“I’ve dedicated my life to improving the lives of others in the nonprofit and education sectors,” Lavarro says on his website. “I’ll bring a business-like approach to local government.”

There are three At-Large seats on the City Council; council president Peter Brennan holds one, and the other two are held by council members who were recently appointed and must face a special election this November. Ray Velazquez was appointed in October to fill disgraced councilman Mariano Vega’s seat after he pleaded guilty to corruption charges, while Kalimah Ahmad was appointed this February to replace councilwoman Willie Flood, who stepped down due to illness.

Both Ahmad and Velazquez are running to retain their seats, and former mayoral candidate Dan Levin has expressed interest in running for an At-Large spot as well. Nominating petitions for the race will be available beginning this Friday, July 1, with a filing deadline of September 13.

Lavarro’s free campaign kickoff event is slated for Thursday, June 30 at 6:30 pm, at Fiesta Grill at 819 West Side Avenue. You can learn more about Lavarro in an extended Q&A we ran before 2009′s runoff election.

While the case was dismissed on a technicality, the appellate court says it would have also ruled in Lopez’s favor if weighing the facts presented, saying an earlier ruling upholding Lopez’s eligibility was “supported by substantial, credible evidence in the record.”

The suit was initially filed in June 2009 by failed Ward C candidate Jimmy King, but King was later caught up in that summer’s federal corruption probe, and fellow Ward C candidate Norrice Raymaker joined the suit in August 2009.

The challenge to Lopez’s seat alleged that she did not establish residency in New Jersey at least one year prior to the May 2009 election, making her ineligible to hold office here. Hudson County Superior Court Judge Maurice Gallipoli upheld Lopez’s eligibility in a December 2009 ruling, when he found that she had “intended” to reside in Jersey City, “and that intention was objectively confirmed” by the facts in the case.

Lopez’s residency was called into question after it came to light that she had not paid New Jersey state taxes for a number of years. Lopez lived in Florida from 1994 until about 2001, and she continues to own a home in Orlando. From 2001 until 2009, she paid her federal income taxes as well as corporate taxes on her Hoboken-based dental consulting business in Florida. Lopez also claimed Florida residency and improperly received a homestead rebate on her property taxes there. She is currently paying more than $30,000 in back taxes and fees to Florida authorities.

Lopez’s attorney produced an array of documents in court in order to prove that she did intend her domicile to be New Jersey, including a voter profile, medical records and a variety of correspondence mailed to Lopez’s Corbin Avenue address. Lopez also testified that she has served as a commissioner for the Jersey City Parking Authority and that she is an active member of a Jersey City church. When asked in court why she did not pay New Jersey taxes and claimed an improper exemption in Florida, Lopez stated that she wasn’t aware of the matter because she entrusted her tax affairs to her accountant.

In his December decision, Gallipoli ruled that Lopez was indeed a resident of New Jersey as of one year before her election to public office. However, he did not spare the court his opinion of Lopez’s actions. Writing that he was “mystified” by her “apparent lack of attention to many details of her personal and financial affairs,” Gallipoli said that it might be explained by “any number of reasons, running the gamut from the dumb to the negligent to the criminal.”

File photo of Lopez: Steve Gold

State Appellate Court Decision re: Nidia Lopez

- As the city prepares to start its mandatory furlough program on Dec. 24, the administration is also reportedly considering up to 200 permanent layoffs to start sometime by February. The moves are designed to make up for what could be a massive budget shortfall.

- Authorities say an arrest in last week’s attack that killed a Jersey City woman and wounded her 9-month-old son is “forthcoming.” Meanwhile, the widow makes an emotional plea for the public’s help, and the child is in stable condition.

- The Journal editorializes that last week’s ruling by Judge Maurice Galipolli in the Nidia Rivera Lopez residency case “could have been read from Alice in Wonderland.” The paper continues: “Despite the ruling, Lopez has been exposed, as well as those who pull her strings. She is just a symptom of a bigger problem.”

- The Liberty Academy Charter School’s board canceled Friday’s scheduled meeting with employees after the staff asked to be recognized as a collective bargaining unit. The staff is organizing in the wake of changes made to their health insurance coverage.

- If you’re uninsured or are using an out-of-network provider you may want to stay clear of the Jersey City Medical Center for heart bypass surgery, according to a report by the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute.

