What headed for the Mayor

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Corruption in this re-development is obvious. When power is held for to long it's inevitable.

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Mayor fails to list everything

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Hoboken Mayor David Roberts is Hudson County's wealthiest mayor, according to state-mandated financial disclosure forms - and that's even without four properties that The Jersey Journal found in a review of city and tax records.

The financial disclosure forms represent the state's attempt to battle nagging ethics questions by forcing municipal officials to reveal annually all sources of income and all real property owned in the Garden State, among other items.

A Journal review of the disclosure forms - along with tax records and documents in the city's rent control office - revealed that Roberts failed to list at least one of his properties and raised questions about three other properties that bear his family's name.

A city spokesman said that one of the four properties was inadvertently left off the disclosure forms, but the other three aren't owned by the mayor. They're owned by the mayor's family, the spokesman said, with the mayor acting as his family's agent.

According to the state Department of Community Affairs, a public official could be fined up to $500 for each violation of the disclosure statute, but state officials wouldn't say if Roberts would be fined for leaving off 104 Fifth St., which is owned by a limited liability company founded by Roberts several years ago.

After being questioned about the property by the Journal, Roberts sent an amended disclosure form to Trenton, according to city spokesman Bill Campbell.

Documents stored in the city's rent control office indicate that "Roberts Family Partnership" owns and rents about 14 units in two four-story buildings at 200 and 202 Monroe St.

The same partnership owns Roberts' Hudson Street home.

In total, the partnership collects roughly $7,100 a month on the Monroe Street properties. The average rent is $650 a month, according to city records.

When questioned, Campbell said the mayor has "no interest" in those properties, including Roberts' Hudson Street home.

The properties are owned by his mother, Campbell said.

But the documents from the rent control office bear the mayor's signature as "owner or agent" of the properties.

JARRETT RENSHAW

THE MAYOR SAID IT IN HIS WORD "HARRISON, ANOTHER HOBOKEN"

iT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE. Peter Step down as Chairman of the re-development!! Mayor Resign finally!!