Accessible & Transparent Government
A transparent and accessible local government is essential to a healthy democracy. I believe residents should always know how decisions are made, how tax dollars are spent, and how to make their voices heard. That means clear communication, open data, and a commitment to meaningful public engagement. Hoboken deserves a government that listens, explains, and acts with accountability.
Communicating with City Hall
Make communication with City Hall easier: Develop a ticket system app/portal that allows communication from residents to City Hall that is easy to use, confirms receipt of reports, and sends updates as needed regarding resolution of reports.
Operationalize @EmilyJabbour: Re-allocate a communications staff person to the Office of Constituent Services to monitor public communications (e.g., routinely scrape common social media sites for issues) to be more proactive and employ a stronger social media strategy that goes beyond sharing current events.
Add the ability for residents to “tag” City Hall on social media platforms to identify problems.
Expand time sensitive Public Safety notifications to be posted across all major social media platforms, rather than just X.
Improve and standardize the Nixle alert system as the main system for communication of emergencies and issues to the community. Make a public commitment regarding the use and Nixle, and investigate the potential for geographic targeting of alerts for certain emergency situations that are neighborhood specific.
Overhaul and Simplify the City website: Continue the engagement with to do a complete overhaul of the City website and improve functionality. In addition, improve the user interfaces that are critical to the Recreation and Transportation Departments, and integrate improvements in technology to better match resident needs with online services.
Transparency and Coordination
Prioritize local, face-to-face communication: Schedule regular town hall meetings both at City Hall and throughout the City to engage residents directly, and provide a schedule of standing office hours for resident meetings.
Organize some meetings around specific topics, such as expanding the existing quarterly Community and Public Safety (CAPS) meetings to include regular updates from Transportation, Parks, etc.
Address the Nightmare of Construction Across the City: Improve communication on location and status of infrastructure projects.
Move the Construction Updates webpage to a more user-friendly set of updates that are shared daily via social media, including an interactive map that’s updated in real time.
Provide a longer-term timeline of construction projects to give residents the ability to see a larger calendar that demonstrates coordination of multiple, longer-term projects.
Commit to allowing the approval of no more than 3 private construction projects that result in road closures when Citywide projects are also underway (such as Rebuild By Design).
To better facilitate this coordination, ensure that there are weekly meetings between City and County staff overseeing construction/engineering projects.
Coordinate communications with platforms such as Google Maps and Waze so GPS systems correctly reflect the current status.
Establish an online dashboard of performance data based on City Departments that can be shared with the public quarterly in order to demonstrate how tax dollars are spent on programs.
Require each Department head to develop at least three key metrics to communicate progress toward strategic goals for that team, which will then be posted for residents.
Improve efficiency of City Hall: Improve department coordination and decision making through increased coordination across department heads, since current operations are heavily siloed.
Equity/Defending Community Members
I believe at this moment in history, it is incumbent on local leaders to stand up for the principles that a community holds dear. I believe in a balanced approach: staying grounded in the practical needs of our neighborhoods while aligning with national values that promote justice, sustainability, and inclusivity.
Ensure Hoboken remains a Safe and Welcoming City to protect those targeted by federal laws due to background or personal identity.
Partner with organizations like the Waterfront Project and Northeast New Jersey Legal Services (NNJLS) to provide ongoing education and legal services to those in need through the newly established Office of Public Counsel.
Work with the Hoboken Pride Committee to ensure there are safe spaces to connect with the LGTBQ+ community, promote community safety, and plan events throughout the year (not just during Pride month).
Education and Outreach
Civic engagement starts with understanding — and that means making sure every resident has access to clear, accessible information about how local government works and what services are available to them. As part of my commitment to an engaged and informed community, I believe we must prioritize education around city operations, budgeting, and how to navigate services from housing assistance to transportation planning.
Provide Local Governance 101 Education to better inform residents on how local government works and how they can advocate for issues that they care about.
Provide opportunities for residents to also meet County, State, and Federal representatives as part of a holistic education around how government works for the people it represents.
Increase education efforts around municipal boards as opportunities for engagement with local government .
Connect with local schools and student groups to offer orientation on local government at City Hall.
Responsible Budgets
Fiscal transparency is not just good governance — it's a responsibility to the people we serve. I am committed to ensuring that every dollar spent by our city is accounted for, clearly communicated, and aligned with the priorities of Hoboken residents.
Increase transparency on expenditure of City funds (e.g., amount spent vs. allocated budget) by developing a real-time dashboard with information about the state of the City’s budget.
Simplify the communication of our budget to make a more user-friendly set of documentation to allow residents to better understand dollars in/dollars out.
Depoliticize the budget process by ensuring that the budget process begins sooner by requiring the Finance Subcommittee to meet with the Administration on estimated budget projections at the start of the calendar year.
Include engagement with state representatives to better understand the different funding streams that impact our bottom line.
Add participatory budget making to give residents more of a voice in how discretionary tax dollars are spent.
Codify the minimum amount of reserves/surplus needed to ensure the City can maintain its strong financial rating. It is imperative that the city maintain a sufficient surplus to keep the AA+ credit rating.