- A charity hockey game for former JCPD detective Marc DiNardo, who was killed in the line of duty in July, raised more than $70,000 for an educational trust fund for his three young children.

- The Insider has more on the future of the Hudson County Democratic Organization.

- A UPS driver last week returned $5,200 in a bank bag he found that belonged to Stuyvesant Liquors in Jersey City.

In statewide news:

- The Assembly sponsor of same-sex marriage legislation says he believes that after a volatile week in Trenton, further action on the bill could wait until after the holidays.

- More New Jersey children are relying on free school lunches because of the recession — even in some comfortable suburbs where people might not realize so many neighbors need help just to eat.

The U.S. Supreme Court gave a cool reception last week to arguments defending the anti-corruption statute used to convict officials across the nation, including former Newark mayor Sharpe James and ex-Bergen County Democratic chairman Joseph Ferriero.

- Gov. Corzine and Gov.-elect Christie, though publicly committed to a “smooth” transition of power, are locked in a behind-the-scenes battle over nominations to posts ranging from judgeships to coveted spots at state authorities.

- Frank Brill sniffs out a lame-duck bill that some think is designed to close down the nation’s oldest nuclear power plant, the Oyster Creek facility in South Jersey.

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 Maurice Gallipoli filed a 16-page decision in the suit on Friday, in which he found that Lopez “intended” to reside in Jersey City, “and that intention was objectively confirmed” by the facts in the case.

Norrice Raymaker, who ran against Lopez in the May election, joined a legal challenge against Lopez in August; the suit was originally filed by Raymaker’s fellow Ward C candidate Jimmy King, but Raymaker joined the suit when it became clear that King would drop it because of federal corruption charges pending against him.

Lopez’s residency was called into question after it came to light that she had not paid New Jersey state taxes for a number of years. Lopez lived in Florida from 1994 until about 2001, and she continues to own a home in Orlando. From 2001 until this year, she paid her federal income taxes as well as corporate taxes on her Hoboken-based dental consulting business in Florida. Lopez also claimed Florida residency and improperly received a homestead rebate on her property taxes there. Raymaker’s lawyer argued in court that these actions as well others — including the renewal of a Florida driver’s license and a vote in Florida by absentee ballot — showed that Lopez never “abandoned her domicile” in Florida or “evidenced her intention to establish a new domicile” in New Jersey.

Lopez’s attorney produced an array of documents in court in order to prove that she did intend her domicile to be New Jersey, including a voter profile, medical records and a variety of correspondence mailed to Lopez’s Corbin Avenue address. Lopez also testified that she has served as a commissioner for the Jersey City Parking Authority and that she is an active member of a Jersey City church. When asked in court why she did not pay New Jersey taxes and claimed an improper exemption in Florida, Lopez stated that she wasn’t aware of the matter because she entrusted her tax affairs to her accountant.

Based on the evidence presented and his determination that the burden of proof in the case lies with the plaintiff, Gallipoli ruled that Lopez was a resident of New Jersey as of one year before her election to public office.

However, he did not spare the court his opinion of Lopez’s actions. Writing that he was “mystified” by her “apparent lack of attention to many details of her personal and financial affairs,” Gallipoli said that it might be explained by “any number of reasons, running the gamut from the dumb to the negligent to the criminal.”

Lopez’s attorney William Northgrave told JCI that he and Lopez are “happy that Judge Gallipoli … sustained Ms. Lopez.” Calling the challenge an “unnecessary and unwarranted distraction,” Northgrave said that Lopez will “continue serving her constituents.”

Diana Jeffrey, who along with Howard Myerowitz represents Raymaker, says that she will appeal. The argument Myerowitz made in court that Lopez never abandoned her Florida domicile was “overlooked” by Gallipoli, she says.

“This decision is nothing that Nidia Lopez should be proud of,” Jeffrey said. “It’s not a victory to have a judge say that you might be dumb, negligent, or a crook — but you live in New Jersey.”

In a statement, Raymaker “urges everyone not to be discouraged by this decision.” Although the residency challenge was not upheld, Raymaker said that the case “exposed … a nine-year scheme” in which Lopez “maintain[ed] a separate identity in Florida so she could duck her responsibilities.” Raymaker continues to call for Lopez’s resignation and asks the community — and Mayor Healy — to do the same.

