For the first time in years, District 4 has a contested race for Hudson County Commissioner. Incumbent Yraida Aponte-Lipski faces challenger Aaron Weiner this November, and both candidates agreed to go on the record.
We sent them the same 17-question pledge we’ve used across Hudson County this cycle — covering housing supply, Vision Zero, Bus Rapid Transit on JFK Boulevard, automated parking enforcement, NJ Transit advocacy, and county parks.
A few things worth reading closely before you vote:
On BRT, Weiner is the most specific candidate we’ve heard from all cycle: he wants full BRT in 2027, proposes repurposing the county’s underutilized Transcend bus fleet to launch shuttle loops in the Heights and Greenville immediately, and wants paint on the road in the first half of next year. Aponte-Lipski points to the ongoing NJTPA/NJDOT study and says the county should continue working toward a transition.
On automated parking enforcement, Aponte-Lipski notes that the county doesn’t control parking enforcement. Weiner supports working with local municipalities with a focus on school zones as the starting point.
On The View at Lincoln Park, Weiner is direct: the venue isn’t meeting its obligation to serve the public and should be held to it. Aponte-Lipski says she’d need to know specifically what promise was broken before pursuing any remedy.
On planning board reform, Aponte-Lipski — who sits on the planning board — says she’d need to know what specifically feels obstructive before committing to changes. Weiner supports clear, predictable timelines and calls out unnecessary delays as a cost driver that limits housing production.
Both candidates support the full range of commitments in the pledge, but the differences are in specificity, urgency, and willingness to name what isn’t working. Vote by Tuesday, November 3.
You can read their full, unedited responses organized by topic below:
If you are interested in other county districts, you can read Hudson County Commissioner candidate responses at the link below: