Hoboken Assistant Corporation Counsel John Allen, a staple of Mayor Ravi Bhalla’s administration since he took office in 2018, will be leaving his post at the end of the year, making a run for state Assembly appear more likely than ever.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“It’s a bittersweet day for Hoboken as John Allen has been a tremendous asset to the city and someone I’ve counted on for the past five years,” Bhalla said in a statement.
“His work speaks for itself, as he played a major role in the acquisition of Union Dry Dock, worked with stakeholders to secure vaccine and testing resources for residents and businesses during the height of the pandemic, and saved the city tens of thousands of dollars through his work in the legal department. I wish John the best in his future endeavors and I know that he has a great future ahead of him.”
During his tenure with the City of Hoboken, which began in 2017 under former Mayor Dawn Zimmer, Allen served in the capacities of chief of staff, assistant corporation counsel, municipal prosecutor, and counsel for the city’s Alcoholic Beverage Control board.
He also ran on Bhalla’s ticket as a council-at-large candidate in 2017, coming up short against Vanessa Falco for the third and final seat up for grabs.
Allen and Bhalla also work at the same law firm, Schenck Price Smith & King LLP, a fact that drew the ire of the mayor’s political opponents at the beginning of the year.
Additionally, Allen is currently the frontrunner for the Assembly seat in the 33rd Legislative District that is currently occupied by Annette Chaparro.
Chaparro was selected by Mayor Dawn Zimmer in 2015 and has run alongside state Senator Brian Stack (D-33), also the Union City mayor, for two years ever since.
However, after redistricting, Hoboken will now be in the new 32nd Legislative District with the Heights and Downtown portions of Jersey City, while Stack’s new district will entirely consist of North Hudson.
Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, Chaparro’s other longtime running mate, is the likely new senator in LD-32 after receiving endorsements from the likes of Bhalla, Gov. Phil Murphy (D), and Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop.
The mayor’s office also credited Allen with helping negotiate the Direct Hire Agreement that stipulates that certain city public works projects utilize union labor to supplement the existing workforce and drafting ordinances adopted by the city council related to the COVID-19 Small Business Recovery Strategy.
The city did not specifically mention why Allen was leaving, with a city spokeswoman simply stating that he was leaving “to pursue other opportunities.”
You can’t be serious.
As crooked and capable to blissfully lie as the boss. Those sealed lips when needed with the Hate Crime against Hoboken in the Ravi Terror Flier make for a perfect Soprano State pol. #TheGutter
So we are removing a female Hispanic for a White, Male lawyer whose wife is buying shares in Hoboken Bars and rowdy night life…
Lets Have a parade!
Little Turd DeFusco is cutting his own deals with Bhalla and Allen too
He’s desperate to keep this low show job.
Guess the “hospitality business ” ( Air B&B ) is down… hey while living in a foreign land who couldn’t use a second income.
Close streets, help a bar profit, represent ABC board and hire your own law firm and then buy shares in 3 bars with your wife
I’d rather have either of the last two DIMWITS that served than the second coming of Cammarano who is now running Hoboken
Tick tick Tick…… Temptation…..Money…. LAwyers who think they are smarter than the FBI
When is John Allen transitioning in to a Hispanic woman? Was a date set? Or did it already happen?
John Allen, Drag Queen Assembly Hour ?
And no Drag is not a gender it’s a performance art so spare the woke
Wow, not 1 cycle after redistricting and Bhalla pulls out a Hispanic Female from running again.
Now we will have the empty suited lawyer – another white male
Vegas is taking bets on if John Allen will beat Cammrano’s time in office…
I didn’t think it was possible but yes, these are in fact the dumbest bunch of comments on a HCV articles in ages, maybe ever. Every one of them (most likely posted by one perennial loser) is of QAnon/fantasyland-level quality, which is no mean feat. Kudos, girlfriend.
Funny your fixation on a dead grift in Qanon. Only one of the two grifts remains.
It’s the Carmelo Allen version as one commenter nailed perfectly. Enjoy the ratio!
What does any of this even mean? The mayor is so far into your head that you speak in a weird nonsense language about God knows what, warped fantasies that no one has any idea about.
What are you saying? What do you mean? Explain yourself in a way that’s not gibberish? Are you able to do that?
The Bhalla’s take care of their own minorities.
The rest are only politically cosmetic.
Useless reply, EA, try harder. Another in a long line of vague claims with no details, no explanation, nothing to back it up. Man up, tell us what you’re talking about. Be specific, name names. What happened? Tell us.
You can’t, because you’re either a biased hack or so far inside the anti-administration bubble that you have no idea what’s up or down. Sad.
The only sad part is that while everyone who is not in Ravi’s camp can see it is true.
The usual childish name calling reenforces the things.
Easy Ans, you’re speaking a language about despot corruption which is Ravi’s namesake.
All his minions are upset and demand you answer to them. Morons.
Woke Mayor Bhalla is ousting a Latinx woman with decades of service to the people for a white guy that just moved here in the last decade or so?
WOW
Representation on the ABC board while owning a piece of multiple bars isn’t that the same as Making an arrangement to have Mile square towing kick back $5 a tow? The more things change the more they stay the same. You are seeing the Russification of the Bhalla Administration and this is just one example
Just business as usual for Ravinder S Bhalla and his morally bankrupt minions.
a) Will Bhalla backfill that which was described as a crucial position in his admin, or leave it empty proving it was never needed to begin with.
b) Gets corrupt John Allen out of our local gov which is a good thing.
c) Don’t vote for him — I never will. That gets him out of NJ politics.