Working For Hoboken: A Family Affair?

How many staffers on the Hoboken municipal payroll have family members working for the city?

As of May 1, out of 545 total employees, there were 181 people that shared the same last name as another staff member – about 33 percent - according to payroll data acquired through an OPRA request.

When Patch reached out to Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer’s office to inquire about the city’s hiring policies when it comes to family members, City Communications Manager Juan Melli pointed to Zimmer’s “Executive Order to Ban Nepotism in Office,” signed in 2011.

According to the order:

• Unless he or she obtains a waiver pursuant to the business administrator, with the consent of the mayor, no official or employee may appoint or hire his or her spouse or domestic partner/civil union partner, child or step-child, sibling or step-sibling, parent or member of his household for employment, including by contract (unless competitively bid) with the city
• No official may supervise of be in a direct line of supervision over the above. If an official comes into a direct line of supervision with these persons, he or she will have six months to come into compliance or obtain a waiver

SAME LAST NAME

Last names on the payroll as of May 1 included:

• Aligo – 2 people
• Allegretta – 2 people
• Amaro – 2 people
• Amato – 2 people
• Arocho – 2 people
• Azzoline – 2 people
• Blohm – 3 people (includes since-retired Fire Chief Richard Blohm)
• Buonfiglio – 2 people
• Campbell – 2 people
• Canonico – 2 people
• Castellano – 2 people
• Chirichella – 2 people
• Collins – 2 people
• Colon – 3 people
• Costello – 2 people
• Crandell – 2 people
• Cruz – 4 people
• Daliani – 2 people
• Diaz – 2 people
• Dortch – 2 people
• Drishti – 2 people
• England – 2 people
• Falco – 2 people
• Farina – 2 people
• Ferrante – 2 people
• Figueroa – 4 people
• Flores – 2 people
• Foley – 2 people
• Gigante – 2 people
• Gomez – 2 people
• Gonzalez – 5 people
• Goodwin – 2 people
• Grossi – 2 people
• Hochstadter – 2 people
• Huggins – 2 people
• Jacobelli – 2 people
• Johnson – 2 people
• Lehbrink – 2 people
• Lugo – 2 people
• Markey – 3 people
• Martinez – 3 people
• McCourt – 2 people
• McDonald – 2 people
• McNamara – 2 people
• Metcalfe – 2 people
• Miller – 3 people
• Molta – 2 people
• Montanez – 5 people
• Morales – 2 people
• O’Connor – 2 people
• Olavarria – 2 people
• Olivera – 2 people
• Orsini – 2 people
• Pasculli – 3 people
• Perez – 3 people
• Prestimonico – 2 people
• Riccardi – 3 people
• Richards – 2 people
• Rivera – 3 people
• Rodriguez – 3 people
• Roman – 2 people
• Romero – 2 people
• Rotondi – 4 people
• Russo – 2 people
• Sanabria – 2 people
• Santiago – 3 people
• Soto – 2 people
• Stefano – 2 people
• Taglieri – 3 people
• Torres – 2 people
• Turner – 3 people
• Velez – 3 people
• Vera – 2 people
• Volaric – 2 people
• Walker – 2 people
• White – 3 people
• Zampella – 2 people

• Related Patch article: How Much Are Hoboken City Workers Earning?
• Related Patch article: Top 10 Highest Paid City Employees

Send Hoboken news tips and photos to eric.kiefer@patch.com