Fulop?s first 100 days in office

New mayor wins support from some skeptics; others remain unconvinced

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Jerramiah Healy was still the mayor of Jersey City when a member of his administration, Budget Director and Assistant Business Administrator Robert Kakoleski, stood before the City Council and announced that there was a $16 million shortfall in the 2013 municipal budget. The news stunned Healy?s allies on the council, all of whom would be ending their tenures on the council in a few weeks? time.

?Here?s one for you; we had no idea Kakoleski was going to do that presentation,? a senior Healy administration member who was at that meeting in May told the Reporter.

But they should have known something was coming.

Eight of the council?s nine members were seated at the dais and Kakoleski was already standing before them when the lithe figure of the council?s ninth member glided into the room and gave Kakoleski a reassuring and conspiratorial pat on the arm. The rest of the meeting, which included hints of a coming tax increase, unfolded like a well-orchestrated strategic military strike.

If the municipal election two weeks earlier on May 14 left any doubts about who was the victor and who was the vanquished, those doubts were extinguished by the end of that meeting.

It would be several weeks before that ninth member, Mayor-Elect Steven Fulop, gained control of the new council, a feat accomplished only after an historic runoff election. Two of his council candidates lost to independents in wards C and D, but it is safe to say that Fulop assumed the role of mayor the day after his election.

Even before he was officially sworn in on July 1, Fulop hired a private firm to search for a new public safety director, ordered the business administrator to suspend the property revaluation started under Healy, announced an end to take-home municipal cars for non-emergency workers, and an expansion of the city?s youth summer jobs program.
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A few residents who did not support Fulop?s mayoral bid said they were impressed with some of his initiatives.
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Fulop also held a series of standing room only town hall meetings throughout the city to get feedback from residents regarding their biggest concerns and complaints and possible solutions to the city?s problems.

He even appropriated the official Jersey City seal and took to sending out occasional press releases under specially created ?Mayor-Elect Steven Fulop? letterhead. In an interesting slip, one such release that was sent out prior to his inauguration left off the word ?elect.? The mistake was humorous, but was ultimately academic since by that point nearly everyone was already treating Fulop as the city?s chief executive.

Hitting the ground running

?I think we have hit the ground running. I think you?d be hard-pressed to find another administration in this state that has come out of the gates as aggressive as we have been,? Fulop said last week.

When asked to list his top three biggest accomplishments in his first 100 days in office, Fulop listed seven.

?The audit of tax abatements [to make sure developments are paying their fair share to the city]. The paid sick leave ordinance [which forces private companies in Jersey City to provide a certain amount of leave]. Our new tax abatement policy. After taking over in a difficult month, I think we?ve turned the corner on some of the shootings we were seeing in Ward F in July. We?ve started the consolidation of the Parking Authority into the Police Department and [consolidation] of the Department of Public Works and the [Jersey City Incinerator Authority]. The expansion of our summer jobs and recreation programs. Our Stop the Drop program [which encouraged people not to litter] this summer was hugely successful. These are all significant things.?

In fairness, the city started doing audits of tax-abated properties last year under Healy?s watch after the previous administration was pressured to do so by tax advocates in the city. But Fulop insisted that the recent audit that recovered $2.3 million in unpaid profits from EQR Lincoln Urban Renewal for the Hudson Point and North Pier developments was during his tenure.

Last week, the city announced that another $2.6 million had been recovered as a result of the abatement audit on top of the money already recovered from EQR Lincoln Urban Renewal.

The administration, he said, is also laying the groundwork for programs that won?t be formally rolled out until next year. This includes partnerships with Jersey City corporations for the 2014 summer jobs program, and the city?s Employment and Training Program?s reentry initiative for ex-offenders, which Fulop predicts ?will become a national model.?

With the help of a $400,000 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Jersey City will soon hire four bilingual counselors to help residents and business understand their options under the Affordable Care Act. The grant is another accomplishment of which Fulop is proud. Only six such grants were awarded in the State of New Jersey, according to the mayor?s office. The four federally funded counselors will augment the 10 certified application counselors who were already working in the city?s Health and Human Services Office.

?We?re doing more than any municipality, as far as education, on the Affordable Care Act. We?re being very proactive with that,? Fulop said. ?I think that I could point to 20 things that I?m excited about that are visible and tangible for residents.?

