Hoboken Mayor Blasts Russo And Jabbour For Backing Reinstatement Of Fire Chief

HOBOKEN, NJ — More than a year after the state of New Jersey ordered Hoboken to reinstate its demoted fire chief, both mayoral candidates have made public statements saying the city should comply with a judge's ruling.

Four years ago, the administration of Mayor Ravi Bhalla removed Fire Chief Crimmins from his role for reasons they didn't make public, keeping him on paid leave for 20 months. They eventually brought him back in 2023 at the lowest rank of firefighter.

A state administrative law judge rendered an opinion 12 months ago saying the city didn't have enough evidence to back up their allegations against Crimmins, which were non-criminal in nature and about personnel conflicts.

The city continued to appeal the state ruling, telling the courts that "the Fire Department is a paramilitary organization and confidence and trust in leadership is critical," according to a state summary of the city's appeal in February 2025. The city lost that appeal.

A stern letter earlier this month from the chair of the state's Civil Service Commission to the city business administrator, first reported in Patch, said the city must immediately give Crimmins his rank back. Hoboken Threatened For Refusing To Reinstate Demoted Fire Chief

After the letter became public, both mayoral candidates said the city should comply.

'Shameful'

Councilman Michael Russo, who had pushed for the reinstatement earlier, said, "It’s shameful that the administration has continued to play politics and defy court orders in the case of Chief Crimmins, dragging out a legal fight that residents cannot afford and hampering our first responders."

And Councilwoman Emily Jabbour, who's been criticized in the past for failing to publicly oppose Bhalla — and who had abstained from a vote on Crimmins just two months ago — was also critical of City Hall, saying the matter will cost taxpayers money.

"The New Jersey Civil Service Commission has made it clear: Mayor Ravi Bhalla must comply with the court order and reinstate Brian Crimmins as Hoboken fire chief," Jabbour said in a statement last week. "His continued refusal to follow the law is unacceptable and a disservice to Hoboken residents. This situation has dragged on far too long ... Under my administration, this kind of distraction ends on Day One. As mayor, my focus will be on strengthening Hoboken’s public safety divisions and ensuring they have the resources and leadership they need."

'Reckless' Comments

"It recently came to my attention that Council Members Emily Jabbour and Michael Russo have made inaccurate comments regarding a highly sensitive personnel matter, based on an incomplete set of facts," said Mayor Bhalla — who's set to become a state assemblyman next year — in a statement early last week.

"It is reckless for both council members Emily Jabbour and Michael Russo to actively interfere, clearly for political reasons, with a personnel matter that impacts the functioning of our Fire Department. If they simply picked up the phone and asked me for an update, they would know that the city is in the middle of active and constructive discussions to conclude this matter amicably and in its entirety."

'Crime Of Fourth Degree'

The letter Nov. 10 letter had said, "It is a crime of the fourth degree for any person to purposely or knowingly violate or conspire to violate any provision of...an order of the Chairperson or Commission ... The appointing authority should have reinstated Mr. Crimmins as Fire Chief within 30 days of the Commissions's Feb. 26, 2025 decision and was required to make a good faith effort to ensure his receipt of differential back pay, benefits, and seniority."

The letter said the state would order the city to stop paying acting Chief Anton Peskens' salary, as well as the superior who authorizes payment of the "disapproved salary."

The letter also said that an oral exam to become fire chief, which the city scheduled for later this month, has been postponed by the state.

READ MORE: Judge Orders Former Hoboken Fire Chief Reinstated After 2 Years Of Paid Leave

Background

Crimmins was promoted to the role of chief in 2018, after serving in the Hoboken Fire Department since 2004. He had come from a long line of public safety officials in Hoboken, including his grandfather, for whom the police station on Hudson Street is named. But after college, he went into finance, working for Deutsche Bank before becoming a fireman.

At the time of Crimmins' leave, sources suggested that internal battles and politics had resulted in the city's actions — actions that proved costly to the taxpayers.

Councilman Paul Presinzano introduced a resolution at the council meeting in September to urge the city to comply with the judge's 2024 ruling. Presinzano and council members Russo, Fisher, and Ramos — who are sometime critics of Mayor Ravi Bhalla — voted "yes." Councilmen Phil Cohen, Jim Doyle, and Joe Quintero, who almost never break with Bhalla, voted "no." Jabbour abstained.

New Jersey Office of Administrative Law Judge Susana Guerrero issued the decision in October 2024 addressing the city's allegations and calling for Crimmins to be reinstated, but said it was up to the Civil Service Commission to make a final ruling. In November 2024, the Commission backed up Judge Guerrero's decision, voting for Crimmins to be reinstated.

The city then filed a request for the state to reconsider the ruling, saying there was new information.

"Specifically," the state summarized in February 2025, "it provides that the Acting Fire Chief has expressed his unwillingness to continue in the department if Crimmins is reinstated to Fire Chief, and he certifies that if Crimmins is reinstated there will be leadership instability...Hoboken highlights that a fire department is a paramilitary organization and confidence and trust in leadership is critical."

The state denied the reconsideration. It also said that Crimmins should be reinstated as chief within 30 days.