Hobokenites to Answer Three Public Questions

Beside voting for president, senator, congressman and Hobokenites will be asked three local public questions on Tuesday.

1. Should Municipal Elections be Moved to November?

The first question on the ballot asks the residents of Hoboken if municipal elections — currently held in May — in which the Hoboken City Council members and the mayor are chosen, should be moved to the general election in November.

2. Should Hoboken revert from rent control to vacancy de-control?

The second question centers on rent control in Hoboken. The issue was on the ballot last year as well.

The proposal on Tuesday's referendum, "will decontrol apartments upon a vacancy and then recontrol them when a landlord and tenant agree to a new rent," according to Mile Square Tax Payer Association, the advocacy group that represents the landlords. The change  would apply to new residents, according to the Mile Square Tax Payers Association. Landlords have argued that rent control keeps the rent artificially low. Tenant advocates have been campaigning against the change, saying that it will end rent control in Hoboken, because it will give landlords the power to drastically increase prices.

3. Should run-off elections be eliminated?

Currently, municipal elections in Hoboken are followed — if necessary — by a run-off, if one candidate doesn't win the majority of the votes the first time around. The third question on the ballot asks if run-offs should be eliminated. A run-off has not changed the outcome in any of Hoboken's recent elections. Run-off elections are typically held in June, a couple of weeks after the May elections.

There are also two state-wide questions New Jersey residents will answer.