How Sheila Brennan Answered Questions: Hoboken Election Profiles

HOBOKEN, NJ — Ten candidates are running to fill three seats on the Hoboken City Council on Nov. 2, while Mayor Ravi Bhalla is running for re-election unopposed.

Below are candidate Sheila Brennan's answers to questions Patch has sent to all 10 council candidates.

Other candidates profiles are linked at the end of this story, and there are more to come.

Readers should pay attention not just to which answers candidates give, but which parts of the question they avoid answering.

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Name: Sheila Brennan

Campaign website, if any: www.it4hoboken.com

Age as of election day: 62

Party affiliation, even though Hoboken elections are non-partisan: Lifelong Democrat

Family information (Names, ages, or any details you wish to share): Widow, no kids

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? Where? No

Educational background: Attended Montclair State, Hunter College, CUNY

Occupation, years of experience: Real Estate Agent, 2 years; prior conference production, marketing, and retail brokerage

Previous or current elected or appointed offices: I currently serve
on the Rent Leveling Board, appointed by Mayor Bhalla in 2019

1. Why are you seeking elected office? (Please keep these answers to 250 words or we may automatically truncate your answer)

I was concerned that the mayoral race was uncontested and believe democracy and debate are essential to a healthy community. I love our community and want to help bring new eyes to old issues to make it even better.

2. What is the single most pressing issue facing Hoboken, and how do you think you can help solve it?

Flooding, and by extension infrastructure. We need to find solutions that can help residents and
homeowners now.

3. Do you believe national political issues are relevant to Hoboken? During the last race, candidates cited their votes in the 2016 election. Are you willing to say for whom you voted in the 2020 presidential election? Do you believe it's relevant or irrelevant, and why?

In 2020 I wrote in Bernie Sanders because I believe he was the best choice for our country. I was comfortable doing that because New Jersey is a solidly blue state. If there was any doubt of the outcome I would have voted for Joe Biden. As to the relevancy, I think party affiliation is less important than a willingness to get involved and do the hard work that our community deserves. National issues are important, but Hoboken needs our focus day-to-day.

4. An issue that often comes up on social media discussion boards is a lack of affordable summer camp options and drop-off recreational options for kids in Hoboken, and a lack of activities for teens, especially compared to other towns, some smaller. In the last few years, parents have said they didn't get enough notice about baseball signups and had to register in Union City for that town's recreation baseball instead of in Hoboken. Specifically, how would you increase low-cost recreation (and not just sports) programming for kids and teens within town, especially over the summer?

I believe we can do better in creating recreational opportunities for kids, sharing the info widely, and making it easy for parents to sign their kids up. We should add more programming for girls, and more non-sports programming. We should research what other communities are doing to discover best practices. These are opportunities that could help shape kids' trajectories, and should be free or very low cost.

5. Some believe that running for local office is only meant as a stepping stone, particularly in Hudson County. Do you plan to someday run for any other political office besides the one you are currently seeking? Why or why not?

I am not a politician and have no plan to run for any other office.

6. What is the best thing about Hoboken, and what is the worst thing?

The best thing about Hoboken is the sense of community, and how everyone loves this place and wants to make it even better. The worst thing is that people here feel they often don't have a voice in the important decisions that shape Hoboken. I want to put the public back into public service.

7. What are critical differences between you and other candidates?

Iand my running mates on the Independently Together slate are independent voices, not allied with a mayoral candidate, and not expected to support or enable anyone's agenda. We will put the people of Hoboken first in every decision we make, should we be elected.

More Information

Hoboken's municipal elections are non-partisan, meaning the elections aren't Republicans vs. Democrats, but various individuals and slates against each other.

• Council Candidate Ian Rintel's Answers To Our Questions
• Council Candidate Cindy Wiegand's Answers To Our Questions
  
• Candidate Cheryl Fallick's Answers To Our Questions
• Councilwoman Emily Jabbour's Answers To Our Questions
• Whom Did Hoboken Council Candidates Support For President In 2020?
• Hoboken Election: Jim Doyle Replaces Dini Ajmani On Mayor's Slate
  
• Citing 'Toxic' Hoboken Politics, Councilman Won't Run For Mayor

I'm Running For Re-Election, Announces Mayor

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