Rent Control Referendum Overturned, Outcome of Election Now Void

A superior court judge has ordered a new referendum to be held to answer the question to uphold rent control in Hoboken or to switch to a "vacancy decontrol" model.

Superior Court Judge Christine Farrington has overturned the result of November's referendum about rent control. The rent control laws in Hoboken were changed two years ago, when the full council approved the new laws. While voters decided to uphold rent control on its current form in Hoboken — rather than changing to a vacancy decontrol system — the outcome was later contested.  After all the vote by mail ballots were counted, rent control was upheld by less than 50 votes. A group of 15 voters — with the support of the Mile Square Tax Payers Association and lead by lawyer Charles Gormally — contested 92 ballots. Now, Farrington decided, that the vote will have to take place again. Cheryl Fallick, a long time rent control advocate who also…

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Hobokenites to Answer Three Public Questions

What are you being asked on Tuesday?

Beside voting for president, senator, congressman and local school board, Hobokenites will be asked three local public questions on Tuesday. 1. Should Municipal Elections be Moved to November? The first question on the ballot asks the residents of Hoboken if municipal elections — currently held in May — in which the Hoboken City Council members and the mayor are chosen, should be moved to the general election in November. 2. Should Hoboken revert from rent control to vacancy de-control? The second question centers on rent control in Hoboken. The issue was on the ballot last year as well. The proposal on Tuesday's referendum, "will decontrol apartments upon a vacancy and then recontrol them when a landlord and tenant agree to a new rent," …

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Minimum Wage Increase Could Go to Voters

The state Senate approved a 2013 referendum on raising the minimum wage and tying it to yearly increases

A proposal to raise the state's minimum wage could bypass Governor Christie and go directly to voters. During Monday's Senate hearings, Senate President Steve Sweeney of Gloucester County received preliminary support for a resolution calling for a Constitutional Amendment to allow for an increased minimum wage and tie future yearly increases to national economic data. The initiative would be placed on the 2013 ballot for voter approval. Sweeney's proposal, which was approved by committee 7-6, would effectively remove Christie from the approval process. Christie had previously indicated he would not sign a bill that included automatic indexed adjustments, according to a report on nj.com. “For years, New Jersey has assigned a dollar amount …

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Patch on PIX

Municipal Elections Could Be Moved to November

A citizens committee has gathered 1,800 signatures to put the question on the ballot in a public referendum in November.

In addition to voting for president, senate and school board, Hoboken residents will have to decide if they want to move municipal elections to November when they head to the polls this fall.  On Wednesday, a petition of approximately 1,800 signatures was delivered to the Hoboken City Clerk's office by the Vote Yes For November citizens’ committee.  When certified by the city clerk, the petitions will allow the people of Hoboken to decide this November when future municipal elections will be held. If approved, the next mayoral elections will take place in November 2013.  Currently, Hoboken's non-partisan municipal elections are held in May, with a possible run-off election in June.  Besides moving the elections from May to November, …

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pied piper

10:38 am on Tuesday, August 21, 2012

I thought the suit was filed by a couple- one of whom, freelances and the other, who just recently got a job after years of unemployment? They have endless money? or are you saying someone else is paying for their suit?   more ›