FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 27, 2026
CONTACT: Karina Diaz, Hudson County Executive’s Office
PHONE: 201-369-4386
Two years of service, opportunity, and community strength
JERSEY CITY, NJ — Hudson County Executive Craig Guy delivered his third State of the County Address, highlighting two years of accomplishments that have improved the lives of residents across the county. Over this period, his administration has advanced affordable housing, food security, career and educational opportunities, public safety, transportation, and open space improvements. In the speech, Guy stressed the importance of strong partnerships with municipalities, state and federal officials, and community organizations in delivering a better quality of life for residents. County Executive Guy also reaffirmed his commitment to building a more inclusive, resilient, and Hudson Strong community.
“During my first two years as County Executive, we have made great efforts to provide services, create opportunities, and improve the quality of life for each and every Hudson County resident. While there is still much to do, I am excited for Hudson County’s future,” said County Executive Guy. “From building affordable housing, to upgrading our parks throughout the county, to defending our community from the Trump administration’s harmful policies, we are doing everything we can to improve the everyday lives of the more than 700,000 people who call Hudson County home.
In his remarks, County Executive Guy highlighted initiatives across the county, including:
- Affordable Housing: An ambitious plan for additional county-owned housing projects in Jersey City.
- Food Security: Expansion of client-choice food pantries in Hoboken and Bayonne, plus a coordinated response to the SNAP crisis during last year’s federal government shutdown.
- Career and Education Opportunities: Opening of the new Hudson County Schools of Technology at Bayonne High School and $10 million in workforce development funding for job seekers.
- Public Safety and Mobility: Continued implementation of the Vision Zero Action Plan, including safer streets, bike lanes, shared-use paths, and a Bus Rapid Transit feasibility study.
- Open Space and Recreation: Funding for new parks, trails, pavilions, and playgrounds, with a focus on historic preservation and supporting local minority-owned contractors.
To view the full livestream recording of the Address, click here.
For photos, click here.
The County Executive’s Address, as prepared for delivery:
I want to begin by thanking everyone assembled here today, especially my partners in elected office. It’s been quite a month with the snowstorms, and I remain extremely proud of the work our crews have done not only in the county, but in helping out each of our municipalities.
I want to thank our board of commissioners, under the leadership of Chairman Anthony Romano. There is always some push and pull between the chief executive and the legislative body – that is what makes our democracy unique – but I am proud of what we have accomplished together this past year.
To all of our mayors, – thank you for your continued partnership. I see here today,
- Mayor James Solomon
- Mayor Wayne Zitt
- And Mayor Brian Stack
Thank you for your service and for always putting our residents first.
And of course, thank you to Governor Sherrill and Lt. Governor Caldwell; our legislative leadership in Trenton
- Senate President Nick Scutari
- Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin
And our state legislators who are here today,
- State Senator Raj Mukherji
- Assemblyman Ravi Bhalla
- Assemblywoman Katie Brennan
- Assemblyman William Sampson
- Assemblyman Jerry Walker
- Assemblyman Larry Wainstein
- Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor-Marin;
and our Congressional delegation – I see Congressman Rob Menendez and Congresswoman McIver here.
Thank you for everything you do on behalf of our residents.
I would be remiss if I didn’t recognize our county employees, under the leadership of our amazingly diverse group of county directors. Thank you for working day-in-and-day-out to make Hudson County a better place to live, work, play and raise a family for all of our residents.
During my first two years as County Executive, we have made great efforts to provide services, create opportunities and improve the quality of life for each and every Hudson County resident.
No question – there is still much more to do. Far too many residents are hurting, whether it’s struggling to pay rent, purchasing groceries, or living in fear as the federal administration tramples our rights as Americans. Let’s be honest – times are tough.
But that does not mean we should back down. NO! As a former Jersey City police officer and as County Executive, I have dedicated my entire life to public service.
That means listening to our residents. We hear you, and we are doing everything we can to improve the everyday lives of the more than 700,000 people who call Hudson County “home.”
I hear a lot from folks about the serious need for more affordable housing. My administration worked with the Hudson County Improvement Authority to provide $52.5 million in financing for the Bayfront affordable housing development via county-guaranteed bonds.
One of my first things I did coming into office was to create an Affordable Housing Task Force, led by Bill Matsikoudis. With the help of the task force, I recently released an ambitious plan to develop substantial affordable housing on county-owned land at four locations in Jersey City.
In fact, we are currently working with the City of Jersey City to create a new redevelopment plan for the nearly 13 acres of surface parking lots at County Plaza to create a new, beautiful neighborhood with at least 200 homes for Hudson County families.
This is truly exciting! We will continue to push the initiative forward and we are actively working with our partners in labor, city, and state government to make this project a reality.
After housing affordability, we hear most about food insecurity. My administration has focused on food security since the start, and last March, we secured a $1.8 million federal grant to bring a client choice food pantry to the Hoboken Community Center that will serve Hoboken and North Hudson residents in need.
In addition, I am elated to report that this year – in 2026 – we will break ground on a client choice food pantry in the City of Bayonne that will bring good, wholesome food to the community.
