The senior center was slated to be closed for the summer, and Smith, who is running for mayor in November, asked the county for $20,000 to help keep the place open, prompting the freeholders to pass a resolution giving the funds to Bayonne
The problem is: the senior center can't reopen because lack of staff for Bayonne's senior services. The city is in a hiring freeze, and the reason for the closing was more a temporary shortage of people due to vacation time and sick leave than a shortage of cash.
Smith's heavy-handed politics may have caused a rift in City Hall, where the administration of Interim Mayor Terrence Malloy may feel public pressure to reopen the center.
Two political polls apparently show Smith with the early lead over potential opponents in the Bayonne mayoral election.
The poles done for the Smith campaign apparently show him with a 20-point percentage lead over his currently declared challenger, retired Judge Patrick Conaghan.
The same polls show Smith would lead by a 30 percent margin if he was opposed by Councilman Anthony Chiappone.
Smith has a very powerful political organization behind him, including several up-and-coming political workers that give his campaign significant punch. He also has the support of Freeholder Doreen DiDomenico and other powerful county politicians.
The DiDomenicos' primary battle in June actually helped Smith, since it became a test run of the same organization that will get out the vote for him in November.
Smith has been campaigning since June, walking the streets to meet with voters early before the traditional start of campaign season after Labor Day.
The fact that voters will be selecting a president of the United States at the same time as a mayor makes this mayoral election less predictable than otherwise, with many people voting for mayor this time who might not have voted for mayor in the past.
This may make polling unreliable and gives the Conaghan campaign more hope for a victory in November
Hoboken gears up
In Hoboken, Michael Passante has replaced Carmello Garcia as the state Democratic committee person. Garcia was forced to relinquish the position once he took on his post at the Hoboken Housing Authority to avoid violating the provisions of the federal Hatch Act.
Passante also has been tapped by the Barack Obama campaign to run the Democratic presidential effort in Essex, Morris, and Somerset counties.
Councilman Peter Cammarano, one of those named as a possible mayoral candidate in next year's Hoboken election, will celebrate his birthday with a couple of thousand people as he serves as a bartender at the St. Ann's Festival. One year, Cammarano even served a drink to Gov. Jon Corzine. he question is: will Cammarano still bartend if he gets elected mayor?
Frank Raia may have lost his bid to become Hoboken's freeholder, but the loss apparently didn't dampen the mood of his recent bash to celebrate his birthday. Even "Stick" Romano - the Democratic freeholder candidate in November - showed up. Councilman Michael Russo also apparently showed his affection for the Jeff Barnes, the new Hoboken Democratic Committee chairman, by giving him a bear hug.
But not everybody at the Raia bash was in a good mood.
Some people from the reform camp reportedly won't even talk to Raia, despite the fact that they showed up for the event.
One exception to this was Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer, who apparently harkened back to old school politics. She apparently understood that politicians needed to get on with their jobs at running government once the election as over.
"She's old-school," one seasoned political veteran said. "She doesn't hold political grudges."
Picking tickets for next year's election
In some ways, July is a cutoff point for next May's municipal elections, as politicians must begin putting together tickets.
"If you want to put together a ticket or get onto a ticket, you generally have to do it by this month," one observer said. Most believe Hoboken has five potential candidates for mayor in 2009: council members Beth Mason, Michael Russo, Peter Cammarano, incumbent Mayor Dave Roberts, and former council member Carol Marsh.
The central question is: If Marsh does not run for mayor, where will her supporters among the reform movement go?
If reformers intend to secure council seats, they will need to have a mayoral candidate. While Mason is also seen as a reform candidate, one faction of reformers disagrees, saying she works too closely with Russo. A recent poll shows Mason has strong public perception as a viable reform candidate, but is caught in a battle with other reformers over who best represents the reform movement in Hoboken. Marsh has long been a standard bearer for the reform movement. While some names are emerging as possible council candidates such as Angelo Valente and Joe Garcia, no tickets have fully materialized. One person suggested that a ticket combining old and new Hoboken would do well, hoping that Cammarano would run with council members Ruben Ramos Jr., Terry LaBruno and Dawn Zimmer. But Zimmer responded last week, "I am completely committed to the 4th Ward, and I won't be part of anybody's ticket." Zimmer was only elected last year, so she has three years left as a ward councilperson. Those running next year with a mayoral candidate next year are running for council-at-large positions. In Jersey City, Councilman Steve Fulop has enlisted former County Sheriff Joe Cassidy and former council candidate Jimmy Carroll on a ticket for the Jersey City race next May. Guttenberg voters will have to select a mayor in November to fill the unexpired term of office left as a result of the conviction Mayor David Delle Donna, who was forced to resign earlier this year.
Vasilios Scoullos, who was on the short list to serve as interim mayor, apparently won't be running in the fall.
"At the present time I am not endorsing anyone for mayor of Guttenberg," he said.
Possible candidates have until Sept. 18 to file petitions there.
Bayonne faces the same deadline. With three candidates already declared, Bayonne could face a serious horse race if other candidates leap in before the deadline. In both Guttenberg and Bayonne, it is winner-take-all with no run off.
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