Jones Lang LaSalle
James drops out of Newark mayoral race
Newark Mayor Sharpe James has withdrawn from the contest for mayor and will not seek a sixth term.
James delivered the news to the Star-Ledger via a package dropped off by city employees at about 4:40.
The move leaves former councilman Cory Booker as the leading candidate to head the state's largest city. James delivered a letter to City Clerk Bob Marasco.
"As an opponent of dual office holding, I will not be a candidate for re-election in the 2006 Newark Municipal Election and hereby request that my name be removed from the ballot," James wrote. "I also wish to publicly thank the 10,000 loving and caring Newark citizens who signed my petition of nomination.
"When I took office in 1986 as Mayor, Newark faced a $40 million budget deficit and had to borrow money to balance its municipal budget. Newark also had wide spread abandoned properties and vacant lots. It also had an image problem. Even more distressing, laid-off police officers were standing at Broad and Market Streets handing out flyers depicting Newark as 'fear city...a bankrupt city...one without leadership.' On January 25, 1986, The New York Times editorial asked, "Who can lead Newark?"
He continued, "I am pleased to report that under my leadership, working with the Municipal Council, Newark has a budget surplus in excess of $400 million in dedicated accounts to ensure that it is used for job creation, economic development projects and property tax relief for the benefit of all citizens, extending to the year 2010. I would like to believe that under my leadership Newark has climbed the rough side of the mountain and has become a renaissance city with pride, prosperity and progress. Newark is now a destination city with planned programs and economic project that will surface of the next decade...
"We have made Newark a better place and our progress is real and permanent," James wrote.
Contributed by Jeffrey C. Mays
James drops out of Newark mayoral race
Newark Mayor Sharpe James has withdrawn from the contest for mayor and will not seek a sixth term.
James delivered the news to the Star-Ledger via a package dropped off by city employees at about 4:40.
The move leaves former councilman Cory Booker as the leading candidate to head the state's largest city. James delivered a letter to City Clerk Bob Marasco.
"As an opponent of dual office holding, I will not be a candidate for re-election in the 2006 Newark Municipal Election and hereby request that my name be removed from the ballot," James wrote. "I also wish to publicly thank the 10,000 loving and caring Newark citizens who signed my petition of nomination.
"When I took office in 1986 as Mayor, Newark faced a $40 million budget deficit and had to borrow money to balance its municipal budget. Newark also had wide spread abandoned properties and vacant lots. It also had an image problem. Even more distressing, laid-off police officers were standing at Broad and Market Streets handing out flyers depicting Newark as 'fear city...a bankrupt city...one without leadership.' On January 25, 1986, The New York Times editorial asked, "Who can lead Newark?"
He continued, "I am pleased to report that under my leadership, working with the Municipal Council, Newark has a budget surplus in excess of $400 million in dedicated accounts to ensure that it is used for job creation, economic development projects and property tax relief for the benefit of all citizens, extending to the year 2010. I would like to believe that under my leadership Newark has climbed the rough side of the mountain and has become a renaissance city with pride, prosperity and progress. Newark is now a destination city with planned programs and economic project that will surface of the next decade...
"We have made Newark a better place and our progress is real and permanent," James wrote.
Contributed by Jeffrey C. Mays
posted by Jones Lang LaSalle NJ News Blog at 10:10 AM
<< Home