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Hudson County Executive

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County Executive of Hudson County
Incumbent
Thomas A. DeGise
since November 2002
Term lengthFour years; renewable
Inaugural holderEdward F. Clark Jr.
Formation1972
Salary$151,000 (per 2017)[1]

The County Executive of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States is the chief officer of the county's executive branch who oversees the administration of county government and works in collaboration with the nine-member Board of County Commissioners (formerly Board of Chosen Freeholders), which acts in a legislative role. The New Jersey Superior Court had subsumed and replaced county courts in 1983. The office of the county executive is in the Hudson County Courthouse in the county seat, Jersey City.

The county executive is elected directly by the voters to a term of four years, which begins on January 1. At the 2010 United States Census, the county's population was 634,266.[2] As of Election Day 2017 there were 348,366 registered voters in Hudson.[3]

There have been three elected and one appointed county executives since the establishment of the office in 1977, which replaced the county supervisor. The incumbent, Thomas A. DeGise, took office in 2002 and has been re-elected for five consecutive terms; he was again re-elected in 2019.[4] He intends to retire at the end of his term in 2023.[5] His chief of staff, Craig Guy, announced his candidacy for the position in September 2022.[6]

History

Prior the creation of the office of executive, the Board of Chosen Freeholders chose a Director from among themselves.[7]

In 1972, New Jersey passed the Optional County Charter Law, which provides for four different manners in which a county could be governed: by an executive, an administrator, a board president or a county supervisor.[8]

Hudson is one of five New Jersey counties with a popularly-elected county executive, the others being Atlantic, Bergen, Essex, and Mercer.[9][10]

There have been three elected and one appointed county executives since the establishment of the office in 1977, which replaced the county supervisor.

County executives

1975–1987

Edward F. Clark Jr. (born Bayonne - d. December 3, 2011 Monmouth Beach) was elected after the form of county government was changed, becoming the county's first county executive in 1977.[11]

Clark was the son of Edward F. Clark Sr., who was once Mayor of Bayonne. He was graduate of George Washington University, Clark served in the Navy during World War II.

Clark served as Hudson County Freeholder from 1962 to 1970. He was director of the board from 1970 to 1972 and county supervisor from 1972 to 1975.[12] After 12 years in the post, he was defeated in a Democratic primary for the office in 1987.[13]

1988–2001

Robert C. Janiszewski (b. September 18, 1945 in Jersey City) was elected County Executive in 1987 after having won the Democratic primary against incumbent Edward F. Clark Jr.[13]

He attended St. Joseph's School in Jersey City and St. Michael's High School in Union City. He graduated Jersey City State College with a B.A. degree in 1967 and an M.A. degree in sociology in 1975. He taught social sciences at Westwood High School and Hudson County Community College.[14]

In 1977, Janiszewski was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly, serving from 1978 to 1984. He also served as a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and chairman of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority.[15] He entered the race for the Democratic gubernatorial primary in 1997 but withdrew before the election.[16]

On September 6, 2001, Janiszewski resigned from his position as county executive due to corruption charges. He would later be sentenced to 41 months in prison for tax evasion and accepting more than $100,000 in bribes.[17]

2001–2002 (interim)

Bernard M. Hartnett Jr., is a lawyer and former executive at New Jersey Bell.[18] He was the former Hudson County Democratic chairman when appointed by county Democratic leaders as interim county executive on October 14, 2001, after the resignation of Janiszewski.[19][20]

Hartnett was a pro-reform candidate.[21] He had been considered for as an interim Mayor of Jersey City after the seat became vacant February 7, 1992, when Gerald McCann was removed from office after his conviction on fraud charges.[22][23]

2002–present

Thomas DeGise was born, raised, and lives in Jersey City.[24] He earned his bachelor's degree in Political Science from Saint Peter's College in 1973. He worked as teacher and administrator in the Jersey City Public Schools from 1975, and served as a job placement counselor at Henry Snyder High School before retiring.

DeGise entered public life as a community leader during the 1980s, founding the New #28 School Neighborhood Association and eventually chairing the Heights Coalition of Neighborhood Associations (HCNA) in the Heights section of Jersey City.[25]

DeGise was Jersey City's longest serving Municipal Council President, holding that office from 1993 to 2001. In 2001, DeGise ran for Mayor of Jersey City in an election won by Glenn Cunningham.[26][27]

Following the resignation of Janiszewski in September 2001, DeGise took office as county executive after winning a special election in November 2002 with 77 percent of the vote. On his first day in office, he submitted legislation to the Board of Chosen Freeholders to create the first ever Ethics Oversight Board for the Hudson County government. He was re-elected in 2003,[28] 2007[29] and 2011[30] 2015. DeGise served as the Chairman of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority for a two-year term that ended in January 2016.[25]

