In order to better service the residents of the 5th Ward, Councilman Julio Tavarez will be conducting a series of Collaboration meetings with the community.  He will be working alongside the Paterson Public Schools Department of Community Services, 3rd Ward Councilman and President of the City Council Bill McKoy, 6th Ward Councilman Andre Sayegh among others.

Additionally, the Ward has been grouped by neighborhood instead of political ward or district (see image below). 

By working with folks in their neighborhoods, we will be able to engage the community into the Community Collaboration Model allowing us to build relationships and begin to develop our neighborhoods.

Please join us!
7/31 – Unity Square Park Neighborhood – First AME Zion Church
326 Ellison Street

08/07 – Near Eastside Neighborhood – PS #30
851 East 28th St

8/21 – Sandy Hill Neighborhood – PS #15

8/27 – Upper Eastside Neighborhood – PS #13
690 East 23rd Street

8/28 – Dublin Neighborhood – Father English Hall
435 Main Street

Click here to print the flyer

Your support is needed and truly appreciated!

Please join me as we celebrate OUR victory in the 5th Ward!
 
5th Ward Victory Celebration Party
Saturday July 12th – 7PM
St. Joseph’s Gymnasium
45 Olive Street
Paterson, NJ 07501
 
Cost: FREE

We are looking for 5th Ward residents that would like to post information about our ward so we can all stay informed about whats gong on in our ward.  So if you are interested, please use the contact form on the right hand side of the page.

Swear-in Ceremony
TODAY, July 1st - 12:00PM
Passaic County Community College
1 College Blvd.
Paterson, NJ

Then join us at the celebration:
Swear-in Celebration
TONIGHT, July 1st – 6:00PM
The Bonfire Restaurant
999 Market Street
Paterson, NJ
Donation $50
(Make checks payable to Friends of Julio Tavarez)

Julio Tavarez takes part in the Annual 5th Ward Clean-Up

By ALEXANDER MacINNES, HERALD NEWS | 05/14/08 03:03 AM

Julio Tavarez tops Juan Torres; other incumbents return

PATERSON — Voters in the 5th Ward ousted incumbent Juan Torres during Tuesday’s City Council elections — a setback for Mayor Jose “Joey” Torres, who loses a loyalist on the legislative body.

In falling to political newcomer Julio Tavarez, Juan Torres was the only incumbent to lose his seat, with voters in three other wards returning the more experienced hand over a slate of challengers. The other new face on the council is Andre Sayegh, who won in the 6th Ward, where Councilman Thomas Rooney Jr. is retiring.

Other veterans returning to the council are Aslon Goow Sr. in the 2nd Ward, William McKoy in the 3rd Ward and the 4th Ward’s Vera Ames-Garnes, who beat back two young challengers to continue her 22 years in office. First Ward Councilman Anthony E. Davis, the only candidate to run unopposed, had the easiest path back to his seat.

Voter turnout on Tuesday was relatively low. Overall, 1,655 more voters came out this year than in 2004, when 6,192 people voted in the ward council races.

In the 5th Ward, Tavarez, the founder of patersononline.net, upset Torres in a heated battle marked by personal attacks and allegations of divisive and dirty politicking. Torres, who was born in Puerto Rico, had said his Dominican challenger practiced dirty campaign tactics.

“I want to say we ran a clean campaign,” Tavarez said. “I think what made us successful was the fact that our opponent, the incumbent councilman, was running a divisive campaign. We ran a campaign of unity and now you can see it.” Continue reading »

Letter to the Editor - Herald News

The article about the 5th Ward race published in the May 5 Herald News was troubling to me. It played up all the things that are tearing Paterson apart. By highlighting what divides us, the article ignores all that binds us — a common struggle, a common future. So much is at stake here in the 5th Ward. Our children lack enough recreation. Our schools are failing. Our families are struggling to make ends meet.

It is important that we have leadership that looks past our differences and instead finds ways to unite and motivate our community so we all can be a part of a better future in the 5th Ward.

As a third generation black American raised in Paterson, I am proud to support Julio Tavarez for 5th Ward councilman on May 13. Tavarez gives me hope that we can stop the destructive feuding and petty bickering and work together to improve the lives of all Patersonians. Continue reading »