Steve Fulop in State of New Jersey Archives

On Homeland Security: Signed up for Marine Corps after Sept. 11

When he witnessed the devastating attacks of September 11, 2001, Steve made the life-altering decision to leave his job at Goldman Sachs and enlist in the United States Marine Corps. As a member of the 6th Engineer Support Battalion, he was deployed to Iraq. Steven and his unit were awarded the Overseas Service Ribbon, Meritorious Masts, and the Presidential Unit Citation.

Steve came home a profoundly changed person to a profoundly changed nation, but his need to serve remained. He focused it on his own community, where he became president of both the Historic Paulus Hook Association and the Downtown Coalition of Neighborhood Associations.

On Principles & Values: Youngest elected official on the Jersey City council

For the first two years on the City Council, Steven donated his council salary to the York Street Project, a non-profit that helps women and children break the cycle of poverty. During that first term, he also earned both his master's in Business Administration from New York University's Stern School of Business and his master's in Public Administration from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs

On Principles & Values: Son of immigrants; grandson of Holocaust survivors

On Civil Rights: Hung rainbow flag on City Hall when gay marriage legalized

But our commitment to LGBT rights is not just about raising flags and changing our profile pictures.... We believe in fighting for LGBT rights. Which is why the Human Rights Campaign has awarded Jersey City a "100-percent rating" two years in a row, making us the most LGBT friendly city in the state.

On Crime: Citizen complaints against police--and crime--are way down

You usually don't see those two trends happen at the same time. But we're seeing them in Jersey City. Why? In part, because Mayor Fulop has made diversity and police reform a priority.

Jersey City is one the most diverse cities in the country. But when Mayor Fulop came into office the number of high-ranking African-American police officers in the force was... one.

Under Mayor Fulop, Jersey City became the only city in the state to take advantage of an opportunity presented by the US Department of Justice--and promote African American police officers. Today, Jersey City has one of the most diverse police forces in the country--and is seen as a model for police reform.

On Education: Returned city public school system from state control

This is a story about policy & public education. It's a story about returning control of public schools to where it should be: local. But it's also a story about something more fundamental--about remembering who our schools, our community is supposed to serve: kids.

In 1989, when the papers reported on why Jersey City schools were being turned over to the state, they said the schools were "crippled by political patronage and nepotism, weak administration and management, fiscal irregularities, and indifference." And they weren't wrong. We had schools that didn't put students first. Someone said we were suffering from "academic bankruptcy."

We have rebuilt "our academic credit." Of course, this is just the beginning. Local control does not mean our schools can't improve. They can. They will.

On Environment: Take the fight to the polluters: they pay FULL cleanup cost

Under Mayor Fulop, we've taken the fight to polluters, making sure that they're responsible for the FULL clean up. We've put a premium on green space. The amount of park space in the city has grown by 10% in the last 2 years. They say that parks are among the most important factors in determining whether people love their community. If that's the case, we're spreading the love. We're going green.

On Homeland Security: End veteran homelessness

On Social Security: Keep our promises: made city pension system more secure

We could have taken the approach that others have tried: Renege on our promise to workers. Balance our budgets on the backs of working families. Strip older workers of security at the time they need it most.

We could have done that... but then again, we believe in keeping our promises. The Fulop Administration hasn't made excuses. We've met our pension obligations every year--and began to right the ship. Our pension system is more secure than when we started. And that's true for the workers who rely on it too.

On Welfare & Poverty: Four times as much affordable housing in his administration

Everybody deserves an affordable home... and deserves one they can be proud of, in a neighborhood they will love. We believe affordable housing shouldn't be isolated in one part of the city or another. Every neighborhood should be diverse.

That's why over the past two years, Mayor Fulop has far outpaced those before him in creating affordable housing. On average, we're creating four times as many affordable homes every year as others did in the years preceding the Fulop Administration.