My name is Jen Giattino, I have been a resident of Hoboken since 1998. I am a wife, the proud mother of three and a businesswoman. I am serving my second term as a Hoboken City Councilwoman, for the 6th ward and also serving my third term as Council President. Today, I am thrilled to be surrounded by so many supporters as I announce my candidacy for Mayor of Hoboken.

It’s been my honor and privilege to work with and for the residents of Hoboken. We all share in the success of working together in recent years for this city we love and call home. Working as a team, we’ve accomplished a great deal. As our Mayor, for our town, I will continue to drive the many initiatives begun with Mayor Zimmer that have paved the way for our improved quality of life. However, I believe that it is critical that we also take a fresh look at where we are and give a lot of thought about where we want to be and how to get to the next level.

Our Hoboken today is confronted with a host of issues old and new: our aging infrastructure which requires significant and continuous investment, our flooding concerns, keeping taxes flat in the face of rising municipal costs, making sure our streets are safe for everyone, and our unique land constraints which creates the need to secure open space for future generations while we still can. These issues have been the focal point of our current Administration, and continue to require our steady focus to make Hoboken more livable for all of us.

But our current Administration has fallen short in certain areas that I believe should be front and center going forward. We need to align the public and private sectors in a partnership to address the economic health and vitality of our city that has been overlooked. This means working collectively with all stakeholders, including our diverse residents, our City Council, our business community, our schools, Stevens, and other community leaders to identify the best ideas and a fresh vision for economic and community development while still prioritizing our quality of life. It means executing a strategic plan that allows us to attract jobs and businesses that benefit Hoboken residents which will allow us to focus on future commercial development, instead of just building more residential towers that add to our overcrowding. But, in any development that occurs, which is inevitable given the attraction to our town, we will ensure that we determine the direction and that the benefits to our community far outweigh the costs. We also need to do as much as we can to make sure that Hoboken residents are invited to stay. There is room for everyone in Hoboken. Our town and our people are better when we support our neighbors.

These are only a few of the areas that as our Mayor, I will prioritize. The conversation and the hard work for this vision lie ahead but together we can bring a new vision and a revived spirit to our town.

As we begin this journey together, I want all of you to know how important you and your support have been in bringing us here today. It is with this support that we can deliver for Hoboken and build for tomorrow. I’m asking today and in the coming days that we all come together again and make this campaign a symbol for what Hoboken can do when we combine our talents and skills for the city we love. Together we’re going to do amazing things for our town. It’s our time. It’s our Hoboken. Thank you.

Jen Giattino is the Council President in Hoboken.