FIRST WARD: Michael DeFusco / Migdalia Pagan-Milano | Hoboken City Council Candidate Questionnaire — VOTE NOV. 5, 2019

Hoboken’s Municipal Election is Tuesday, November 5, 2019.

We asked Hoboken City Council candidates the following questions:

• You’re a candidate for the Hoboken City Council. This particular election has put a lot of focus on the role of a Council and a Councilperson, working in conjunction with the City’s Administration. How do you interpret that role?
• What are the key issues within your ward and how will you plan to address them?
• What are the key issues facing Hoboken on the whole, and how will you plan to address them?
• You are running against someone. In what way(s) do you differ from your opponent(s)?
• Why should residents in your ward give their vote to you?
• What’s your favorite Frank Sinatra song, and why?

Here are their answers, in their own words:

CANDIDATE: Michael DeFusco (incumbent)

hMAG: You’re a candidate for the Hoboken City Council. This particular election has put a lot of focus on the role of a Council and a Councilperson, working in conjunction with the City’s Administration. How do you interpret that role?
Michael DeFusco: The most important role of a Councilperson is to always have the best interests of Hoboken residents in mind. Being an independent leader means working with the administration when they are right and holding them accountable when they are wrong. I’ve worked with the Mayor and supported 90% of his agenda, making it better in the process. For example, I fought to stop the administration’s ill-conceived parking rate hikes and I worked with my colleagues to size back the mayor’s massive tax increase. This is what being a Councilperson is all about—working collaboratively to help our local government operate more efficiently and effectively for all of us.

h: What are the key issues within your ward and how will you plan to address them?
MD: With the city’s largest bar scene, First Ward residents are constantly faced with quality of life issues. We need to make sure our streets stay clean after thousands of party goers flock into our neighborhoods, particularly during holiday pub crawls. I put forward common sense legislation that would establish a better system to manage these events and protect taxpayers from footing the bill for cleanup and enforcement. Unfortunately, the mayor’s inaction prevented this from being put into place. In my second term, my priority will be working with the administration to pass legislation that will address the growing concerns our neighbors face when these pub crawls come to town.

h: What are the key issues facing Hoboken on the whole, and how will you plan to address them?
MD: Two of the biggest issues we face as a city are constant water main breaks and neighborhood flooding. These are complex issues, so when the mayor threatened a frivolous lawsuit against our water provider, I called for open and honest negotiations to identify a solution that benefits taxpayers. By working collaboratively with my Council colleagues, we secured a new SUEZ contract that invests $30 million in our city’s water infrastructure. Our new agreement begins to address these issues, but we need to continue making the proper investments in our infrastructure so our streets are safe, our neighborhoods aren’t repeatedly under water and we get the best deals that protect the pockets of taxpayers.

h: You are running against someone. In what ways do you differ from your opponent?
MD: As a media executive at a Fortune 500 company in Manhattan, I’ve brought a private sector mindset to our local government. I’m not part of the political establishment and I’m unafraid to challenge the status quo. My opponent, who is running with the support of her boss, the Mayor, cannot say the same. Being an independent means not having to answer to anyone but the people of Hoboken. I am free of any conflict of interest and able to represent the interests of the First Ward alone, not the Mayor’s political agenda.

h: Why should residents in your ward give their vote to you?
MD: Being independent and challenging the status quo hasn’t always been easy, but doing so has meant delivering real results for my neighborhood, the First Ward and all of Hoboken. I advanced a plan to bring a European-style market to Hoboken Terminal, made our streets safer for pedestrians, prevented a massive tax increase and created new small business districts for mom and pops to succeed. We’ve already accomplished so much together, but we still have more to do to bring new energy and new ideas to our city. The past four years prove that anything is possible and we need to continue the progress we have made to keep pushing Hoboken forward.

h: What’s your favorite Frank Sinatra song, and why?
MD: “The Best is Yet to Come.” Whether you’re having a good day or going through a tough time, it’s always helpful to think about the positives in life and know the best is still yet to come.

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CANDIDATE: Migdalia Pagan-Milano

hMAG: You’re a candidate for the Hoboken City Council. This particular election has put a lot of focus on the role of a Council and a Councilperson, working in conjunction with the City’s Administration. How do you interpret that role?
Migdalia Pagan-Milano: The role of a good councilperson and an effective council is fairly straight forward; to work in partnership with the administration, in cooperation with Council colleagues, and on behalf of our constituents. For the past four years, the 1st Ward has been represented by someone who does not partner with the administration, who works with the Council to bolster his personal
goals, and he works on behalf of his out-of-town, out-of-touch donors. The 1st ward deserves
someone who can and will advocate for the[m].

h:What are the key issues within your ward and how will you plan to address them?
MPM: The biggest issue I see on a daily basis in the 1 st Ward is improving our quality of life. As we are probably the busiest Ward in Hoboken with the most shops, restaurants, and a transit hub, it is imperative that we work to make sure that all that traffic does not impact our residents. Mayor
Bhalla’s Quality of Life Taskforce should have the 1st Ward Councilperson on it so that we can openly address the need for more garbage cans, traffic calming measures, and working closely with our businesses so they can remain successful. The other major issue I would like to address in the 1st Ward is the expansion of under utilized space into public open space. I have already put out a plan that would better utilize our Municipal Garages and improve open space and our quality of life.

h: What are the key issues facing Hoboken on the whole, and how will you plan to
address them?
MPM: The key issues facing Hoboken all fall under the umbrella of improving our quality of life. Whether it is parking, affordable housing, expansion of open space, addressing the homelessness issue, and many others, Hoboken needs representatives that approach all of these topics with a holistic viewpoint. Everyday in the office of Constituent Affairs, I work to solve the issues facing the residents of Hoboken and I know what it takes to get that job done. These issues require serious thought and serious people to solve them, and I am ready to take on that challenge.

h: You are running against someone. In what ways do you differ from your opponent?
MPM: There are two main differences between my opponent and myself:

1. Ethics: My opponent seems to have an issue knowing where the line of legality is when it
   comes to being a public official. He brazenly takes money from criminals, he violates Hoboken’s Campaign Finance Laws, he tries to pass ordinances specifically targeted at helping his donors, and that is just the beginning. I have 100% complied with all appropriate campaign laws and I have no interest in doing favors for donors.
2. The reason I am running: My opponent is once again trying to leverage the residents of the 1st Ward to enrich his pockets and elevate his political standing. I decided to run for office to fight for my neighbors and to advocate on their behalf. For four years, we have had a Councilman who does not care about anyone but himself and for me it is the complete opposite. I love our City and it has been my home my entire life and now I am ready to take this next step!

h: Why should residents in your ward give their vote to you?
Residents in my ward should vote for me on November 5th because I will fight to maintain and expand rent control and affordable housing, I will fight for better public transportation options. I will fight to ensure that any new development benefits the community as a whole—not the big developers. I will fight for a completed waterfront. I will work with mom and pop shops to bring business to keep them thriving. I will work with the administration to clean up the streets and address the issues of homelessness that plague the first ward. When residents call with concerns, they will have a representative who will listen and work to find them solutions. I will represent you for the entire length of term I am elected, not check out and run for mayor.

h: What’s your favorite Frank Sinatra song, and why?
MPM: “That’s Life!” You might be riding high in April, then shot down in May and back on top in June
again. When my father died and left my mother to raise five kids on her own, I learned very quickly that you have to make the best out of life. I listened to this song many times then, and I love how it describes the roller coaster of ups and downs.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH
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