Residents weigh in

Predictably, Fulop?s supporters and detractors choose to see what they want. Residents who supported the mayor point to what they see as the accomplishments of the young administration. People who supported Healy remain skeptical of Fulop and the direction he is taking the city.

?I definitely feel the city is on the right track now,? said Joanne Barkin, who lives in the Heights. ?I mean, it?s going to take some time before we see some things happen. But I think the city is just more professional now. I can sense there?s a change in attitude and momentum in the city since [Fulop] was elected.?

Barkin said she has seen a heavier police presence in her neighborhood since the new administration came in. When she has had occasion to call city offices, Barkin said, her calls have been handled with more courtesy than in the past.

?We pay a lot in city taxes,? said David Peet, a downtown resident who has also noticed a shift in the way city workers perform their jobs. ?At least now I resent it a little less...I feel like the city is working for me and that?s the way it should be. I can feel the city is being run differently.?

A few residents who did not support Fulop?s mayoral bid said in interviews that they were impressed with some of his initiatives thus far.

Of course, some detractors remain.

?I can?t say that I see any difference with this guy in office,? said John Spector, who voted for Healy. ?Didn?t he talk about cutting spending? Didn?t he talk about better taxes? The first thing he does when he gets in is raise our taxes.?

Fulop knows the 7.6 percent municipal tax increase that was adopted in July looks bad, given his campaign promises. He said he hopes to introduce a 2014 municipal budget that is either equal to this year?s budget or that is slightly lower, meaning there would be no tax increase next year.

?Tax stabilization is our No. 1 priority next year,? Fulop said.

Among the administration?s first orders of business was the overhaul of the Mayor?s Action Bureau into what is now known as the Resident Response Center, a one-stop office that handles resident complaints and problems ranging from potholes to city-owned trees that need to be trimmed. Feedback on the office has generally been positive, with the office handling resident complaints, often within a matter of days.

But a few residents have said that they have found the Response Center to be more uneven in its performance. For example, in August one resident said she had been to the Resident Response Center and found it to be closed during evening hours when it was supposed to be open. This reporter visited the center several evenings in August and September and found it to be open every time.

Hiring decisions remain a concern

Other residents have questioned Fulop?s hires.

?He used to accuse Healy of hiring his friends to work for the city. Steve?s doing the same thing, now it?s just more transparent,? said one resident who worked for the Healy campaign.

Indeed, several longtime Fulop friends and loyalists have been hired to work for the city, including former Gov. James McGreevey, John Thieroff, Paul Bellan-Boyer, Althea Bernheim, Frank Scalcione, and Pam Andes.

In the early weeks of the administration, Fulop?s team was using a campaign website to field resumes for city jobs, a practice that gave the impression that only the politically-connected were being considered for city jobs. The administration discontinued this practice after use of the campaign website was reported in this paper.

Questions have also been raised regarding whether the city has adequately followed Civil Service laws. Under the law, and under certain circumstances, Civil Service workers who are laid off due to budget cuts are supposed to be given an opportunity to be rehired if their former government employer starts hiring again. Some of Fulop?s critics claim these laws have not been followed.

Several Open Public Records Act requests submitted by the Reporter on July 15 pertaining to hires made since the administration came into office had not been answered by Oct. 4.

City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said, ?We are following all Civil Service rules.?

As for state OPRA rules, the city is supposed to respond within seven days to public records requests.

The number of Fulop foot soldiers now working for the city has ruffled some feathers, especially among some longtime city workers who have said that many of Fulop?s new hires na?ve and ignorant of basic government protocols and operations. Some have alleged that this has led to confusion and culture clashes between longtime civil servants in the city and Fulop?s people.

But the mayor said worker morale, especially among the city?s rank and file employees is high.

?Morale is as good as it has ever been,? said the mayor. ?Every other Monday I have breakfast with 10 employees who are selected at random and we talk about whatever they want to discuss. And I can tell you that they feel valued and appreciated for the work that they do for the city.?

Whatever dissention there is among city workers, Fulop said likely comes from directors, some of whom have been resistant to change.

The mayor said the consolidation of various city departments, which is still in its early stages, is going well.

