Jen Giattino Gears Up to Join City Council

All of the six City Council ward seats were up for reelection this past May, and despite several challengers, Jen Giattino was the only one to unseat an incumbent. “That surprised me more than anything,” she said. Giattino will replace lifelong Hoboken resident and longtime Sixth Ward Councilman Nino Giacchi on July 1.

Though Giattino won’t be sworn in until Friday, she's already working to find a balance between being a mother of three, a real estate agent, a business owner, and now, a councilwoman. “I’m definitely good at getting things done,” she said. “And I am sure it has to do with the people I surround myself with.”

Giattino said she’s been attending community meetings regarding a variety of issues, like rent control and the future of the library, and introducing herself to any business owners, local leaders and constituents she hasn’t already met. “I’m definitely meeting a lot of people who want to help and volunteer,” said Giattino. She added that she’s also busy making lists of what she wants to get done during her tenure in office: “I’m just organizing my life in a whole new way.”

One goal she’d like to accomplish within the next month is a ward-wide cleanup. Giattino said she already has several volunteers who are going to target trash on the street and flyers on telephone poles. “I really think it will bring awareness to people,” she said, adding that she’d like to see it become a citywide event.

Giattino said she would also like to establish a community group similar to the First Ward Block Association, which meets monthly and raises money for an annual scholarship awarded to a graduating high school senior. “They are a pretty strong group,” she said. “I think it would be great if we could start something like that in the sixth ward.”

During her term, Giattino would like to see council members cooperate more on larger city issues. “I feel like I can do that, help bring people together,” she said, noting that she'd like to work on improving the relationship between the city and the Stevens community.

Taxes will be one of Giattino’s top priorities. “I feel really strongly that we don’t put ourselves in a place where our taxes will increase,” she said. And giving back the surplus, she added, is “a surefire way to increase our taxes in the future.”

The City Council plans to hold an emergency meeting regarding what to do with the surplus on June 29, two days before Giattino will have a chance to sway the current voting majority.

Hoboken’s newest council member said her win hasn’t quite sunk in yet, but she thought she had a good campaign. “I felt like I really reached out to everyone,” she said. But now, she added, it’s time to focus on what’s ahead.