Bill O'Dea for Jersey City

Congratulations to my friend and our next Mayor, James Solomon. I’m very proud of our city for making the right choice in this runoff election, especially seeing such a clear citywide mandate for accountable, progressive leadership. I’m also glad to see that Mayor Solomon will have a full City Council to help implement his agenda, including our original Team O’Dea candidates Tom Zuppa and Joel Brooks who also won in landslides. I look forward to working closely with James and his team to make Jersey City more affordable and protect what makes it such a special place while continuing to embrace progress.

With the Runoff Election almost here, I'm actually getting really tired of Jim McGreevey rambling on about how $1,000 rents are impossible and will raise taxes. I'm also irked by his self-serving claim that he is "Old Jersey City's Savior." There's a lot of good reasons why 75% of Jersey City voters chose a candidate other than McGreevey in November, including:

1- Remember, McGreevey created ZERO units of affordable housing in Woodbridge as Mayor.

2- If Jim understood the ASPIRE program, HMFA, DCA and LIHTCs like he claims he does, then he'd know that some of those 20% affordable units in Jersey City based on 40% AMI -- which is slightly more than what a first year police officer or firefighter makes -- will absolutely be at that $1,000 rent amount he says is impossible. Those units are in the approved Bayfront project and also 703 Newark Avenue, which by the way his Ward C candidate voted for the tax abatement on. Hmmm so maybe $1,000 rents ARE possible, Jim?

3-Remember when he touted 1,000 new units of affordable housing? Then doubled down to say 2,000 units including 1,000 for seniors? What were those rents going to be? Why did he stop talking about them?

4- He changes his positions like a chameleon whenever it suits his purpose.

5- Both James and Jim moved to Jersey City about 10 years ago. James moved here first to get married and start a family, send his kids to public schools, and yes to pursue public service. McGreevey came here because he convinced Steve Fulop to give him a big job and because he wanted to run for Mayor -- a job he got fired from 5 years later.

6-James got elected to the City Council in 2017 and has voted against all budgets that included tax increases, refused a salary increase and to his credit got elected both times against the machine.

7-McGreevey never spoke up once about any issue in our city until he decided to run for Mayor after convincing outside political bosses to back him with big $$$

8-In the last day McGreevey now complains about how much James' house is worth. Give me a break! Has he forgotten about that $1 million + mansion he lived in for a decade in Plainfield???

9- I trust that James will work with myself and others to make his affordable housing plan work. It's not going to cause taxes to go up but will help people making $50-60,000 stay here. I know how to make that plan work and so does James.

10- McGreevey says no municipal tax hike in the first year. OK, he used budget gimmicks as Governor to illegally bond for operating expenses in 2004, a bill we are still paying for 21 years later. We don't need more gimmicks, they have put us in the hole we are in already. Any schmuck can keep kicking the can down the road, and McGreevey's record on tax hikes speaks for itself -- even taxing toilet paper back in his Assembly days. James recognizes we have budget problems and is willing to tackle them day one in a transparent manner.

For all these reasons and many others it was easy for me to endorse James in the Runoff Election, and I will be casting my vote tomorrow for him. Once he is elected I will work with him on many issues we agree on for the betterment of all the people in Jersey City and hold him accountable if needed. James' decision making process will be transparent and collaborative, while McGreevey's would be driven by outside influences, political bosses and big money donors, just like it was during his shortened tenure as Governor.

For me, this choice is easy. Vote James Solomon for Mayor tomorrow, Tuesday, December 2nd. Polls will be open from 6am to 8pm.

I’m proud to endorse James Solomon for Mayor in the runoff election. James understands that affordability must be our top priority. He’s committed to transparency, accountability, and putting residents before special interests. I’m certain that he will put Jersey City first.

No one cares more deeply about Jersey City than . Together we will work to create a city with lower rents, so that working families can not just get by – but thrive. This election is all about change and the contrast could not be clearer: I will lower rents, Jim McGreevey will raise them.

I want to thank the people of Jersey City for exercising their right to vote and making their voices heard. I’m grateful to the volunteers who devoted countless hours to this campaign, and to all of the labor unions, organizations and especially the voters who believed in our vision for Jersey City’s future. 

While we did not achieve the result we wanted, I’m very proud of the campaign that we ran and the issues we brought to the forefront of the conversation. No matter what, I will continue to serve the people of our community as a County Commissioner and will always stand up for the values that our campaign was based on — that will never change. 

I want to congratulate our Team O’Dea candidates Tom Zuppa, Joel Brooks and Danny Rivera, as well as all the other candidates who will be advancing to the runoff election. This is a critical moment in our city’s history and I will have more to say about the election in the coming days.

Join Team O’Dea tonight for our Election Night Watch Party!

📍 The View at Lincoln Park
🕗 Tuesday, November 4th at 8PM

Let’s close out this campaign together and watch the results roll in. Team O’Dea is ready to lead.