At an outdoor café in the shadow of City Hall, Councilman Steven Fulop talked with us over glasses of iced tea and lemonade. The location fit not only as a backdrop for our conversation about current events and politics in Jersey City, but it also made for a convenient stop for Fulop since he planned to head into City Hall to work for a few hours afterward. And that’s exactly why we wanted to speak with him. From what we’ve seen, he works tirelessly on behalf of the residents of Jersey City. 

I wouldn’t consider myself a very political person. I make sure to vote in presidential elections, and this year even for the primary, but overall the scandals of political figures seem to draw me in more than the actual business going on. I’ve lived in Jersey City for almost three years, but I fit the profile of a lot of young newcomers—uninformed and inactive about city politics. Not until I learned about the City Council’s flip flop 6-2 vote on allowing Toll Brothers to build three high rise towers in the Power House Arts District, against strong citizen opposition and not even four years after unanimously voting to make the area a historic district with low rise buildings, did I realize the power they wield and to wonder who they are.  The two opposing votes belonged to City Council President Mariano Vega and Councilman Steven Fulop, who represents the Downtown “Ward E” neighborhoods in Jersey City.

As we order our ice teas and lemonade, and a plate of hummus for Fulop, on a recent Sunday evening, the first thing we want to know is whether he always had an interest in politics. At age 31 he has the unique background of having worked on Wall Street and serving in the Marine Corps, which he signed up for after September 11.

“No,” says Fulop. “What happened was, I was a first generation American, grew up in Edison, my family is Holocaust survivors and after 9/11 I actually wasn’t even registered to vote around here. I looked into the Marine Corps, but I was apolitical. I was thankful and I saw this country affords people a lot of opportunity, especially my family who came here with nothing. And I was a single guy at that point, 25 years old, there was a lot of patriotism and then I joined and was deployed.” Fulop spent six months serving in Iraq. “Then the mayor at that time, Mayor Cunningham, got me involved in the congressional run against Bob Menendez. And after you get involved with it, it’s the opportunity you see to make a difference and you get bitten by the bug. From there it’s built on to the whole council thing.” After Fulop lost the congressional race, he went on to win the Downtown Council seat in May of 2005.

I ask Fulop about the role of the City Council. “The City Council is the legislative body of government and the mayor is the executive, similar to the congress and the president.” He explains that there are nine members, with six representing certain wards and three at large members technically representing all citizens. “Our role is constituent services, everything from police to open space to garbage cans to lead testing.”

I had read about the fact that the City Council positions are paid, but not full time, and ask him to explain. “Part of the history has been that they’re not full time. It’s an escalating salary. It’s paid today at the rate of the lowest union contract, roughly $30,000.”  Fulop decided to waive his salary when he ran and have it donated to various nonprofit organizations, though he admits he spends as much time at his council position as he does at his full time job as a trader.

Talk of the council salary leads to a discussion on one of two referendums for the November ballot. One referendum would address multiple government jobs and incomes.

“Part of the criticism has always been that we’re a city of 250,000 people and historically most of the council has had multiple government jobs.” Currently seven of the nine councilmen have other public salaries.

“In a city like Jersey City, there are multiple layers of taxing on residents,” explains Fulop. “You’re taxed on the municipal level, Jersey City sends you a tax bill, you’re taxed by the board of education, you have taxes from the county government and you have taxes tied into the schools, which is from the state. Part of the issues and complaints have been that the different taxing entities have divergent interests. A lot of people on the council have multiple government jobs, where the majority of their compensation comes from the county government. When the county’s interests diverge from the city’s interests, what you see a lot of times is those people who have jobs in the county, their voting tends to align with the county’s.”

Fulop goes on to explain how the City Councils of other large cities operate in comparison to Jersey City’s. “Newark doesn’t technically have a full time Council, but their salary is what a full time council would pay, I believe it’s $80,000.  It’s more of a staff in place. New York City Council is paid $120,000. So we’re sort of grossly under compensated for the workload.” While some members of the Jersey City Council in the past have had it as their full time job, he explains that when it’s not a full time job and people have multiple government jobs, it breeds skepticism and distrust for government overall. “So even if someone is honest and is not voting in the county’s interest it still breeds that distrust.”

“The goal for the multiple job referendum is to take away the second salary on the council level.” He explains that though the state permits the two jobs and salaries, it would take away the incentive some people have to serve the second job on the council. “The goal is to create a full time council that is fairly compensated.” If someone is already collecting a public salary, the person could still hold the second council position, but the council salary would be zero.

The second referendum for the November ballot is banning the practice of “Pay to Play.” Being the nonpolitically minded person, when he first says this, I have images of the lottery. When I ask for clarification about who exactly is paying to play he explains. “A developer, or contractor, is paying or contributing to a politician to receive contracts and preferential treatment.” The council originally voted against this campaign finance reform ordinance by 6-2 in 2007. 

“The mayor is adamantly opposed to the Pay to Play concept. His argument is that by restricting these people from giving money you would only allow wealthier people to run for office. But he’s basically saying that the only time he can fundraise is when he’s holding a contract or something to give them. The common person can’t run, because they have no ability to give someone a contract. People should be giving to the elected official because they actually believe or view what he’s doing as favorable, regardless of whether or not they’re going to be able to benefit or they’re engaged in city business. But this is going to go to the voters. Nowhere in the state when this has gone to the voters has this lost. It’s not going to lose this time. We’ll win. It’s just a lot more difficult. It’s a lot of work. “

As to why the other council members would vote for the Toll Brothers development when it was clear the residents were adamantly opposed, Fulop says, “They’re engaged in fundraising, and relationship building with Toll, and the mayor wanted it.” Fulop has only seen one time in the last three years in which the council opposed something the mayor didn’t want. He says, “It’s counterintuitive to the checks and balances in power.”