But Mayor Healy, who headed the election ticket on which Lopez was elected and has supported her throughout the trial, told JCI that he is “happy that this case is closed and that the outcome is positive.”

- Bike JC will hold its inaugural meeting tonight; in case you missed it, check out our report on the fledgling bike advocacy group here.

- David Cruz weighs in on the same-sex marriage bill, which passed the Senate Judiciary Committee late last night, arguing something that we have argued in the past: same-sex marriage is all fine and good, but the government shouldn’t really be involved in “marriage” at all — leave that stuff to the religious institutions. For more on yesterday’s hearing, check out a wrap-up from Blue Jersey, which was live-blogging, and Politicker. The bill is expected to be in front of the full Senate Thursday.

- Legislation sponsored by Jersey City Assemblywoman Joan Quigley that seeks to expedite the payment of accidental pension death benefits for the families of fallen police and firefighters was approved by a 77 to zero vote yesterday in the state Assembly. The bill comes after the widow of JCPD detective Marc DiNardo waited nearly three months for pension benefits to kick in.

- A vigil urging Congress to act on a robust health care reform bill with a public option is scheduled for tonight.

- During the holiday season, many minds turn to helping the less fortunate. The Reporter has a list of toy drives and other events in Jersey City to get you started.

- Local veterans congregated at the J. Owen Grundy Pier near Exchange Place yesterday to commemorate the attack on Pearl Harbor.

- Dislocations mourns the loss of Beret’s Simple Cafe in the Hamilton Park neighborhood, which has been closed for about a month now.

- The JCPD has kicked off its “Over the Limit, Under Arrest 2009 Year End Crackdown” on intoxicated driving during the holiday season.

Today’s Best Bet:

- Stephany Peikin, Jiliian Bordeaux and Pray for the Wanderer are at Lucky 7′s for a free show.

In statewide news:

- Same-sex marriage wasn’t the only thing going on in Trenton yesterday. The Assembly passed a bill to send a proposal to voters next November that would ban the state legislature from using taxes meant to provide benefits such as unemployment or disability checks for other purposes. The Assembly also passed a bill requiring school officials to notify parents whenever pesticide pollution is detected on school grounds is a step closer to becoming law. Meanwhile, a Senate committee passed legislation that would give adults with autism antidiscrimination rights and the ability to enroll in a statewide tracking registry.

- The Corzine administration has reversed course and now says it will apply in January for the first round of competition for federal stimulus money that could bring more than $200 million to New Jersey’s public schools.

- A group of advocates for people with developmental disabilities ramped up lobbying efforts Monday against legislation that would shutter five of the seven state institutions that house nearly 3,000 state residents.

- Verizon has agreed to a settlement with the state Attorney General and the Division of Consumer Affairs to resolve the lawsuit arising from its marketing, sales, billing and customer service practices for its FiOS television, telephone and internet services.

- Gov.-elect Chris Christie and his transition team have reportedly decided on an Inauguration Day schedule that will take place mostly in Newark, beginning with a morning Mass and concluding with an evening affair at the Prudential Center arena.

We’ll have more context about, and reactions to, the ruling for you tomorrow. In the meantime, you can read the judge’s decision here.

I think that’s a great question, Mr. Lopez — and here’s my answer:

I joined Jimmy King’s lawsuit because someone had to uphold the integrity of the Ward C election. We live in America. We can’t allow counterfeit candidates to hold office. We have to defend our right to authentic representation. As a candidate for the Ward C seat, I was in a unique position to stand up for the voters and for these democratic values — that’s why I kept the suit going.

I joined the lawsuit because it was important to learn who Nidia Lopez really is and where she really lives. Whether we win or lose the lawsuit, now the people know. We know she never used the name “Nidia Lopez” until January, 2009 when she decided to run for office. Up until then, she went by “Nidia Boehringer.” As Nidia Boehringer she claimed Florida as her permanent residence in order to get a homestead rebate on Florida property taxes. As Nidia Boehringer she filed her taxes using her Florida address and consequently avoided paying any New Jersey state income tax for years. As Nidia Boehringer she held a Florida drivers’ license, which she renewed in 2006 and which enabled her to pay Florida auto insurance rates (much lower than New Jersey’s) until June 2009. And then she changed her license after the election to get a city-paid car — you know — the one we taxpayers are footing the
bill for.

