The Jersey City Independent "

In the May 12 election, the race for Ward A’s City Council seat was one of two in which the leading vote-getter failed to cross the 50 percent-plus-one threshold required for outright victory. Incumbent Michael Sottolano received the most votes — around 40 percent of the total — with Rolando Lavarro finishing second. They will face off in a runoff election on Tuesday, June 9.

Lavarro, who ran with mayoral candidate Lou Manzo, has a background working in the nonprofit sector. He has been executive director of the Philippine American Friendship Committee-Community Development Center and coalition director for the Jersey City Communities that Care Coalition. Lavarro is currently the assistant director for the Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs at New Jersey City University.

Sottolano, who was first elected to council in 2005, ran on Mayor Healy’s slate this year. Prior to serving on the council, he was a 37-year employee of Jersey City. His last position for the city was Assistant Director of Information Technology. He retired in September 2004.

They both recently answered questions from JCI on crime, economic issues, open space and constituent services.

Your ward has been one of the areas hardest hit by violent crime. What would you do as a council member to try to reduce the level of crime?

Lavarro: We should all feel outraged at how bad it’s gotten in our neighborhoods. I’ve been knocking on doors and meeting residents over this campaign and have heard countless horror stories from hard-working people trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. Stories of mothers clutching their child for fear of losing them to senseless violence in the streets; terrified children caught in the crossfire at Triangle Park; seniors mugged at their doorsteps and afraid to leave their homes; parents who hear gunshots in the middle of the night and race to their kid’s bedroom to make sure a stray bullet hasn’t shattered their lives. It breaks my heart, and it gets me angry.

We have to realize that there’s no one person or agency to blame. Also, we can’t expect our police or residents to change things on their own. Our only solution is to have everyone working together to stem and reverse the tide of violence. We need to bring in community policing and have police officers walking the streets of Greenville. We also need residents to get more involved in the day to day policing of our community. Residents see the wrong doings going on, but either don’t have a working relationship with law enforcement or live in fear of having criminals turn their attention on them. When JCPD recently asked residents to volunteer for Operation Ceasefire, only seven residents applied. Either that’s bad advertising, fear holding people back, or a lack of trust. But hiding behind rails and locked doors won’t work; I’m not willing to concede the streets to gangs and criminals.

Seven volunteers are an unacceptable outcome. I will take action to renew our sense of community and build trust among our residents, law enforcement and government officials. I will walk the streets of Greenville and bring the police officer with me that should be walking the beat. I will knock on people’s doors and introduce myself and the police officer to each resident and let everyone know that working together we can make our streets safer. We will build the relationships that are absolutely necessary to fight and prevent crime. We need to make relationship building a priority and we should begin a campaign immediately to do just that. I won’t sit back passively and talk about the problem. No more empty promises: I will back up my words with action.

Sottolano: Public safety has been my top concern while serving the residents of Ward A. I have attended the Ward A captain’s meeting each month to hear directly from the public about their concerns. I know they are the eyes and ears of our community, and it is them who I serve. I have worked through my office to have their safety issues addressed, which is something I will continue to do as their councilman. I have continued to work with the police leadership and have advocated for increased community policing. I also have supported initiatives to increase the number of officers on the force, and to find grants and outside funding, such as the UEZ funding, to pay for their salaries. I will continue to support these types of public safety programs while serving on the City Council.

Your ward has also been hit hard by the foreclosure crisis — what would you do as a council member to keep people in their homes and also mitigate the effects of foreclosures on your neighborhood?

Lavarro: There were almost 800 foreclosures in the 07305 ZIP code last year, and it’s only gotten worse this year. Our ward has been hit so hard because a large number of new home owners bought their homes with subprime mortgages and working-class homeowners in our neighborhoods have been hardest hit by job losses, loss of equity in their homes, the inflation of prices for food, gas, baby formula, and almost everything else.

We need to make residents aware of the various services and counseling available to them at the federal, state and local level. We have to actively engage the community and bring these resources — the Hudson County Housing Resource Center, Northeast New Jersey Legal Services, and other nonprofits — to the community. We can’t afford to our current councilman’s approach of throwing his hands up in the air and simply saying that the city isn’t equipped to deal with the scope of the foreclosure problems. We need to bring all of the resources available to bear. We also have to closely monitor and make changes to the use of our funds that are available to address foreclosures, such as via the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. We can’t simply demolish blighted homes; we have to rehabilitate and redevelop foreclosed properties.

