Hoboken 5th Ward Councilman Phil Cohen has announced his re-election bid, seeking a second term next November after a recall effort fizzled out.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Working closely with Mayor Bhalla, I have successfully helped lead the fight on the City Council to move forward critical quality-of-life projects,” Cohen began in a statement.
“Including the construction of the Northwest Resiliency Park, defending our waterfront at Union Dry Dock, bringing CitiBikes to Hoboken, and major infrastructure upgrades, such as Vision Zero improvements and Rebuild By Design resiliency infrastructure.”
He continued that during his first term, he has conducted more than 65 community events and published a bi-monthly newsletter sent to constituents via email.
“No issue has been too large or small to tackle for my constituents — everything from filling potholes and fixing stop signs, to fighting for The Rivington’s residents to roll back unconscionable rent increases,” Cohen further stated.
“I am running for re-election, so I can continue the work of improving all Hoboken residents’ quality of life and keeping our city on a sound long-term fiscal path.”
He also announced that he will formally kickoff his re-election campaign on December 13th at the Pilsener Haus & Biergarten, located at 1422 Grand St., at 6 p.m.
In May, three Hoboken residents filed a notice of intention to recall Cohen, as HCV first reported, but the effort never got much traction and no signatures were submitted to the city clerk’s office as of this afternoon – the filing deadline.
With his predecessor Peter Cunningham retiring after three terms in 2019, Cohen ran on Bhalla’s ticket that year and bested Tim Crowell and Nicola Maganuco.
In the same month that the recall effort came to light, Bhalla wrote it off as “a political stunt” and “a joke.”
The non-partisan city council elections for all six ward seats will be held on November 7th, 2023, with Cohen being the second to state out that he’s running again – following remarks from 1st Ward Councilman Mike DeFusco last month.
Here comes tons of anti-cohen comments from people who admittedly couldn’t get their act together to recall him, then claimed they put their efforts into electing republicans for the BOE where they failed at that too.
Can Phil be difficult to tolerate sometimes? yes. But he shows up, engages with residents, and is actually in this to serve his community.
Period
I think you described the bare minimum of what he should be doing. Not the resounding endorsement you think it is.
Well said, @Fifth Ward Resident. The anti-Bhalla brigade (actually, it’s not a group at all, more like about three people) is so unserious and ineffectual that most people don’t even pay attention to them any more. The BoE election was the last straw, they basically proved themselves to be a few of loudmouths who spend all day on social media or HCV comments but don’t actually have any power, influence or support in town. It’s the same old nonsense, everyone sees through it and is tired of it.
There’s no anti-Bhalla brigade. There are many victims of the Ravi Terror Flier and the Hate Crime against Hoboken people.
Rubber-stamping Ravi-Russo is not leadership either.
Right on schedule, here’s one of the three anti-Bhalla brigade loonies now, LOL. Your mind is so warped that we almost feel sorry for you.
Your projection is noted but meaningless. Truth must be told on the Local doing Ravi’s dirty Terror Flier and the Hate Crime against Hoboken.
Law enforcement failed and no one was arrested for the Hate Crime against Hoboken.
He seems like a nice guy. But my neighbor reminds me that Mr. Cohen supported the layoffs, demotions and forced retirements in May 2020. More than 30 employees, most who were employed by the City of Hoboken for more than 25 years, were unceremoniously pushed out at the height of COVID-19.
Mr. Cohen went further and supported recent City labor agreements that contained no recognition of those employees’ service in the years 2018, 2019 and 2020. In other words, he supported no retro payments for those employees. Not a dime.
Seems like he doesn’t have a heart. And he doesn’t have my vote in the 5th Ward.