Mayor Dawn Zimmer
Dawn Zimmer became the first female Mayor of Hoboken in 2009. Prior to that, she served as a Councilwoman after becoming involved in civic life as an advocate for park space. She was a member of the steering Committee of the Southwest Parks Coalition, and was one of five individuals who were named plaintiffs in a lawsuit that stopped a developer friendly redevelopment plan that would have added 1,200 high-rise condo units to Southwest Hoboken. Zimmer supported a better approach to redevelopment that included smaller buildings, more park space, traffic controls, restaurants and shops.
As Mayor, her priorities include restoring fiscal responsibility and improving quality of life for residents. Since taking office, she has steadily reduced taxes and established a responsible cash surplus for the first time in many years. Following audits of the police and fire departments, restructuring and redeployment allowed the city to save millions of dollars per year while enhancing community safety. Through privatization, she saved the City’s cash-strapped hospital from closing, saved more than 1,200 jobs, and relieved taxpayers of a $52 million bond guarantee. Combined, these actions have positioned Hoboken to improve its near-junk bond rating. Mayor Zimmer is using technology to make government more efficient and provide new services and information directly to residents at minimal cost. Under her watch, Hoboken is transitioning from a car-centric city into a nationally-recognized leader in progressive transportation initiatives. Through a public-private partnership, Hoboken is home to Corner Cars, the first on-street, city-wide car sharing program in the country.
Before taking time off to care for her two young sons, Dawn worked in communications for a large Japanese trading company and did crisis communications for one of the top public relations firms in the country. She’s also a photographer and served as marketing director for a family business. She is a Cum Laude Graduate of the University of New Hampshire, where she rowed crew for four years. Dawn is a runner who has run the New York City Marathon. She lives in Southwest Hoboken with her husband and two children.
Initiatives
Mayor Thanks Council and Directors For Passage of Budget
Despite legacy costs and retroactive salary payments going back to 2007, the City Council adopted a budget tonight with a $900,000 reduction in the municipal tax levy and a 3.6% cash surplus level. The municipal tax levy has been reduced by approximately $6 million since 2010.
“Thank you to Council President Bhalla, Finance Chair Cunningham, and Council members Marsh, Mello, and Giattino for their support as well as my directors and the finance department for working so hard to create this strong, responsible budget,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “I am proud that our teamwork enabled the budget to be adopted in the shortest timeframe in over a decade and will continue working to provide city services as effectively and efficiently as possible.”
Lt. Governor Guadagno and Mayor Zimmer Announce Pearson Will Relocate 900 Jobs to Hoboken
Pearson will maintain a New Jersey workforce of 1,750 with the completion of the 500,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art, sustainable office and retail building
Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno, Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer, and other dignitaries today joined Pearson’s Rich Glicini, Senior Vice President for People and Social Responsibility, and SJP Properties’ CEO Steven J. Pozycki, to announce a lease agreement to relocate New Jersey employees from the world’s leading learning company to a new, state-of-the-art office building on Hoboken’s waterfront.
Pearson signed a lease for more than 200,000 square feet at SJP Properties’ 500,000-square-foot Waterfront Corporate Center III, the final site within Hoboken’s 26-acre waterfront, mixed-use master plan, and the last phase of SJP’s 1.5-million-square-foot, three-building office and retail complex.
“Pearson’s decision to stay is just one of many examples where we’ve successfully intervened to keep and create jobs in New Jersey,” said Lt. Gov. Guadagno. “The Christie-Guadagno Administration’s policy of assertively protecting and pursing jobs for New Jerseyans is a major reason why the New Jersey Comeback is underway.”
Pearson will occupy five floors starting in 2014 and is relocating approximately 900 employees from its current offices in Upper Saddle River and Old Tappan, N.J.
Mayor Zimmer Announces Office Hours
Mayor Dawn Zimmer will hold open office hours on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 from 5pm to 7pm in her office on the second floor of City Hall, 94 Washington Street. No appointment is necessary.
Office hours will also be held on Wednesday, March 7, 2012 and Wednesday April 4, 2012 from 5pm to 7pm.
At State of the City Address, Mayor Zimmer Highlights Progress and Plans for Year Ahead
At her second State of the City address, Mayor Dawn Zimmer highlighted the City of Hoboken’s progress on fiscal, infrastructure, and quality of life issues, and announced plans for 2012.
Mayor Zimmer identified a 10 percent reduction in municipal taxes and the saving of Hoboken University Medical Center as two key achievements in the last year.
“Together we saved our City from financial destruction with the successful sale of Hoboken University Medical Center,” said Mayor Zimmer, who noted that the City would have been responsible for paying a $52 million bond if the sale had not been successful.
In State of the City Address, Mayor Zimmer Proposes Infrastructure Investments and $20 Million For New Parks, Announces Additional Tax Cut and Quality of Life Improvements
During her first State of the City address, Mayor Dawn Zimmer emphasized her three priorities for her Administration: to operate as fiscally responsibly and cost-effectively as possible in order to reduce and stabilize taxes for the long term, to address Hoboken’s significant infrastructure challenges, and to improve the quality of life for all Hoboken residents.
The address was streamed live online and is available for viewing in its entirety at the link: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/12875366. It will also be played on Channel 78 on Cablevision and Channel 47 on FiOS.
Mayor Zimmer proposed bonding $20 million, to be paid for completely from the Open Space Trust Fund, to purchase land for new park space for the underserved areas along the western side of Hoboken. In addition, the City has developed a capital investment plan to improve parks and is developing a master plan for the maintenance of the City’s neglected water main system and a maintenance manual to cost-effectively maintain the City’s waterfront for the long term.
