Eyebrows raised over some members of Fulop transition team

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
June 14, 2013 at 5:44 PM

Jersey City Mayor-elect Steve Fulop raised some eyebrows this week when his office released what it called the full make-up of Fulop?s transition team.

Most of the names on the 11 committees raised little stir. Schools Superintendent Marcia V. Lyles heads the recreation/education committee. Jeremy Farrell, the attorney Fulop has tapped to be the city?s next corporation counsel, chairs the legal review team.

Committee membership isn't just for Fulop allies. Dan Levin, who lost his bid for the Ward E City Council seat on May 14, will sit on a committee dedicated to reviewing city departmental operations.

But Fulop supporters and critics alike are questioning some other moves, like naming NAACP President William Braker to the public-safety committee. Braker, a former Hudson County Freeholder, pleaded guilty in 2004 to accepting bribes from a county vendor and was sentenced to 41 months in prison.

On the same committee is Larry Mone, president of conservative think tank the Manhattan Institute, which is a strong supporter of New York City?s controversial stop-and-frisk program. Fulop said he opposes stop-and-frisk at the Lincoln High School mayoral debate in April.

One concerned reader said there is ?an undercurrent of conservatism/right-wing shadows? on the transition committees.

Fulop spokesman Bruno Tedeschi defended the committees, saying the mayor-elect?s goal is to have ?differing views from strong Democrats to strong Republicans.?

?We are one city, not a party,? Tedeschi said. ?It would be a disservice to the citizens of Jersey City if Mayor-elect Fulop only had ?yes? people on the transition.?

He added that Braker is on the public-safety committee in his capacity as NAACP president.

?Any past infraction is not relevant to his service on this committee,? Tedeschi said. ?If the members in the NAACP can elect him to be their president, Mayor-elect Fulop is not one to judge.?

Asked to respond, Braker told The Jersey Journal he would resign from the committee to keep news of his 2004 guilty plea out of the paper. He said he?s ?tired? of his name being ?dragged through the mud.?

?I?ve led an exemplary life since this incident,? said Braker, a retired police lieutenant. ?It?s totally unfair.?

The transition team is chaired by Freeholder Bill O?Dea, an early Fulop supporter, and state Sen. Sandra B. Cunningham, who didn?t endorse in this year?s mayoral race. Committees focus on budget/financial operations, executive recruitment and real-estate.

The teams will disband when Fulop becomes mayor on July 1.

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Jersey City Mayor-elect Fulop reacts to new Dear Mayor Fulop advice blog.


By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal


Jersey City Mayor-elect Steve Fulop is a fan of a new blog that seeks to offer Fulop ideas and hope for his forthcoming tenure as the city?s 48th mayor.

The blog, called Dear Mayor Fulop, debuted the morning after Fulop?s decisive win over incumbent Mayor Jerramiah Healy on May 14. You can view the site at dearmayorfulop.com.

It already has more than 20 posts asking Fulop to repair ?raggedy? streets, to hire a ?competent? engineering firm to inspect the timing of traffic lights and to make it easier for residents and businesses to obtain city permits.

Fulop, 36, told The Jersey Journal he thinks it?s ?good? to hear what residents have to say about the city.
Still, he added, ?we?re not committing to anything on there.?


Some Fulop allies have griped about Dear Mayor Fulop, saying the mayor-elect should be able to enact his own policies without interference from a blog. They are also concerned that Dear Mayor Fulop entries could set up expectations among city residents that Fulop may not be able to meet.

Fulop noted that he has numerous policy proposals he discussed during the campaign that he plans to implement. Suggestions on Dear Mayor Fulop could make it in the mix, too, he said, ?as long as they?re not (suggesting) we build a stadium.?

Fulop assumes the mayoralty on July 1.

JERSEY CITY ? Mayor-elect Steven Fulop has asked his transition team to focus on several key priority areas prior to his July 1 swearing in.

The transition team, which will be co-chaired by Hudson County Freeholder William O?Dea and State Sen. Sandra Cunningham, will include about 40 members, according to O?Dea, and will be announced some time this week.

According to a five-page document Fulop drafted days after his election, the mayor-elect plans to create 11 transition subcommittees. ?I am asking these committees, under the direction of co-chairs [O?Dea and Cunningham], to conduct an overall assessment of existing [city] functions and to make recommendations for change that will move our city forward,? Fulop states in a transition document that will be shared with committee members.

The 11 focus areas that the transition team subcommittees will focus on include: budget and financial operations; public safety; city departments; the city?s autonomous agencies; executive recruitment; workforce development, training, and ex-offender re-entry; real estate/redevelopment; education and recreation; cultural development and tourism; and information and technology initiatives. An 11th subcommittee will conduct a review of all pending and prospective lawsuits involving the city.

?The idea is to create 11 sub-groups that are going to work within the 11 areas,? said O?Dea. ?My thought is I?ll spend time in areas where I have a level of expertise. Then, looking to the big picture, Sen. Cunningham and I will help make sure the other sub-groups are doing what they?re supposed to do and give them tasks and timelines. You?re not going to get all of this done in six weeks, to be realistic. If you really want to do a good transition, I think it?s more practical to have a transition team in place for three, four, five, even six months after you?re in so you can come up with strong plans that you can implement over time.? ? E. Assata Wright

Read more: Hudson Reporter - O?Dea talks Fulop transition new administration identifies 11 key target areas

O'Dea, Cunningham to co-chair transition team for new Jersey City mayor

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
May 21, 2013 at 11:04 AM

Hudson County Freeholder Bill O?Dea, an early supporter of Mayor-elect Steve Fulop, will co-chair Fulop?s transition team with state Sen. Sandra B. Cunningham.

Cunningham, widow of the late former mayor Glenn D. Cunningham, notably never took sides in the fierce campaign for mayor that saw Fulop last week defeating incumbent Mayor Jerramiah Healy?s bid for a third full term.

?I am proud to have two esteemed community leaders heading my transition team,? Fulop said in a statement from his campaign. ?My goal is to make Jersey City one of the best mid-sized cities in America and Bill and Sandra have the experience and leadership to help me achieve that goal.?

O?Dea, a former two-term councilman, represents Jersey City?s West Side on the Freeholder board. He was one of the few elected officials who backed Fulop over Healy in the May 14 mayoral contest.

Cunninghan represents Bayonne and portions of Jersey City in the state Senate.

?I gladly accepted Steven?s invitation to join as co-chair of his transition team,? Cunningham said in the statement. ?Bill and I will work together to ensure the Fulop administration reflects the great diversity of Jersey City and has the experience and energy necessary to help the mayor accomplish his goals.?

Fulop becomes the city?s 48th mayor on July 1

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... ngham_to_co-chair_tr.html