 Getting it together
Councilman Jim Delaney’s father moved to Edgewater before all three brothers were born. They had a good time growing up and now that Jim is a father, he wants to be sure there will also be a good time in the old town for his children.
A lot has changed since he was a boy. He has good memories of what Edgewater was and great expectations for what it will be.
“We’re the only Bergen County town on the water’s edge, which is why my parents moved here. It’s why people are moving here again,” Jim said, noting that most of the abandoned factories and industrial buildings are gone. Houses are taller. River Road wider.
“People used to call Edgewater a dark, dreary town. Now it’s the place to be. Now I want to help oversee the proper cleanup and redevelopment of the rest of my borough. And I want to preserve its sense of community.”
Jim took his seat on the council at a time when the opposition party to the Democratic majority continued to disrupt meetings. “Our discussions need to be conducted with civility and respect,” he said. “The residents I grew up with, and people who do business in our town, don’t want us making decisions affecting them during late night donnybrooks.”
Although the rules of order were on the books, they were openly disregarded, despite gavel banging which only added to the din. Now greater regulatory effort is being made to enforce the rules and keep these vital meetings orderly. “There is more than good political manners involved. We will get a lot more done if we argue respectfully as one unit,” Delaney told his colleagues on the council.
Jim learned the advantages of unification when he followed his father into a union and worked there for 12 years before starting an electrical contracting business of his own. “If the AFL could get it together with the CIO,” he says, “surely our two town parties can do the same.
A lot of newbies have come to live and work in Edgewater, making Jim’s home town their home town, but we are still a small town. A priority for this majority Democratic administration is to unify the population, bringing newcomers into the circle of old timers and building a sustainable community.
During the last municipal election, Councilman Delaney was endorsed by New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine; Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney; US Congressman Steve Rothman; New Jersey Senator Joe Coniglio; Assembly members Joan Voss and Bob Gordon; Bergen County AFL - CIO.
BIO
Born and raised in here in town, Jim Delaney‘s roots in Edgewater run deep. A lifelong resident of Undercliff Avenue, graduate of Leonia High School and former student at Bergen Community College, he is a self-employed electrician and contractor who cares about the issues that face Edgewater residents. He has seen the many changes that our town has gone through over the years, watching Edgewater go from the brink of bankruptcy – with businesses closing and residents leaving – to the thriving waterfront community it is today. Under Democratic Council leadership, Jim has witnessed Edgewater’s amazing revitalization.
A member of IBEW Local 164 for 12 years, Jim knows about hard work and what it takes to get the job done right. He also served for two years on the Edgewater Recreation Committee, helping to create a healthy outlet for our community while fostering a family-friendly environment that every resident of Edgewater can enjoy. A dedicated family man who wants to help unify his hometown, Jim and his wife Bridget are proud parents of a 16 month old son, Dennis.
|
Profiles 
