Hoboken Mayoral Candidate Profile: Emily Jabbour

HOBOKEN, NJ — Councilwoman Emily Jabbour is among six candidates running become the next mayor of Hoboken. Patch will be posting their profiles and Q&A this week. Come back to Hoboken Patch to read them all.

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Four of the candidates have been on the City Council for more than two terms each, so theoretically, they have had time to try to implement their ideas. Council members Fisher, Ramos, and Russo have sometimes been at odds with Mayor Ravi Bhalla, while Bhalla's ally, Councilwoman Jabbour, has voted with him consistently.

The elections are non-partisan. Residents can choose a mayoral candidate and any three council members in November.

Hoboken's salary ordinance states that the next mayor will be paid $130,000 and the Hoboken City Council members will earn $35,000. The council president and vice president will start at $40,000 and $37,500, plus optional benefits.

The list of people who filed to run are:

• Dini Ajmani, former state and U.S. Treasury official
• Tiffanie Fisher, 2nd Ward councilwoman
• Emily Jabbour, councilwoman-at-large
• Ruben Ramos Jr., 4th Ward councilman
• Michael Russo, 3rd Ward councilman
• Patricia Waiters, who has run for council and school board

PRIOR REPORTING: More Candidates Join Hoboken Mayor's Race

Candidate Profile And Questions

Biographical Questions

Name: Emily Jabbour

Age: 45

Length of time you've lived in Hoboken: 17 years

Public service in Hoboken: 8 years on the City Council; founded the Hudson County Chapter of Moms Demand Action about 10 years ago

Family: My husband, two daughters, and our French bulldog

Do you have immediate family members working for local government? Who?: No. N/A

Do you have a full-time job? If so, what is it? If not, how do you earn a living?:

For 19 years, I have served the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services in the Administration for Children & Families (ACF) as part of the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, as the ACF Performance Officer. This past Spring, I was subject to the Trump Administration’s Reduction in Force under the DOGE initiative when the NYC Regional Office for ACF was closed. Since then, I have been receiving severance while evaluating my next steps in public service.

How many properties do you own in Hudson County?: I own the condo that I live in with my family, and I am also a co-owner for my father’s condo in Union City (he is 87 years old).

Educational background: BA from Boston College and a Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) from Columbia University (Focus: Social Welfare Policy with a Law Minor)

Other experience: I am an active volunteer with the Hoboken Community Center Food Pantry.

If you are supporting a ticket of council candidates, please state their names: Yes: 1H Councilman Joe Quintero, 2H Caitlin Layson, and 3H Zoning Board Commissioner Steve Firestone

Website where voters can find more information: www.emilyjabbourforhoboken.com

Longer Questions. Answers must be kept to 250 words or fewer. We reserve the right to truncate longer answers. If you cut and paste, please eliminate extra line breaks:

1. Since all of the candidates have experience with local or state government, the voters may not know the differences. Please tell us what makes you more qualified for the job than all of your opponents.

I believe that my experience on the City Council for the past 8 years ensures that I have a clear understanding of how local government works, and how we interact with the state government, so that I can be effective from day one as Mayor. I think this experience is essential because government entities do not and should not operate like private businesses - the core mission of local government is to serve the public good, promote equity, and ensure all residents - regardless of income or status - have access to essential services and resources.

I have a clear track record for getting things done. Since day one on the Council, I have prioritized constituent services and responsiveness, understanding that a leader needs to listen first and act with purpose to best address the community’s concerns. My professional background in social work uniquely qualifies me to lead the City with a mindset that is focused on addressing both community and individual needs. I have also spent my professional career as the Performance Officer for my agency – with a focus on how to communicate achievements to justify budget requests. We need better communication when it comes to how the City work, so that residents can build stronger trust in local government.

2. What is the biggest problem in Hoboken, and how will you address it?

Affordability is the biggest problem in Hoboken. There is strong demand to live in Hoboken and a finite universe of options. We have the benefit of being a small town in close proximity to NYC, which means the value of land continues to be high. I am concerned about the lack of affordable housing units, the displacement of long-term residents who live in Hoboken and want to stay in Hoboken, and the lack of diverse housing options for people across the lifespan. As Mayor, I will continue my fight to strengthen rent control protections and ensure proper implementation of the rent control laws. In the longer-term, I will prioritize evaluating City owned land to maximize the utility of those spaces – for example, I am supportive of the proposed reimagining of Garage B to include a new parking garage along with affordable and workforce housing units. I also will also support an increase in the affordable housing set aside for all new developments from 10% to 15%, which is in line with the NYC policy, to increase the universe of affordable housing units available. Finally, as Mayor I will ensure that the City does everything in its power to support the Hoboken Housing Authority to execute the redevelopment plan that will replace the existing 1,354 units.