He sought re-election in 2019[31][32] and won with 83% of the vote.[33][4] for a term which ends December 31, 2023.[34] He intends to retire.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Hudson County's top 10 public salaries: a clean sweep for men". 30 June 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  2. ^ DP1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Hudson County, New Jersey Archived 2020-02-12 at archive.today, United States Census Bureau. Accessed January 21, 2013.
  3. ^ "Statewide Voter Registration Summary" (PDF). New Jersey Department of State. November 7, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  4. ^ a b "DeGise wins landslide re-election". New Jersey Globe. November 6, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Writer, Daniel Israel, Staff (August 15, 2022). "Tom DeGise to retire as Hudson County Executive in 2023".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ Israel, Daniel (September 22, 2022). "Craig Guy officially kicks off campaign for Hudson County Executive". Hudson Reporter. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  7. ^ State and Local Government Special Studies, United States Bureau of the Census, 1936
  8. ^ Miller, William (1974), Model County Administrative Codes Under the Optional County Charter Law of New Jersey, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, retrieved February 28, 2018
  9. ^ Robert D. PRUNETTI, County Executive of Mercer County, Plaintiff, v. MERCER COUNTY BOARD OF CHOSEN FREEHOLDERS, Defendant (Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division November 13, 2001) ("In 1972, the Legislature adopted the Optional County Charter Law, providing a county the opportunity to reorganize its form of government into one of four alternative forms: (i) the County Executive Plan; (ii) the County Manager Plan; (iii) the Board President Plan; or (iv) the County Supervisor Plan. See N.J.S.A. 40:41A-1 et seq. Six counties have elected to reorganize their governmental structure pursuant to the Optional Charter Act. They are respectively: Atlantic, Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Mercer and Union Counties. Five of these counties...have opted for the County Executive Plan."), Text.
  10. ^ Rinde, Meir. "Explainer: What’s a Freeholder? NJ’s Unusual County Government System", NJ Spotlight, October 27, 2015. Accessed October 26, 2017. "Five counties -- Atlantic, Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Mercer -- opted for popularly elected county executives in addition to freeholder boards."
  11. ^ "Hudson County's first county executive, Edward F. Clark Jr., is dead". 4 December 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  12. ^ "Tributes pour in for Ed Clark, Hudson County's first county executive". 5 December 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  13. ^ a b Sullivan, Joseph F. (1987-06-03). "Clark, Hudson County Executive for 12 Years, Loses Primary Race". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
  14. ^ Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey. J.A. Fitzgerald. 1979. p. 250.
  15. ^ "Hudson County Exec Quits Suddenly". The Record (Bergen County). 2001-09-07.
  16. ^ "Florio Won't Run for Governor". The Record (Bergen County). 1997-02-23.
  17. ^ Smothers, Ronald (March 25, 2005). "Former Hudson County Leader Gets 41 Months in Corruption Case". New York Times. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  18. ^ "Bernard M. Hartnett, Jr., Life Director - Friends of THIRTEEN". 11 August 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  19. ^ Strunsky, Steve (October 14, 2001). "Briefing: Politics: Hudson County Executive". The New York Times. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  20. ^ "Bitter Feud In Contest For Party Post Goes Public". The New York Times. 15 March 2002. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  21. ^ "Public Cynicism Has Reformers In Jersey City Shunning Label". The New York Times. 24 October 1971. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  22. ^ "Mayor Gets Court Order Over Ouster". The New York Times. 10 January 1992. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  23. ^ "Clock Ticking on Search For Mayor in Jersey City". The New York Times. 9 March 1992. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  24. ^ "Always supportive DeGise's wife dies after sudden heart attack - Described as quiet and reserved Helene E. DeGise the wife of County Executive Tom DeGise died on Friday Aug. 25 at age 55 after a sudden heart attack. Mrs. DeGise was rushed to Ch..." Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  25. ^ a b "DeGise Elected Chairman" (Press release). NJTPA. Retrieved 2014-07-09.
  26. ^ "Ex-Council President Elected Mayor of Jersey City". The New York Times. 6 June 2001. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  27. ^ "Close Election Forces Runoff For Mayor Of Jersey City". The New York Times. 9 May 2001. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  28. ^ "6 wild Hudson County primary battles from yesteryear". June 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  29. ^ "2007 General Election Winners of County Offices Hudson County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of State. January 29, 2008. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  30. ^ Hudson County Executive Thomas DeGise and Democrats sweep county races: new face as register; incumbent freeholders win, only 2 faced challengers Charles Hack/The Jersey Journal | November 09, 2011
  31. ^ "En Garde! Hudson Dems to war over county executive seat". 7 March 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  32. ^ Journal, The Jersey (March 8, 2018). "Should Hudson County Exec Tom DeGise run for re-election?". nj.
  33. ^ Journal, The Jersey (November 6, 2019). "N.J. election results 2019: Hudson County (updated)". nj.
  34. ^ "Hudson County Executive DeGise 'non-committal' on running for 6th term". 25 February 2022.
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