In an editorial, Jersey City Ward D council candidate Catherine Healy explains her plans for cleaner streets and an overall better quality of life if elected.
Life in the Heights has always been defined by its energy, its diversity, and its sense of community. It is a place where families put down roots and where children should be able to grow and explore with curiosity and confidence.
Yet every day, as I walk these streets with my three young children, I am reminded that our quality of life is being undermined by a problem that should have been solved long ago.
Trash on sidewalks, overflowing bins, and neglected public spaces have become an unacceptable norm in too many corners of our neighborhood.
As a mother, this is not simply a matter of appearance or convenience. It is about health, safety, and dignity. My children, like so many others in the Heights, deserve to play outside without navigating litter.
They deserve to walk to school without stepping around garbage bags left out days too early. They deserve streets that reflect pride, not neglect. I have an important investment in this community because I am raising three young children here.
I see every missed pickup and every unsanitary block through the eyes of a parent who worries about the environment in which her children are growing up.
Residents have spent years voicing the same frustrations, yet the problem persists. It is not for lack of care from the community. It is for lack of coordinated, accountable leadership.
As the next Ward D councilwoman, I intend for this issue to be a top priority, not an afterthought.
Solving our trash and quality of life challenges will require action on several fronts.
First, we need consistent and enforceable sanitation schedules paired with expanded pickup on the most impacted blocks. Second, we must hold property owners, businesses, and landlords accountable when they repeatedly fail to maintain clean sidewalks and curb lines.
Third, we should invest in more public trash and recycling bins and ensure they are emptied regularly.
Fourth, we need targeted education and engagement campaigns that help residents understand their responsibilities and the impact their actions have on the whole community.
Finally, we should build partnerships with local organizations and schools to instill a culture of neighborhood pride and stewardship from a young age.
These solutions are practical, achievable, and long overdue. Clean streets are not a luxury. They are a basic expectation in any thriving city and they are essential if we want families to stay, grow, and invest in the Heights.
I am running to bring focus and urgency to the issues that shape daily life here.
My commitment comes not only from civic duty but from the deep responsibility I feel as a mother raising three young children who deserve a future rooted in safety, health, and pride.
The Heights has always deserved better than the status quo. Together, we can create a neighborhood where every family feels confident that their block is clean, their streets are respected, and their voices truly matter.
I am ready to champion that future for Ward D and for every child who calls the Heights home.