I ask Fulop what has been most frustrating and rewarding since being on the council. He mentions the old time politics as being most frustrating. “You have something that’s clearly in the best interest of residents but it reaches stumbling blocks purely based on trying to change the culture and history here of politics. Hudson County is very political. Our history goes back to Hague who was the mayor here for twenty years. He was attributed in a lot of ways with getting FDR elected. He was running the biggest machine politics in the country at this point.”

“What’s been rewarding is that you can do things and see a positive impact day in and day out. I don’t think I would have had as much enjoyment being in Trenton for example. It’s harder to see tangible change. Here, after something’s done you can see you it five days later or a month later. You put in a dog run, or renovate a park, or put garbage cans where they’re needed and you can actually see it.”

He mentions the different initiatives he’s been a part of including the dog run in Van Vorst Park, upcoming Hamilton Park renovations, and the Newark Ave streetscape, which will start at the end of the year. He also talks about new lead testing legislation. “That will save children’s lives, undoubtedly. That piece of legislation will catch lead poisoning early. And it’s reversible if you catch it early.” He explains how most urban areas, including Jersey City, have higher concentrations of lead. Lead affects development and affects the brain. He says that recognizing the fact that there is reason to be concerned, a mandatory education and notification process to parents at day care centers has been put in place. Children will be engaged in testing through all day care centers in Jersey City. The testing will then catch children with elevated levels and parents will be able to address and reverse the problem. This legislation means a lot to Fulop since it will tangibly affect children’s health and futures.

While the council all supported the lead testing legislation, one piece of legislation without as much support from other councilmen is an amendment to the current harsh car booting policy. Currently, the parking authority boots cars the first time they’re parked in zone parking downtown and by the college for over two hours. Fulop says part of the problem is that they’re booting more people, not just those specific areas, on the first offense.

Fulop goes on to say that our country is based on the premise that you have the right to due process, which includes taking the issue to court. But with booting, people don’t have the right to due process first; they have to pay to get the boot off. Then, even if a person is found innocent in court, he still has to pay an administrative fee. Fulop says there is a committee to address the booting policy and he hopes it will be able to change aspects of the current booting policy and make zone parking a little more comprehensive, with changes beginning next month.

“They (Proponents for the current policy) use the argument that New York City will tow you on the first offense. But they’ll tow you to free up the spot because they need access to it. If the goal is to free up the spot, they shouldn’t be putting a boot on you because that’s just going to keep you there. The argument doesn’t make any sense. They’re just using it as a tool to make more money. The goal of the parking laws is compliance, not to make more money and have a back door tax. Most cities have three FTPs (failures to appear) before booting or towing.” A booting is very aggressive; the punishment needs to fit the crime.”

Fulop also talks about the redevelopment plan and goal of making Newark Ave Restaurant Row. Part of this will involve a new entertainment ordinance that will make it easier for restaurants to have live entertainment. Another change will be to sell the Employment Training Building, which is going to go out to bid this year. He hopes the plan will lead to redevelopment along the street and give residents more shopping options. The area on Columbus where the mural is, is also targeted for pedestrian friendly streetscape and retail.

As the waiter comes to take the empty dishes and glasses away, I get in the last of my questions. I ask Fulop what people can do to make the changes they want to see in the community. “The biggest area where we lack is that we need to get people engaged and voting and recognizing that this stuff very tangibly affects them day in and day out.” 

And what are Fulop’s hopes for Jersey City? “If you look in the Northeast, there probably isn’t a city with as much potential as Jersey City.” He mentions our proximity to New York City, one of the greatest cities in the world, that we have Liberty State Park, which is underutilized and bigger than Central Park, and that we have the PATH and Light Rail. He says, “You live here, I live here; we live here because we know how great the city is and that it has the potential. But outside of this area the city doesn’t do a good job of promoting itself. We have the resources here that you can’t recreate. A lot of people would say we’re not really maximizing as far as what the city’s potential is. And the goal is that the city would realize that.” While Fulop recognizes that he differs from the mayor on a lot of things, one thing he does agree with him on is that the city would recognize it’s potential and achieve it’s potential. “And that takes a lot of government interaction,” says Fulop. “Good government interaction.”

I ask him his own professional goals. Fulop says he’s read that he’s on the short list of mayoral hopefuls. “I struggle with this. I don’t know if I’m ready to make that jump entirely. I got involved viewing this as public service for the amount of time involved and then you move on with your life. It is tremendously time consuming.” In regards to the time and energy he dedicates already, he doesn’t know how sustainable it is in terms of personal life balance. He realizes he’s rapidly approaching the intersection of whether he does this full time, continues doing it part time, or not at all. “I struggle with a lot, “ he says.

At the end of the conversation, I tell him my experience of emailing the mayor’s office about getting a library drop box a couple of years ago. It’s been a normal part of every library I’ve known in other towns and would be especially nice since the library is closed on Sundays. I relayed how I had been told it was a security issue as to why there isn’t one. As we sit outside amongst a post box and several newspaper boxes, I wonder if we could argue for one. Fulop mentions that at City Council meetings there is a section allotted for people to come put forth their concerns. He suggests we take the issue up. Later after a quick perusal online, I see that a recent City Council meeting had fifteen such citizens voicing their concerns (though it doesn’t say if anyone else has tried for the library drop box).

As the check comes we end our Sunday evening conversation with Steve Fulop. He’s clearly a wealth of knowledge regarding issues in Jersey City. But outside of that, I leave feeling more educated and energized also. Perhaps I’ll see him again soon at a City Council meeting where I might just try my hand at finally getting that library drop box.