Second, we need to talk to banks and lenders in our area about the investment they are losing when they foreclose on people, kick them out of their homes, and then leave a big gaping hole in the neighborhood that becomes filled with vandalism, theft, drug dealers, etc. We have to let them know about the human cost to our city and the practical loss to them as businesses.

I’m certain we can’t afford to stand pat and take a hands-off approach. We need to roll up our sleeves and work hard to save homes and revitalize our community.

Sottolano: First of all, I would not describe Ward A as being in a “foreclosure crisis.” There have been a number of foreclosures, and I have been working with the Division of Community Development to advise them in how to best address the needs of Ward A and those individuals who are at risk of foreclosure. The city has received $2.1 million in federal funding through HUD’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program as well as state funding to rehabilitate foreclosed properties and improve communities. I will continue to work with the Division of Community Development and the city administration to address this issue.

Do you believe there are enough parks and open space in your ward? If not, do you have concrete plans on how to create more?

Lavarro: I do not believe we have enough parks and open space in our ward. The current councilman touts all of the renovations to the parks in the ward that have come under his watch. I would respond with the words of a mother who said, “What good is a park if you have syringes in it?” We can also point to Triangle Park, which has been the location of recent shootings with tragic results. This councilman’s response to these shootings in the park has been to remove the benches in the park — putting a band-aid on a problem rather than getting to the root cause of our problems.

I say all of this to make the point that renovations are moot if families and seniors don’t feel safe enough to enjoy the parks. The issue of crime, safety, recreation, parks and open space go hand in hand. We need to ensure the safety of our community and then we will see our parks used more frequently.

I also support the establishment of a Recreational Trust Fund, which could finance the creation of a community center or more open spaces, renovations of parks, and recreational programs. The Recreational Trust Fund could be funded by requiring those receiving tax abatements to contribute to the fund. Those who receive tax abatements will then be investing in our city by providing jobs via project labor agreements and open space/recreation via the trust fund.

I will not be a “Yes” vote for more tax abatements for waterfront developers hoping for it to trickle down to the working people of Greenville. As councilman, I will fight every day to make sure the priorities for the people of Greenville are at the table in City Hall.

Sottolano: During my first term, we have made improvements to several parks, including the Victoria Anne Horvarth Playground at McGovern Park, a new basketball court at Audubon Park, a new club house at Metro Field and a new turf field at Caven Point. Plans are already underway for renovations at Columbia Park, Bayside Park and Muhammad Ali Park. We are also pleased that Ward A will see the creation of 20 acres of new open space, which includes two new public parks.

Jersey City’s unemployment rate, particularly in your ward, is the highest it has been in the last decade or so. First, what would you advocate for, in terms of policy, to help get more people working, particularly at living-wage jobs? Second, how would you work with community groups to make productive use of the people that are unemployed in your ward?

Lavarro: I will support tax abatements that invest in the people of Jersey City in real, living-wage jobs. As councilman, I will enforce our Project Labor Agreements and demand accountability. Furthermore, I will push the City to utilize every tool at the government’s disposal — New Market Tax Credits, the UEZ Program, the Hudson County CEDS Committee and Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credits — to stimulate economic development that provides jobs to Greenville residents. Finally, we need directors, commissioners and board members on our economic development organizations to represent the diverse needs and economic interests of the people of Jersey City. We need advocates in those key positions whose priority is creating living-wage jobs for the people of Jersey City.

I know people are hurting financially and many are living pay check to pay check. I will bring energy and vigor to creating jobs for the people of ward A that matches the urgency of our challenges.

Partnership has been and will be a key to my work as councilman. Community groups — churches, nonprofits, civic associations, etc. — will be an important voice in developing and implementing policies. The unemployed person sometimes goes to their pastor or priest for comforting words and prayer before they come to their councilperson or even the unemployment office. I will reach out to community groups and seek their assistance in assisting those that are unemployed. We can create a network of support — comprised of community groups — that makes already existing services more readily available and accessible to those that are unemployed. Job training programs, services and counseling can be shared via these existing networks with little or no cost to the taxpayer. By increasing our collaboration and working with those who care, we can bring opportunity to those that may have already given up all hope.

Sottolano: The entire country is dealing with rising unemployment, and in Ward A we are working to address those needs. The city’s Office of Employment and Training is helping match constituents with jobs and I am proud to have supported the state’s first ever Project Labor Agreement, which requires developers to hire Jersey City residents are union apprentices in the building trades. We also have the AMB warehouse which will bring 300-500 jobs to the city for Jersey City residents, including residents of Ward A.