We know the woman who claims to be “a 30 year successful New Jersey business woman” allowed her certificate of incorporation to lapse in 1995 in this state and never paid New Jersey income tax for her business in all the years since then. We know in 2003 she voted in Florida as Nidia Boehringer only a few months after voting in New Jersey as Nidia Rivera. We know she sues people when she slips on French fries and falls down in high heels. We also know her current husband is a former business administrator for Jersey City and the director of Family Services for Hudson County, positions which require financial acumen. But we also know that Mr. and Mrs. Lopez don’t file joint tax returns. I wonder, why not?

Nidia Lopez justified all this by claiming she didn’t know any better. But we know that this was not a onetime lapse in judgment. For nine years she claimed her Florida home as her primary residence, maintained her identity as “Nidia Boehringer,” voted in two different states and avoided paying any New Jersey taxes. She didn’t know any better? Come on. A Democratic committee woman didn’t know any better? How gullible does the HCCO think we are? This was deliberate, ongoing and willful. It is clear to me now that Nidia Lopez is neither honest nor responsible, but she is very adept at playing the system to have it both ways.

And this is the person the HCDO and Mayor Healy chose to represent Ward C. Was this really the best they could do? The HCDO dumped Steve Lipski, a genuinely accomplished and fairly elected councilman, when he struggled with alcoholism. But the HCDO is hanging on to Nidia Lopez — a tax avoider. This is evidently how little Mayor Healy and the HCDO care about us in Ward C.

I think it is shame that Nidia Lopez has tarnished this election. It is a shame that Nidia Lopez has never paid taxes to the state of New Jersey and yet feels entitled to hold elected office. It is shame that the HCDO recruited a candidate who claims Florida as her primary residence. It is a shame that the HCDO did not conduct a background check before placing her on the ticket. And it is shame that Mayor Healy has not demanded her resignation.

If the judge rules against us, Ward C will be stuck with Mrs. Lopez unless another agency steps in and investigates her obvious tax issues. Even if she is indicted, she may follow Mariano Vega’s lead and refuse to resign. In the meantime the administration has not introduced the budget and taxes have gone up 11 percent — an increase Lopez supports. Apparently she doesn’t like paying taxes herself, but has no problem raising ours.

If we prevail in this suit, I will not be named as the new council representative for Ward C. Instead, the court will order another election and the voters of Ward C will get another shot at fairly electing the most qualified representative. The question before us, no matter what the outcome of this suit, is: “Now that we know, what we do?” What do we take away from this experience? How do we prevent the HCDO from doing this again?

We must demand more from our elected representatives. And I mean sincerely, loudly, forcefully demand more. Mayor Healy, it’s not too late to rescue your administration from disgrace. Admit there is a problem and stop clinging to the outdated view held by the HCDO and its members that they are indomitable and above the law. Stop sidestepping: come out of the shadows and ask Nidia Lopez to resign.

It’s the only moral, ethical, and responsible thing to do. If you don’t, Mayor Healy, you will only become more irrelevant and ultimately go down in history as just another Hudson County joke.

Next, we must demand that outgoing Gov. Corzine do something during his last days in office to overthrow this culture of corruption. Gov. Corzine, I ask you to sign an Executive Order changing campaign finance laws to stop candidates and elected officials from using money raised during their campaign to buy gifts for their constituents. That’s right, candidates and elected officials use campaign funds to buy tennis shoes and turkeys and make other “charitable” purchases for their constituents. Clearly this is nothing more than old-fashioned vote-buying. Gov. Corzine, you have an opportunity to stop these politicians from using campaign funds to buy votes, and we ask you to take action.

Most importantly, we have to take our power back by getting involved. The new Party Democracy Act curtails the power of political bosses by enabling us — regular voters — to participate in how parties like the HCDO select candidates and carry out business. In the past, party chairs had vast power over ballot lines, campaign cash, and the filling of municipal vacancies and there was little county committee representatives could do. But under the Party Democracy Act this will change and the HCDO will no longer be “the boss of you.”

