Bayonne Board of Education Trustee Mary Jane Desmond has been named the city’s new business administrator, with Donna Russo returning to the law department as an assistant city attorney.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“I am pleased to announce that I have appointed former councilwoman, current Bayonne Board of Education Trustee, and lifelong Bayonne resident Mary Jane Desmond as business administrator of the City of Bayonne effective March 4, 2025,” Mayor Jimmy Davis, a Democratic candidate for Hudson County sheriff, said in a statement.
“If you are unfamiliar with Mary Jane’s rich pedigree as a public servant, in addition to serving as a BOE trustee serving as a councilwoman from 1998-2002, she is also a former Hudson County Deputy Clerk and brings to the city a wealth of diverse knowledge and experience in not only municipal and county government, but also in the private sector in health care management.”
Desmond was appointed president of the BOE this year after an unsuccessful bid for state Assembly in the 31st Legislative District as an independent in 2023.
She was last re-elected to the volunteer Bayonne school board in November 2022 and also planned to challenge Davis for the municipal chair of the Bayonne Democratic Committee in June 2021, but she never received a nomination for the post, as HCV first reported.
“I am very happy to return to municipal government to serve the people of Bayonne as business administrator. I look forward to working with all the City of Bayonne’s departments to provide high-quality services and well-managed budgets to our residents,” Desmond added.
“As business administrator, I will draw on my previous experiences in the financial sector, healthcare, and government. I would like to thank Mayor Davis for the opportunity to join the City Administration at this time of great progress for our community.”
As for Russo, who was named acting BA at the July 1st, 2022 reorganization meeting after Davis was sworn in for a third term, she will be returning to her previous job at City Hall.
“Our current business administrator, Donna Russo, Esq., will be returning to the Law Department to assume the role of assistant city attorney. Donna has done a wonderful job as Business Administrator these past two-and-a-half years and I can’t thank her enough for stepping in to serve as Business Administrator when asked in 2022,” the mayor added.
“Donna has two decades of experience in the Law Department and Law Director Jay Coffey will be ecstatic about having her back in his department. Given Donna’s expertise in environmental law and the tremendous environmental challenges we will be facing with regard to the continuing redevelopment and cleanup of the east side of Bayonne, I.M.T.T. in particular, she will be relied upon a great deal in this area over the next few years.”
Davis added that lifelong Bayonne resident and attorney Michael Sheridan will begin working in the law department as a paralegal on March 11th.
“I am looking forward to working with Mary Jane, Donna, and Michael as we navigate the redevelopment, infrastructure, legal, environmental, legislative, financial, and public health issues we are confronted with on a daily basis.”