What would you do to encourage small business development in your ward?

Lavarro: First of all, we must address crime and safety in our streets. No one will setup a businss if they feel their investment is threatened. Again, these issues are all tied together and we need a holistic answer to our challenges.

Secondly, I will push the city to use every tool at the government’s disposal — New Market Tax Credits, the UEZ Program, the Hudson County CEDS Committee, the Urban Fund, and Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credits to name a few — to stimulate economic development, which encourages small business development and provides jobs to Jersey City residents. We need to look at the use of the resources and funds and use them to create a pipeline of small business development. We can utilize our UEZ and stimulus funds to invest in small businesses — providing technical assistance via the Urban Fund or Rising Tide Capital, micro-loans, or grants — and double our impact by leveraging the tax credits that are available to businesses investing. We need to create public and private partnerships to stimulate economic and small business development. As councilman, I will turn over every stone that has a resource available to create living-wage jobs and build small businesses in our neighborhoods.

Sottolano: In Jersey City we have a very active plan to encourage small business development. Our Economic Development Corporation and our Urban Enterprise Zone program are two of the most active in the state, helping businesses get certified as UEZ business and helping with business improvements. We also help small businesses that are opening with ribbon cuttings and through our UEZ market all the advantages of our local businesses, whether it be retail or service-oriented. As a councilman, I have been extremely supportive of the work being done by the UEZ and will continue to help our small businesses when re-elected. We also have Rising Tide Capital, a nonprofit organization that works to train individuals in what it takes to be an entrepreneur. They are truly a remarkable organization and receive support from the city through CDBG funds and they provide a great service to our residents.

Do you feel that your ward is adequately served by mass transit?

Lavarro: No, I do not feel our ward is adequately served by mass transit. We have seen the closing of bus lines that were necessary to so many people in the area. Not coincidentally, we saw the closing of Greenville Hospital, the post office and benches removed from Triangle Park. Our loss of mass transit is a result of the neglect of our community by our current councilman. We need representatives on transit planning committees who will report back to the community and have a councilman who will demand such accountability. I will serve as a watchdog to make sure that future mass transit plans, decisions and actions represent the needs of the ward.

Sottolano: The downsizing of service and the elimination of bus lines by private carriers has left a void in bus transportation. As a member of the North Jersey Transportation Authority (NJTPA), I have helped secure $250,000 in funding and another $250,000 from NJ Transit to do a complete study of all mass transit in Jersey City and hopefully a recommendation will be released soon.

Do you feel that your ward has a sufficient amount of affordable housing?

Lavarro: We need a councilman who isn’t simply a “yes” vote that caters to developers by providing big tax breaks and supporting condo conversions that deplete affordable housing stock. As councilman, I will review all federal stimulus money coming to Jersey City and fight to have those funds used for affordable housing units.

Sottolano: Ward A has a tremendous amount of affordable housing, but nevertheless we continue to add affordable housing to the ward’s stock. Currently under construction is an affordable senior housing development on Dwight and Ocean, as well as numerous in-fill affordable housing throughout the ward, particularly by entities such as Jersey City Episcopal Community Development Corporation.

How do you, or would you, handle constituent services? How can residents of your ward get in touch with you to voice concerns and how can you, in turn, reach out to the community to make sure your finger is on the pulse?

Lavarro: Constituent services will be the hallmark of my service as councilman. I know that no one else will be able to match my level of responsiveness and I have proven that in my work as an aide to councilwoman Mary Donnelly and director of constituent services for Assemblyman Bob Gordon (currently Senator). I will be the most accessible and available councilman this ward or city has ever known. I will do it by reaching out to community groups — churches, block associations, civic associations, etc. I will schedule regular meetings with them to report what is going on in City Hall, get input and receive complaints. I will not simply hold a meeting and expect everyone to come to me. I will come to the people who elected me because they deserve no less. Since I started this campaign, I promised that when the campaign was over I would walk the streets of Jersey City again and make myself available. I will make it a point to walk the streets of Greenville regularly and not just during election time. If anyone wants to reach me, my home phone is 201-377-0387 or cell phone: 201-320-2128.

Sottolano: As a full-time councilman with an aide who devotes 30-35 hours a week, someone is available five days a week to address constituent needs. I respond to emails and phone calls and attend  numerous community meetings and block association meetings as well as the monthly police captain’s meeting.

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