3. For whom did you vote in the 2024 presidential election? How do you see national politics affecting Hoboken in the next few years?

In 2024, I voted for Kamala Harris in the presidential election. I am concerned that the City of Hoboken will see a reduction in some of the major funding sources that have allowed us to bolster our infrastructure improvements in recent years as a result of national politics. For example, the Rebuild By Design project, which awarded $230M to the City of Hoboken in 2014 was a reflection of a combination of federal leadership and local advocacy to prioritize and address the negative impacts of climate change. Having experienced Superstorm Sandy from my home at 9th and Madison Streets in 2012, I know what it felt like to be trapped in my home due to flooding for multiple days and watch the City come back from such extensive damage. I would like to see the national landscape continue to allow Hoboken to make investments in our approach to forward-thinking infrastructure projects like Rebuild By Design and other resiliency improvements.

4. Hoboken residents have been promised a community pool for decades and still don't have one, despite updates each spring about a plan. There's also little citywide access to the existing pools in town. If you are elected mayor, by what year can residents expect a pool? Please be specific. If you can't make that promise, why not?

I am very clear that Hoboken wants and needs a community pool. I feel that there are two very specific opportunities to provide this amenity in the community – by revitalizing the former YMCA Building at 1301 Washington that has a beautiful indoor pool, and through a total rebuild of the Multi Service Center at 124 Grand that would provide a rooftop community pool facility. Since the former YMCA site is owned by the Hoboken Community Center, the City has started the process of developing a partnership agreement that would allow the revitalization of this facility for public recreational use. The Multi Service Center is owned by the City, so its renovation can be prioritized under my Administration to address the critical need for updated recreational facilities and a modernized Senior Center. The tricky part of prioritizing this project is how to swing the existing facilities into alternative locations for the interim; I would work diligently to make sure that we would not lose the critical services that are housed within the Multi Service Center during a reconstruction by planning a staged construction process, or otherwise relocate facilities.

5. Do you believe Hoboken's current rent control ordinance should stay as is? If not, what changes would you make, and do you believe other rent-related laws are needed?

I am supportive of the rent control ordinance. I have worked diligently during my tenure on the City Council to strengthen rent control protections, and was vocal in fighting the referendum that would have abolished our rent control protections. That said, I am concerned that renters are not educated on what rent control protections mean and what their legal rent calculation should be. I am also concerned about the unequal application of enforcement when it comes to rent control, and the lack of clear documentation by the City with respect to the universe of rent controlled units. There is a clear need to invest in modernization of the Rent Control Office and to digitize all records. As Mayor, I also feel that it is important to establish an Office of Public Counsel that would provide free legal services to all renters (such as those currently provided by the Tenant Advocate) and to guarantee representation for anyone facing eviction.

6. It's been said that the city has become unaffordable to some long-time residents. Some have suggested creative solutions to cut costs, such as $5 ferry rides. Recreation programs have been made free to residents who qualify for school lunches -- but the cutoff is an annual income of $59,478 for a family of four, perhaps not a lot to live on in Hoboken. What is one creative solution you'd like to try to make living here more affordable, that others have not thought of yet?

As noted in my previous response, I think we need to prioritize the discussion of affordability when it comes to housing costs. I also am supportive of expanding the free HOP shuttle service as a fantastic resource for local transit. I know so many families and senior citizens who rely on the free HOP shuttle, and I think we should lean into that by providing additional shuttles that run for longer hours including weekend service. Also, a critical resource that many residents rely on is the grocery distribution program that is provided by the Hoboken Community Center Food Pantry. I have been an active volunteer and strong advocate for this organization since it began during COVID, and I witness on a regular basis the critical community need for this support. I would invest additional City resources into this program to provide residents in need with groceries, diapers, and other essentials.

7. Have you taken developer contributions to your campaign? Do you think it's a problem for a Hoboken candidate to take them?

Yes – I have accepted a modest amount of donations from developers because I think it is important to work with them as critical stakeholders in the conversation about Hoboken’s future. By decrying developers as excluded from the process, I fear it sends a signal that they are inherently villains when ultimately the goal is to collaborate and work together in the spirit of moving Hoboken forward. I follow all disclosure laws and maintain independence when it comes to evaluating decisions. I do not feel it is inherently a problem for candidates to accept campaign contributions from developers – but I do feel that there is a tipping point at which it can be a problem. I fear that the public trust erodes if a candidate is too heavily supported or influenced by a specific developer.

8. Which toppings do you normally get on your pizza, and what are some things that should never go on a pizza?

I love a classic cheese pizza! When it comes to pizza, I say anything goes!

More Details

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