When the state law banning Dual-Office Holding came into effect on February 1st, 2008, it put an end to obvious conflicts of interest in government. No officials can legally hold two elected offices, except those who already held the offices before the law was passed and also, apparently, Acting Mayor and City Council President Dawn Zimmer. By serving as both Mayor and City Council President, Dawn Zimmer is making a mockery of representative government. Hoboken is supposed to be run by separate, distinct Legislative and Executive branches. But now, Zimmer both introduces policy, as Mayor, and enacts it, as Council President. With her allies on the council voting with her, it means that Zimmer is the most powerful politician Hoboken has seen since former mayor Anthony Russo. A good example of this happened at the City Council meeting on September 2, 2009. A resolution asking Mayor Zimmer to step down from the Council was introduced and seconded. But a vote was never called. Why Because Mayor and Council President Zimmer asked a young city attorney for a ruling and he agreed that the resolution which was introduced and seconded did not have to be voted on. One can only wonder whether he would have been employed the following day had he offered a different opinion. Since then, "Mayor" Zimmer has appointed several $100,000 plus new city directors - and "Council President" Zimmer approved the appointments. This is too much power in one person's hands. Why won't Dawn Zimmer, who ran for office as a reformer, give up her council seat Because she's afraid of losing the special election for Mayor on November 3. She says that wouldn't be "fair" to her... but the real issue is what's "fair" for Hoboken and whether the values and principles of government reform apply to all of us, or everyone except Dawn Zimmer. Please sign our online petition calling for Mayor Zimmer to give up her seat on the City Council. Because it's the right thing to do. As a so-called "reformer," Dawn was supposed to help clean up city government. Instead, she has blatantly grabbed power for herself. We can't let Dawn Zimmer get away with this. Sign the petition today, and tell Dual Job Dawn that she must resign her Fourth Ward Council seat, and let Hoboken have the representative government it deserves.

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