Last week, Robert Cowan, a 35-year veteran of the Jersey City Police Department (JCPD), was named police chief. Under the city?s new Department of Public Safety, Cowan and the JCPD fall under Public Safety Director James Shea.

Fulop admits that members of the Jersey City Fire Department are lobbying Shea, who comes from a law enforcement background, to select a deputy director from the Fire Department. Fulop said he is leaving this decision up to Shea, who is ?going to take his time? before selecting a deputy.

A chip off the old Bloomberg

Fulop is trying to remake Jersey City in ways that go beyond typical government programs. In the tradition of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Fulop last month signed on to the Mayor?s Wellness Campaign and made Jersey City a ?Let?s Move? city.

Let?s Move is a joint initiative of the New Jersey League of Municipalities and the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute. The initiative seeks to reduce childhood obesity in New Jersey. As part of the campaign, the Jersey City Department of Recreation now sponsors weekly ?boot camps? at the Bethune Community Center and Pershing Field.

In another nod to Bloomberg, Jersey City will likely ban smoking in public parks and playgrounds later this month.

Fulop?s emphasis on health and fitness has extended into City Hall. The mayor, who is an avid runner who has competed in at least one triathalon ? oh, and last week we learned that he skis on top of all that ? has invited his staff to participate in a ?friendly [exercise] competition.?

Employees who wish to participate get FitBit bracelets that monitor the number of steps they take each day to see who has been the most active among the staff. (Participation is completely voluntary and there is no cost to taxpayers.)

Fulop?s emphasis on health and fitness speaks to the broadness of his agenda and his vision for the city.

?We?ve done a lot,? Fulop said. ?We have a lot more to do.?

E-mail E. Assata Wright at awright@hudsonreporter.com.

Go f yourself. I heard Fulop just though Jaime Vazquez under the bus. I feel bad but just because you campaign for someone does not mean you should get a job and benefits.

That's piker speak for "you got me; I can't back up what I say"

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Your kidding what is this McCarthyism? Name names

Go read the Jersey and the Reporter. Look at the pictures on nj.com for a start.

Read what Fulop has said in every frickin press release.

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Could you please expand upon this? Who, specifically, are the illiterate and incompetent people? I would like to know the names, positions and whether that position is new or a replacement. If it is a replacement, please provide information on who they replaced.

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What process are you referring to?

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I?m going to assume that this vague reference to qualifications goes with the new comments portion, though the grammar is quite poor and I?m not fully able to follow.

Assuming that the qualifications are in reference to jobs, what are the jobs you are referencing? Who are the people that are unqualified for them? Why do you believe they are unqualified?

Were we promised that all new hires would live in Jersey City? When was this promise made? Is it possible that these individuals will move into Jersey City?

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What are the metrics for what? If you are going to answer your own question, why ask one at all?

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There are several posts on this board questioning Fulop?s hiring decision in certain areas. There are also a lot of people willing to give time to someone that started their job 2 months ago. I?m not sure how many places you have worked at or how many people you have hired, but there is normally a grace period where the individual is allowed to learn all that is required of them.

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I?m not sure I see a problem here. If Fulop believes the guy is the best fit for the position, why does the person?s political party affiliation matter? Isn?t it a good thing that Fulop doesn?t hire Democrats only?

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Could you please give examples of this?

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As someone else pointed out, you have a video of someone from over three years ago. Is it not possible to learn about a certain topic over that period of time?

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It seems bizarre that an aspiring public figure would feel the need to switch to a pseudonym when he has an account already registered here. It's really very strange. Almost creepy.

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This is true, but it is Marie. Even though I'm a liberal democrat she always snuck me extra drink tickets at the fundraisers. She's good people.

I don't have rants. I have solutions. Something your posts severely lack boss man.

In the other thread you started, you actually (finally) make some sort of sense. take down the rhetoric a notch and actually focus on being constructive. People might stop thinking you're just a tool, and might actually listen to what you have to say.

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You are wrong.

