Council Moves to Keep Elections in May

After a and after a petition drive to get the issue on the ballot, things seem to be going back to the way they were.

During a special meeting over the weekend, the City Council voted—on first reading, it will have to pass again during a special meeting next week—to rescing the ordinance that had moved the elections in the first place.

An impromptu committee— asking the council to rescind the ordinance. If the council wouldn’t have done that, the committee wanted the issue on the ballot during a referendum in November.

Council President Ravi Bhalla, who sponsored the ordinance to rescind the election change , said that if more than 3,000 people in the city of Hoboken seem to be against the idea, there should be more discussion about the issue, before elections can be moved.

Initially, Bhalla favored the move, saying that November elections would increase voter participation.

Councilman Michael Russo, who called into Saturday's meeting, said he was happy to see the issue in front of the council, but disappointed it had to be done in a special meeting.

By rescinding the ordinance—and thus keeping the elections in May—no referendum is needed.

The decision had to be made at 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning of Labor Day weekend, because the council was running out of time to pass the rescinding within 20 days after the petition was filed, which is a requirement. The second, and final, reading of the ordinance will take place during a special meeting on Sept. 13.