For six years, I had the privilege of serving as Hoboken's Fourth Ward Councilman. During that time the once forgotten 4th Ward saw remarkable changes. The real estate boom which replaced derelict properties with hundreds of new families seeking to make a home in Hoboken occurred while malfeasance caused condition at the Hoboken Housing Authority to deteriorate. Yet, as a community we moved forward. We took on the managerial problems at the Hoboken Housing Authority, renovated its building and improved the quality of life for its residents. Together we built one new park and refurbished another so the children of the ward would have a safe place to play, streetscapes were improved, and traffic control devices installed, all while battling NJ Transit and North Hudson Sewage Authority for the funding that will alleviate the flooding in our neighborhood.
I ran for re-election in 2007 because we are not finished, there were - and still are - a number of important issues, such as the creation of a water ejection system to cure the flooding problem, acquiring more open space, and creating more housing for middle-income families, teachers, municipal workers and public safety personnel. In June 2007, it appeared that I narrowly lost a runoff election by just 8 votes. But immediately afterward, I heard a number of troubling reports coming out of Dawn Zimmer's campaign about serious voting irregularities, and an investigation found that these charges were far worse than originally thought. I therefore decided to challenge the June election results to protect voters' rights and to get to the truth.
Just as a court of law was about to consider my challenge, however, Dawn Zimmer changed course. She chose to vacate the Fourth Ward Council seat, and on September 10th, a Superior Court judge cleared the way for a special election this November. Now, through sustained vigilance, voters will have an opportunity to elect a Fourth Ward council representative in an open, honest, and fair election.
Over the course of the next six weeks I look forward to meeting with residents to discuss the issues that are important to all of us in Hoboken. Anyone with any questions about this new election, or who would like to volunteer to help our campaign, is welcome to call me at any time at (201) 267-0594. While this upcoming vote was ordered by a judge, I am gratified that it will be the voters who decide. I urge all Fourth Ward voters to come out on Election Day, Tuesday, November 6, 2007, and I would appreciate your support.
Sincerely, Chris Campos
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