So I am asking residents in Ward C and throughout Jersey City to please run for county committee. Join your local neighborhood association. Become active in at least one community group. Attend council meetings. Reach out to your county committee representative and communicate your needs and expectations. Read the newspaper and the daily blogs. Stay informed. Be hopeful. Seize opportunities. If we do this, we will reclaim our democracy and make the politicians work for us. Because it shouldn’t be “them against us.” We are one Jersey City.

- Three unions representing Jersey City workers are pushing back against the Healy administration’s plan to implement 12 furlough days for all non-uniformed workers over a six-month period.

- WNYC returns to Jersey City to take the pulse of retail stores along Downtown’s Grove Street.

- State officials will be at Liberty Science Center on Friday to mark an environmental milestone: 10 million Energy Star compact fluorescent light bulbs have been screwed into light sockets around New Jersey, according to the Board of Public Utilities.

- You can now receive breaking Jersey City Police Department news via text message or email. You can sign up by following the “real-time news” link on the JCPD website.

- The chef from American Masala (see our review here) was in NYC last weekend hosting a Diwali dinner at the James Beard House that featured food from his Chilltown restaurant.

- The last of three people charged with last year’s “shopping cart” killing in the Heights was arraigned yesterday. Despite the fact that he was 17 when the crime occurred, he is now 18 and will be tried as an adult.

- Prosecutors say they will seek to prove that three men charged with murdering a man outside Al’s Diner last year are all members of the Bloods street gang.

- Reacting to the news that the Westboro Baptist Church fringe group has picked Jersey City as a spot for a protest this week, Journal Squared’s Tom Howard, after going through the range of reactions he could have, finally decides on “meh.”

- The hospitality design firm Therese Virserius Design has been tapped to create a luxurious outdoor living space (totaling 4,558 sq. ft. of exterior space and 1,575 sq. ft. of interior space) for the Hyatt Regency at Exchange Place. “The redesign of the exterior lounge will evoke a feel of a ‘get-away Miami retreat’ while still being surrounded by the breathtaking Manhattan skyline,” a release says.

Today’s Best Bet:

- There’s an opening reception for Victory Arts Projects’ new “Magic Window” exhibit at the 545 Washington Blvd. office building and next door at Dorrian’s.

In statewide news:

- With one week to go until Election Day, the three major candidates are each mounting a final campaign push. Meanwhile, Republicans are increasingly worried about the impact that independent Chris Daggett will have on their candidate, Chris Christie — but Daggett is pushing back against allegations that he is simply a stalking horse for Gov. Corzine.

- More bad news for the Star-Ledger: The latest figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations show a massive circulation drop for the six months ending in September. The Ledger‘s daily circulation dropped 22.2 percent in that timeframe, while the Sunday edition fell off by 18.5 percent.

- New Jersey Future makes the case for the open space bond issue that will be on the ballot this year.

- Even as members of his own party seek to oust him as Senate president, Dick Codey remains in high demand these days as a Democratic Party star on the campaign trail.

- New Jersey health officials are proposing new regulations to better identify children exposed to lead poisoning and to make it easier for homeowners to clean up lead contamination.

- Social media tools are fast becoming an integral part of college admissions in New Jersey.

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 filed by Raymaker’s fellow Ward C candidate Jimmy King, alleges that Lopez’s primary residence is Florida, not Jersey City, and asks the court to vacate the result of May’s election. Raymaker joined the suit in August, and King dropped out after pleading guilty to federal corruption charges.

Lopez, who grew up in Jersey City, moved to Ridgefield Park in 1977 with her ex-husband Karl Boehringer. In 1994, the couple moved to Kissimmee, Fla., and in 1996 they bought a home in Orlando. Lopez testified that she moved back to Jersey City in or around 2001 following her divorce from Boehringer. However, Raymaker’s lawsuit charges that Lopez is disqualified from holding office in Jersey City because she never “abandoned her domicile” in Florida or “evidenced her intention to establish a new domicile” in New Jersey.

During her examination by Raymaker’s attorney Howard Myerowitz, Lopez testified that she claimed Florida residency and improperly received a homestead rebate on property taxes there; she said she wasn’t aware of it because she entrusted her tax matters to her accountant. Lopez has paid all her personal property taxes, as well as taxes for her Hoboken-based dental consulting business, in Florida for at least the past three years. Florida does not have a state income tax. Lopez indicated that an attorney she hired in Florida has made arrangements on her behalf to pay additional taxes and fees owed to the state Florida as a result of her improper claim.

