hoboken

Mayor Emily B. Jabbour today announced plans to restructure the City of Hoboken’s municipal departments to improve efficiency, strengthen coordination across City services, improve transparency, and enhance quality of life for residents of all ages, while maintaining a budget neutral structure. 

The proposal would consolidate existing divisions and functions into a more streamlined structure while creating the new Department of Community Services. This department would bring together Constituent Services, social workers, Cultural Affairs, Senior Services, Health, and Recreation under one unified umbrella focused on delivering responsive, accessible, and inclusive City services and programs. The new Department’s mission will center on the people of Hoboken and will be in service of the health, welfare, and well-being of the community. 

“This reorganization is about putting people first,” said Mayor Jabbour. “By aligning services that directly touch residents’ daily lives into a single Department of Community Services, we can better meet community needs, reduce silos, and improve outcomes, without adding costs or creating new bureaucracy. Our goal is a City government that works smarter and delivers a higher quality of life for everyone who calls Hoboken home.” 

The proposal does not add any new departments beyond those created through consolidation. Instead, it reorganizes existing divisions and functions to improve coordination and operational efficiency. 

In addition to the Department of Community Services, the proposal establishes a new Department of Infrastructure, which will integrate Capital Planning, Engineering, Public Works, Facilities, Information Technology, and sustainability and resiliency efforts. This Department combines divisions of the current Department of Climate Action & Innovation with Divisions of Public Works including Parks, Sanitation, Road Repair, and Fleet Maintenance. As part of this reorganization, the City will dissolve the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Public Works and Department of Climate Action and Innovation. 

The proposed departmental restructuring will streamline planning and design for infrastructure, public spaces, transportation, and development through improved collaboration between the Departments of Infrastructure, Transportation and Parking, and Community Development. This partnership will strengthen project delivery and construction management citywide while mitigating quality of life impacts. 

“This structure allows us to better align long-term planning, maintenance of City assets, and sustainability efforts,” said Business Administrator and Chief Sustainability Officer Jennifer Gonzalez. “By bringing these functions together, we can improve coordination, deliver projects more efficiently, and ensure that quality of life concerns are addressed as we build, maintain, and operate our city.” 

To better serve the public, the City will also establish a new Division of Public Engagement within the Department of Administration reporting to the Business Administrator and the Mayor’s Chief of Staff. The Division will be responsible for fostering meaningful, transparent, and responsive communication between the City and the community. It will centralize and oversee public communications and outreach, constituent and community engagement initiatives, digital and social media communications, data-informed engagement efforts, press and media relations, and the coordination of quality-of-life issues across City departments, among other responsibilities all in an effort to ensure the public is informed of and able to participate in City initiatives.  

“Strong cities are built on trust, and that is only possible with a transparent government that keeps the public informed,” said Mayor Jabbour. “The new Division of Public Engagement reflects our commitment to clear, accessible, and consistent communication so residents can understand City decisions, stay informed about initiatives that affect their daily lives, and engage with us so we can better serve them. An informed community is an empowered community, and this division helps make that possible.”  

The proposed ordinance will be introduced for first reading at the City Council meeting on Feb. 11 and will require a second reading for adoption.