns of his that have long occupied his attention and will continue to do so in office. "The need for an open space, especially completing the East Coast Greenway on top of the Sixth Street Embankment," said Vega.
Vega also addressed space as he talked about development, particularly the west side of the city near Route 440 and New Jersey City University.
"There's the Bayside Redevelopment Plan that stretches from Route 440 to the Hackensack River, which will cause [New Jersey City University] to expand beyond Route 440," said Vega. "Also, development along the Hackensack River behind the city's buildings that will be a huge project as much of that land needs to be cleaned up."
Vega also wants to push for Downtown Jersey City to become a haven for nightlife, to attract the workers at the waterfront to come inland after work.
"A nice plan will be develop the restaurant row that officially exists on Grove Street and Newark Avenue, to tie it in with the expansion of the city's historic districts," said Vega.
Vega said that the numerous plans and ideas are part of being a councilman at-large, and a city councilman for a third term.
"It feels good that people trust you with the direction of the city, especially when serving at-large that gives you time to reflect on the needs of an entire city not just a ward."
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