I would like to point out the obvious, rescuelife is not a real name it is a pseudonym, something you are accusing Fletcher of using. For the record, I supported Dan Levin for Ward E, it was all over this forum. You have also accused me of being a tea party member. I have never attended a tea party meeting. But the new mayor did appoint, Marie Tauro, to a board and she is a Tea Party Member. I saw it in the paper. For the record, rescuelife, Yvonne is my real name.

this is Fletcher Gensamer cowardly posting under a pseudonym. He was a big Newt Gingrich supporter in the last presidential election and clearly not over his defeat in the election this year.

Don't worry Fletch, you can waste more of your and Yvonne's money in 4 years to run again, JC can use a little Tea Party entertainment in the elections.

You and your dog rants and anti Cory Booker stuff. I don't see the difference between Booker and Fulop.

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Yeah this guy is the worst kind of troll. Nothing but negativity, offering nothing by way of solutions or ideas. Any ideas thrown out there are so buried in bullshit it gets lost.

Ok John. Guess number 2. Starting another recall petition? Another "Lynch" mob?

http://jcpac.capellic.com/press



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I think you are now working for the city too.



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Do you think we are stupid? You do not sound like a suddenly-empowered lurker. The election is over. Let's get to work and save the campaign-style rhetoric for the next election.

If you want to criticize the mayor, please provide FACTS, not empty accusations.

Fulop didn't hire him, he was elected to the City Council, plus you spelled it wrong it's YUN!

YOU!


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Jerramiah Healy, is that you?

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Hiring like crazy? I challenge you to name the names of these new hires.

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The OP's video shows a clip from 2010 in which Candice Osborne, as a private citizen at a council meeting, professes(somewhat rhetorically) a limited knowledge of municipal budgeting. This is contrasted with footage of her as an elected official three years later discussing the budget, supposedly to make the point that she's expounding on topics beyond her expertise.

It's like showing video of someone on the day they started, and the day they graduated from, law school. Three years and a lot of focused effort tend to raise one's game a bit.

Anyway, last time I checked she was elected and not appointed - so I'm not sure what our takeaway from all of this is supposed to be.

Yes, shoot the messenger, why don't you. this board is not nice by a long shot and you are one of the reasons. it trashed everybody not with Fulop last spring, it attacks businesses and everything turns into dogs vs. people.

I voted for the best choice I had, I guess there was no choice.

It is simple, I can give him more than a couple of months to cut spending and root out corruption, but I cannot accept new taxes and spending beforehand.



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Please, mister fake account, please get off our little neighborhood message forum.

I would agree that Fulop is obviously not the greatest politician as he has only been in office for 2 months and still has a way to go before anyone can say he has done great, this post is just typical BS political mud slinging propaganda. Seriously, its only been two months and this is already getting old.

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I bet you're Fletch, right? Re-inventing yourself?

This is like the same passive aggressive responses I got from the campaign, at least you aren't one of their hacks who got a job, because they only post at night.

I have been lurking for years, but this pushed my button, the mass hirings. Even Healy laid off workers. Why does the truth only come from posters who the time on their hands to post all day? Its all been written elsewhere.

I held my nose and voted for Steve, praying he was truly different but swap his youthful appearance with Healy's bloated red face and its like the same person. Just with more spin.

He could have made a good gesture by cutting something. He certainly was full of ideas when he was on council. But he raised taxes more than Healy's unrealized revenue and also had ways to cushion the blows from that. Why do we need more people in the Law Department and why do we need more people in constituent services. Couldn't they have just done better job? I read through the Transition Report over and over and could not find this stuff.

We have gotten a snow job.

Hmm, a new member who only posts hateful, unsubstantiated things about Fulop and Osborne. I guess there are a few members of the HCDO with time on their hands now.

Fulop is hiring like crazy not just replacing appointees but new hires. We elected him to cut spending not increase it. He is not just replacing political appointees but hiring illiterate and incompetant people.

What exacly is the process he talked about? Is it in the mayors head.

What are the qualifications? Only qualification is to have worked on the campaign and retaliate against everyone else. New hires also don't live in Jersey City like we were promised.

What exactly are the actual metrics? There are no metics.

JCLIST why are you not questioning him?

He wrote a letter attacking the Tea Party then appoints the head of the JC Tea Party to the MUA. Isn't this the same thing as Healy employing the head of the Hudson Republican party in city hall. Where is the change we were promised.

Your taxes were increased to give jobs to campaign workers and they will continue to do so!

Team Fulop at its best: