Cannabis Group Founder To Challenge Hoboken Council Incumbent In November 2023 Race

HOBOKEN, NJ — Candidates for Hoboken City Council usually don't announce their races this early in the year, but several residents are already gearing up for a tough battle against incumbents on the nine-member Hoboken City Council in November 2023.

On Monday, Liz Urtecho, who founded a local activist group called Hoboken for Responsible Cannabis, announced she will face Councilman Phil Cohen for the 5th Ward seat in fall.

The 5th Ward covers the northwest section of town, which has been bustling with redevelopment of parks and residential areas.

Councilman Cohen is a strong ally of Hoboken mayor Ravi Bhalla, and announced his re-election bid this past November 2022.

Around the time of Cohen's announcement, a trio of residents who had announced that they were planning to try to recall Cohen said they had dropped the effort, focusing instead of the school board referendum.

In response to Urtecho's candidacy, Cohen said Monday, "I welcome Liz Urtecho to the race and look forward to a spirited contest."

He added, "I am proud to stand on my record of concrete accomplishments that are improving quality of life in the 5th Ward and all of Hoboken, including including the construction of the Northwest Resiliency Park, defending our public waterfront, bringing CitiBikes to Hoboken and major infrastructure upgrades, such as Vision Zero improvements and Rebuild by Design resiliency infrastructure.”

What's All This About Cannabis?

The coming of cannabis dispensaries to Hoboken has proved controversial — but not the legalization.

Instead, residents have asked questions about the location of the dispensaries, recent changes in city restrictions, and possible political involvement in the businesses.

Several Hoboken council members have acknowledged last year that they did not pay enough attention to a change in law in August 2021 that ended up making it easier for cannabis businesses to open in densely populated areas.

"Cannabis dispensaries were not the kind of business we intended in C-3 and our laws should never have been expanded to include these residential areas," said Councilman Ruben Ramos last spring.

After the acknowledgements, the City Council voted in spring 2022 to limit the number of both medical and recreational dispensaries in mile-square Hoboken to six in total.

However, others who applied for permits before the change argued that they should be grandfathered in.

The most vocal debates among residents have centered on a dispensary in the northeast corner of town, just east of Cohen's ward.

Story Dispensary is slated to come to 14th and Hudson streets in the former Hudson Tavern location — a storefront partly owned by the wife of Jersey City's mayor. Protestors have asked about impacts and questioned whether the dispensary will benefit politicians. A lawsuit has been filed by the condo association against the storefront partners, saying the residents of the building believe they were misled.

Cohen argued last year that legitimate concerns about the dispensaries should be separated from "fears" and stigmatization of cannabis.

Urtecho's group has posted updates about the controversies over the dispensaries.

Both Cohen's and Urtecho's announcements are below.

And if you've got a letter or press release about Hoboken, you can post it on Patch for free with these instructions.

Hoboken Councilman Phil Cohen Announces Re-Election Bid For 5th Ward

Hoboken Councilman Phil Cohen today declared he is running for re-election to his 5th Ward Council seat. The first term Councilman was elected to the City Council in 2019 and will face the voters again in November 2023.

Mr. Cohen pointed to his leadership on the City Council in advancing improvements to Hoboken’s quality of life in his own ward and citywide as reasons to support his re-election. “Working closely with Mayor Bhalla, I have successfully helped lead the fight on the City Council to move forward critical quality-of-life projects,” said Councilman Cohen, “including the construction of the Northwest Resiliency Park, defending our waterfront at Union Dry Dock, bringing CitiBikes to Hoboken, and major infrastructure upgrades, such as Vision Zero improvements and Rebuild By Design resiliency infrastructure.”

Having conducted more than 65 community events and publishing a bi-monthly constituent newsletter, Councilman Cohen remains highly accessible and responsive. “No issue has been too large or small to tackle for my constituents — everything from filling potholes and fixing stop signs, to fighting for The Rivington’s residents to roll back unconscionable rent increases,” said Phil Cohen.

“I am running for re-election, so I can continue the work of improving all Hoboken residents’ quality of life and keeping our city on a sound long-term fiscal path,” Councilman Cohen added.

Liz Urtecho Announces Her Candidacy For Hoboken's 5th Ward

Liz Urtecho is running for City Council to represent Hoboken’s 5th Ward. Liz has been a dedicated Hoboken resident for three decades with a demonstrated track record as a community leader who leads with a commonsense approach, looks for win-win solutions, and believes the best outcomes require transparency, input, and compromise.

“I am excited to announce that I am running to be elected as Hoboken’s 5th Ward Councilwoman in November.” Says Urtecho, “Many of my 5th Ward neighbors have approached me desperate for new leadership who will listen and better address their concerns about issues such as increased development, pedestrian safety, the need to invest in our schools and rising taxes. It’s been with their overwhelming support that I have decided to run for City Council.”

Liz and her husband, Erik, have lived in Hoboken for 30 years where they have raised their four children. Liz worked in the finance industry for over a decade where she specialized in financial reporting, budgeting, and project management prior to staying home full-time with her family. She has always been active in her community, often centered around her children, and has become a prominent community advocate, most recently, fighting for the responsible rollout of cannabis dispensaries in Hoboken and is a founder of the nonprofit, Hoboken for Responsible Cannabis, Inc.

“Liz is a person of enormous integrity, who will add a breath of fresh air to our Council; an independent, community-minded public servant who is entirely motivated by doing what is right for her neighbors,” says 5th Ward residents Deb Jacobus and Bob Conrad. “It is time to begin changing the fabric and character of our Council - and we believe Liz Urtecho will be an essential first step in that direction.”

“Liz is a dedicated community leader, who is a trusted neighbor. She will bring a much needed common sense approach to all legislative matters for the diverse needs of the 5th Ward,” says former 5th Ward Councilman, Peter Cunningham. “As already proven, Liz will ask the right questions in order to get to the best solutions. She will work hard and be a strong voice for the 5th Ward in City Hall.”

Liz Urtecho for Hoboken City Council will host a campaign kick-off fundraiser on March 9, 2023. To learn more about Liz and ways to support her candidacy, go to her campaign website, www.lizurtecho.com.