The Jersey City Independent "

In May 2009, Filipino community leader Rolando Lavarro garnered enough votes in his challenge to Ward A councilman Michael Sottolano to force a runoff election, which Lavarro ended up losing. Now he is taking another shot at the City Council by announcing his candidacy for an At-Large seat with a kickoff event this Thursday. “I’ve [...]

A state appellate court has tossed a lawsuit seeking to remove Ward C councilwoman Nidia Lopez from her seat on the grounds that she wasn’t a Jersey City resident because the initial complaint wasn’t filed within the required 30 days. While the case was dismissed on a technicality, the appellate court says it would have [...]

- The outside development audit the Healy administration called for in the wake of July’s federal corruption probe is being released today. It recommends that elected officials not be allowed to talk privately with anyone seeking development deals and that the city’s ethics code be strengthened. Mayor Healy has endorsed all of the report’s recommendations, [...]

Photo: Steve Gold Ward C councilwoman Nidia Rivera Lopez’s claim to her seat is safe. A legal challenge against Lopez filed after the May election alleged that she did not establish residency in New Jersey at least one year prior to the election, making her ineligible to hold office here. Hudson County Superior Court Judge [...]

- Ward C councilwoman Nidia Rivera Lopez will stay in her seat, after a judge denied Norrice Raymaker’s legal challenge that sought to have Lopez removed from office; the dispute centered around whether or not Lopez was indeed a resident of Jersey City, or if her primary residence should be considered Florida, where she has [...]

Hudson County Superior Court Judge Maurice Gallipoli ruled on Friday that Ward C councilwoman Nidia Rivera Lopez has been a citizen of Jersey City since at least May 12, 2008 as he denied Norrice Raymaker’s legal challenge that sought to have Lopez removed from office. We’ll have more context about, and reactions to, the ruling [...]

Editor’s note: We’re always open to submissions of local commentary from politicians, activists and ordinary citizens. Email info (at) jerseycityindependent.com. The day after the trial ended in Raymaker v. Lopez, Benjamin Lopez was quoted in the press as asking “What right does someone who lost at the election box have to challenge this election?” I [...]

- Ward C councilwoman Nidia Rivera Lopez was in court yesterday defending her right to serve in the face of a challenge to her legal residency. The case was wrapped up but the judge said he will issue his ruling by writing at an unspecified later date. JCI was there and we’ve got the details [...]

Lawyers for community activist and former Ward C candidate Norrice Raymaker and that ward’s current councilwoman squared off in court today, but Hudson County Superior Court Judge Maurice Gallipoli declined to issue a ruling in the case, saying he would issue it in writing at an unspecified later date instead. The suit, which was originally [...]

Community activist Norrice Raymaker, who ran on the One Jersey City ticket against Ward C Councilwoman Nidia Rivera Lopez in this year’s municipal election, recently filed a motion to join a lawsuit seeking that Lopez be disqualified from office based on allegations that her primary residence is in Florida. The suit was originally brought by [...]