Issues

An Affordable Hudson County

Our County is in the midst of an affordability crisis. In 2023, you need to make more than $100,000 per year to afford the median home in Hudson County. I’ve watched as property taxes have surged and rents have skyrocketed. As Commissioner, I would do everything in my power to secure state and federal funding to get shovels in the ground on affordable housing projects across the county.

My Plan:

Secure funding for affordable, supportive, and senior housing projects
Expand access to affordability programs to provide housing support for both working families and the middle class.
Work with the local municipalities to hold developers accountable and ensure that every Hudson County resident has the Right to Counsel
Support transit oriented development.
Work with local municipalities and state government to protect tenants by capping yearly rent increases and mandate affordable units in all new developments.

Increase Reliable Public Transportation and Fix JFK Boulevard

Jersey City's population has skyrocketed in the past 10 years, but our access to reliable public transportation has decreased. In 2005, Bus 86 for Heights and Downtown used to run 38 times a day, but now with limited active buses in the county that same route now takes 30 minutes longer.We need access to reliable public transportation across all of Jersey City, particularly in the Heights.

JFK Boulevard is one of the most dangerous roads in the county, making it difficult for residents of the area to walk or use their bikes. Between 2007 and 2017 there were 13,262 crashes on JFK Boulevard, of these crashes 1,146 involved a cyclist or a pedestrian. We need to do more in fixing our county roads to be safer, more accessible and reduce congestion.

On county roads like JFK Boulevard introduce dedicated bus lanes and bus priority signals that allow the buses to move quickly and provide more frequent bus service.
Add curb extensions to protect pedestrians and narrow the road to reduce speeding.
Ensure bicycle lanes are added to each county road and that they are safe and well maintained.
Work with the newly developed Vision Zero Task Force to ensure that county roads like JFK and Passaic are redeveloped with pedestrian and bicyclist safety in mind.
Work with the local municipalities and stakeholders to adopt Complete Streets each county road to ensure everyone can safely use the road.

Increased Quality of Life and Public Safety

Hudson County residents deserve access to green space, engaging opportunities for the youth, and community gathering spaces such as libraries and recreation centers. They also deserve to feel supported and embraced by their community as I was when I moved to Jersey City 14 years ago.

My Plan:

Increased funding for open green space projects
Increase the number of after school activities for kids.
Expand access to public indoor spaces
Secure funding for mental health services
Greater funding for safer and more accessible public transit initiatives
Open school playgrounds during summer breaks and after school so kids are able to play in their own neighborhoods.

A Greener Future for All

Each year we watch as a new powerful storm submerges cars, damages homes and wipes-out businesses in our community. Climate Change is estimated to cost Hudson County 660 million dollars annually, a figure that will only increase.

My Plan:

100% renewable energy by 2035
Expanding our tree canopy
Enacting a Hudson County Zero Waste Plan
Improved stormwater management infrastructure
Removal of lead pipes from across the county by 2035

Greater Transparency and Accountability in Government

I’m a firm believer that the government should be transparent, accessible, and work for every constituent, not just machine politicians and their wealthy donors.

My Plan:

Implement Monthly town halls and regular newsletter so that every constituent can have a voice in county government.
Ensure that the county budget is accessible and transparent on the county website
Ending the practice of patronage jobs in County Government that bloat our county budget.