During Myerowitz’s questioning, which Judge Gallipoli disapprovingly characterized as “machine-gun style,” he also claimed that Lopez renewed a Florida driver license in 2006 and voted by absentee ballot in Orlando in 2003. While Lopez testified that she did not recall doing either, she agreed that documents produced by Myerowitz indicated she did. Lopez also confirmed that in 2008 she signed a mortgage refinance agreement for her house in Orlando that identifies it as her primary residence. The house is currently occupied by Lopez’s son.

Lopez’s cross-examination by her attorney William Northgrave consisted of a flurry of documents that he claimed demonstrate that Lopez was domiciled in Jersey City from 2001 on. These included a voter profile indicating she registered to vote in Jersey City in 2001, the certificate of her 2001 marriage to Ben Lopez, medical records for treatment she received in New Jersey, various bills for the Orlando house that were mailed to her Corbin Avenue address and election ballots from 2003 and 2008, years in which Lopez ran for county committeewoman. Lopez also testified that she has served as a commissioner for the Jersey City Parking Authority, although she could not remember the name of the commission without prompting, and stated that she is an active member of Iglesia Presbiteriana Nueva Esperanza on North Street.

With arguments wrapping up today, both sides — and the Ward C community — will now wait for Gallipoli’s written ruling. A staffer in the judge’s chambers could not give a definite date when it would be issued.

“The only reason this case got as far as it did was because Lopez failed to mind her Ps and Qs,” Northgrave, referring to her improper tax claim, said during his closing statement. He said that the arguments presented by Myerowitz failed to meet the required standard of “clear and convincing” evidence that the councilwoman does not live in New Jersey, and he requested the matter be dismissed.

But in his closing, Myerowitz argued that his case met the standard of a “preponderance of evidence” showing that Lopez has not abandoned her Florida home, or made efforts to establish a new home in New Jersey. Lopez’s actions show that she “intended to defraud” the state of New Jersey, he said, calling her claims that she didn’t recall any wrongdoing “ludicrous.” He asked Gallipoli to find in favor of Raymaker and void the results of May’s Ward C election.

After the hearing, Raymaker said Lopez was being “disingenuous” and called for the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) — whose stamp of approval is almost always necessary and sufficient to clinch a win in Jersey City elections — to “take seriously their duty to nominate authentic candidates.”

Regardless of the outcome of the case, Raymaker said all candidates should be subject to background checks once certified for the ballot. “As a community, we can’t afford to keep challenging elections,” she added.

Lopez declined to comment, saying only that she would “continue to serve the people” of Ward C as she awaits Gallipoli’s decision. But her husband Ben Lopez, who is the director of the county’s Department of Family Services and a former city councilman, was anxious to tell the press what he thought.

“This is a travesty,” he said, “that you have to prove where you live to people who lost in the election box.”

Raymaker’s motion was granted today by Hudson County Superior Court Judge Maurice Gallipoli. During an emergency conference in his courtroom, he agreed with Raymaker’s claim that the motion to intervene carries “no prejudice” against Lopez; in other words, Raymaker’s name on the suit does not make it any more or less difficult for Lopez to mount a legal defense, because the substance of the case is unchanged. “If you were gonna win [the case] against Mr. King, you’re gonna win it against [Raymaker],” Gallipoli said to Lopez’s counsel as he granted the motion. He dismissed Lopez’s argument that Raymaker’s motion to intervene was untimely.

Diana Jeffrey, who is representing Raymaker along with Howard Myerowitz, said she was “pleased” with the judge’s decision. Speaking to JCI outside the courtroom just after the conference, she remarked that “the citizens of Jersey City … need to know [that] the people elected to serve them are eligible to hold office.”

Lopez’s attorney William Northgrave did not wish to comment.

Neither Raymaker nor Lopez was present in the courtroom this afternoon; they could not be reached immediately for comment.

Had Raymaker’s motion been denied, anyone wishing to disqualify Lopez would have to submit a new filing, which would now face the likelihood of being disqualified on the grounds that more than 30 days have passed since Lopez assumed office.

UPDATE: In a statement released by One Jersey City this afternoon, Raymaker said she is “encouraged” by the court’s decision. “Residents in Ward C need to know who Nidia Lopez really is and if she lives in Ward C,” she said.