You may remember that the recent federal government shutdown threatened SNAP benefit cuts for more than 58,000 Hudson County residents. With these devastating cuts on the horizon, my administration brought together our 12 municipalities to create a countywide response to this crisis.
From holding additional food distribution events, to providing additional funding to non-profits that help feed the community, to delivering food to families in Hudson County’s housing assistance program, we helped many families put food on the table during this time.
I would like to especially thank
- Director Darice Toon
- Deputy Director Nicole Harrison-Garcia
- Director Lisa Prusko
- Deputy Director Joann Northgrave
- Director Frank Mazza
- Director Becky Scott
- And Chief Executive Officer of the Hudson County Improvement Authority, Norman Guerra for their considerable efforts in service to Hudson County.
Of course, affordability is important, but every person needs a consistent income from a good career, which is why I have prioritized creating educational and career opportunities for Hudson County residents.
This past October we officially opened the new Hudson County Schools of Technology at Bayonne High School. This state-of-the-art facility hosts 400 students and offers career-focused programs in construction, criminal justice, electrical, plumbing, carpentry, and other fields.
I want to give a special thank you to
- Superintendent of Hudson County Schools of Technology Tom Macagnano
- Bayonne Superintendent of Schools John Niesz
- County Commissioner and Deputy Superintendent of Bayonne Public Schools Kenneth Kopacz for making this school become a reality.
I also want to give special recognition to the Hudson County Building Trades who were vital to developing the school’s curriculum.
But no matter how many good opportunities we provide our students, our county must also focus on job opportunities and small business support.
In 2025, Sharita Brown, the Executive Director of our Hudson County Workforce Development Board and her staff secured $10 million to enhance localized training and employment services for adults, dislocated workers, youth, and welfare recipients. Thank you to Sharita and your team – keep up the good work!
Our small business community is the heartbeat of our economy, and from day one of my administration, we have worked with the Hudson County Economic Development Corporation to develop a strategy for business attraction, retention, and growth.
I am proud that the owners of one of the businesses that has benefitted from this work – Rachel and Angel Hidalgo of Bayonne’s Double Batch Bakery – are here with us today. Thank you for being a vital part of our Hudson County business community and thank you Director Michelle Richardson for your leadership.
Let me address some extremely concerning recent issues with ICE.
From sending ICE agents into our county to cancelling funding for the Hudson Gateway Tunnel Project, the Trump Administration’s actions are not acceptable – and I am here to tell you that Hudson is fighting back with our partners in Congress, Congressman Menendez and Congresswoman McIver.
It is NOT okay for the Trump Administration to threaten Hudson County’s economy, hurt our hard-working families, kill good-paying union jobs, or deny vital infrastructure upgrades to our region. Nor is it okay for them to sow fear and create discord in our community with aggressive immigration enforcement tactics.
I will always do what I can within my governmental power to ensure our communities are protected. Last month, I signed an executive order banning federal immigration authorities from county-owned property. And this month I issued an executive order establishing the Safe Communities Committee.
I want to recognize the work of our Law Department, particularly our deputy county counsel, Reana Garcia. Reana is our in-house immigration expert, and her wealth of knowledge and sense of decency have helped guide me as we work toward a better, fairer, more humane society.
Protecting our community from this awful, unprecedented federal overreach is a team effort. We are partnering with our municipalities, local law enforcement, residents, and advocates to ensure Hudson County is a safe, welcoming community for all who come here in peace, seeking a better way of life.
My commitment to a better way of life does not stop there — public safety includes efforts to make our streets safer for pedestrians, bikers, and motorists. We launched our Vision Zero Action Plan in early 2025, and we have been working to improve our street safety infrastructure. Just some highlights include:
- Safety upgrades to County Road 508 which connects Kearny and Jersey City
- Repaving River Road in North Hudson with bike lanes
- Approving funding for a Bus Rapid Transit feasibility study on county roads
- And I look forward to beginning construction on the 14th Street Viaduct in Hoboken
And, of course, I couldn’t complete a speech about our county without mentioning our parks and the success of our open space, recreation, and historic preservation trust fund.
- In May we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Fund, which over the past two decades, has
- Created over 20 parks;
- Established, upgraded, or improved 42 recreation facilities;
- Developed or rehabilitated 14 spray parks and over 50 playgrounds;
- And preserved 19 historic sites throughout all 12 municipalities in the county.
Apart from this, my Administration has
- Secured funding for a nature trail in Braddock Park;
- Designated the Hackensack River Greenway in Stephen Gregg Park;
- And broken ground on new pavilion in Mercer Park.
I am especially proud of the fact that the pavilion will be built by MDW Construction Service, a minority-owned contractor rooted right here in our community. Thank you to Markeese Wilson, owner of MDW Construction.
When I look at Hudson County, I see so much potential.
But I am going to be honest, times are tough. And we will see tougher times ahead. But Hudson County is strong. And I am confident that Hudson County’s greatest strength has always been – and always will be – its people and the remarkable diversity of our communities. From every culture, language, and tradition, we are woven together into something stronger than any one of us alone. This diversity is not something we simply acknowledge – WE ARE HUDSON STRONG!