Bill Matsikoudis

Bill Matsikoudis

Education

High school

Red Bank Catholic High School

Bachelor's

Seton Hall University

Law

Seton Hall University

Personal

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Personal website

Bill Matsikoudis was a candidate for mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey. He was defeated in the general election on November 7, 2017.

Although mayoral elections in Jersey City are officially nonpartisan, Matsikoudis identifies as a member of the Democratic Party. Click here to read his response to Ballotpedia's 2017 municipal candidate survey.

Biography

Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

Matsikoudis earned a B.A. in philosophy and a J.D. from Seton Hall University.

At the time of his 2017 run for mayor, Matsikoudis was a founding partner of the public interest law firm Matsikoudis and Fanciullo. His professional experience also includes work as an attorney for DeCotiis, FitzPatrick & Cole, LLP, the corporation counsel for Jersey City, a senior deputy attorney general for the New Jersey Division of Law, and an assistant counsel to then-Gov. Jim McGreevy (D).

Elections

2017

See also: Mayoral election in Jersey City, New Jersey (2017) and Municipal elections in Jersey City, New Jersey (2017)

Jersey City, New Jersey, held a general election for mayor, three at large city council seats, and six by district city council seats on November 7, 2017. Any race where no candidate earns a majority of the votes cast in the general election advanced to the runoff election on December 5, 2017. Incumbent Steven Fulop defeated Bill Matsikoudis in the general election for mayor.

Mayor of Jersey City, General Election, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Steven Fulop Incumbent	77.44%	30,279
Bill Matsikoudis	22.41%	8,763
Write-in votes	0.15%	57
Total Votes		39,099
Source: Hudson County Clerk, "General Election 2017 Election Results," November 14, 2017

Campaign themes

2017

Candidate survey

See also: Ballotpedia's municipal government candidate survey

Matsikoudis participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of municipal government candidates. The following sections display his responses to the survey questions. When asked what his top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:

“	Affordable housing	”
—Bill Matsikoudis (October 30, 2017)

Ranking the issues

The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the city, with 1 being the most important and 12 being the least important: city services (trash, utilities, etc.), civil rights, crime reduction/prevention, environment, government transparency, homelessness, housing, K-12 education, public pensions/retirement funds, recreational opportunities, transportation, and unemployment. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important.

Issue importance ranking
Candidate's ranking	Issue	Candidate's ranking	Issue
1	Housing	7	Government transparency
2	Crime reduction/prevention	8	Environment
3	Unemployment	9	Candidate did not provide a response
4	Recreational opportunities	10	City services (trash, utilities, etc.)
5	Homelessness	11	K-12 education
6	Civil rights	12	Public pensions/retirement funds

Nationwide municipal issues

The candidate was asked to answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding issues facing cities across America. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions.

Question	Response
Is it important for the city’s budget to be balanced?Answer options: Not important; Not important, but required by state law; A little important; A little important, but required by state law; Important; Very important	Very important
Which level of government do you feel should set a minimum wage?Answer options: None, Local, State, Federal	State
What do you think is the best way to improve a city’s public safety? Candidates could write their own answer or choose from the following options: Increased economic opportunities, Increased police presence/activity, Harsher penalties for offenders, Public outreach/education programs	Public outreach/education programs
How do you think your city should emphasize economic development? Candidates could write their own answer or choose from the following options: Changing zoning restrictions, Create a more competitive business climate, Focusing on small business development, Instituting a citywide minimum wage, Recruiting new businesses to your city, Regulatory and licensing reforms, and tax reform	Focusing on small business development
What is the one thing you’re most proud of about your city?	Diversity
What is the one thing you’d most like to change about your city?	Make it more affordable

Additional themes

Matsikoudis' campaign website highlighted the following issues:

“	Toward a real meritocracy — great people running the city you love The most important thing a mayor can do is hire the best talent possible to help run the City. From Directors to entry level staff, a Matsikoudis Administration will be dedicated to hiring the best and brightest, not the well connected. Taxpayer focused budgeting Politicians spend your hard earned tax dollars as if your money grew on trees. For instance, Steve Fulop ballooned the budget by over $85 million since taking office, an increase of 17%. And his need to reward local supporters and the political patrons of his aborted gubernatorial run lead to a huge increase in payroll. Our goal is simple: to cut property taxes. Every city program and department will be audited. If it isn’t necessary, it will be cut. If it can be done more efficiently, we will do it. We will treat your tax dollars with the respect they deserve. A commitment to community policing Under a Mastikoudis administration, police will get out of their patrol cars and return to walking the beat where they will have the opportunity to positively interact with the community they serve. A focused effort on positive police community relations helps reduce crime and builds trust between cops and the community. Through respectful interaction and community partnerships, cops and the community develop mutual respect. Many cities around the country have experienced civil unrest as a result of questionable police shootings and, simultaneously, many cities have seen an increase in violent crime. Jersey City has seen a serious and sustained increase in homicide under the Fulop Administration and the Mayor refuses to commit to community policing, only paying lip service to occasional foot patrols. We will change this and embrace community policing. Getting the basics right: top notch city services You pay a lot in taxes. In return, you should expect that the streets are clean, that potholes are filled, that the garbage is picked up, and that a friendly, helpful, voice is on the other end of the phone when you call a city agency. In a Matsikoudis Administration, focus on basic quality of life issues like parking and clean streets, instead of headline grabbing symbolic gestures will be a priority. Employee accountability and leveraging the best innovations in technology will enable us to provide City services as well as any city on earth. World class parks Jersey City has a great system of parks, but we have the opportunity to have a truly world class park system that attracts global attention. Fulfilling the promise of new parks like the 6th Street Embankment and the Reservoir, completing the Hackensack and Hudson River walkways, and undertaking the bold initiative to connect them with a series of greenways, will provide our city with an amazing amenity truly worthy of the moniker 'world class.' Economic development that respects and includes everyone Jersey City has seen uninterrupted growth for well over 20 years, but much of that growth has been limited to Downtown. Moreover, many residents have seen their cost of living go up. We will not only seek to spread economic development south and west, but work to harness its benefits for all residents. A Matsikoudis Administration will not incentivize more luxury one bedroom apartments, but job creating commercial, light industrial and retail development. Zoning and land use decisions will be made with community input at the earliest stages, not decided by developers and defended by the Administration later. We will leverage the significant corporate presence of our waterfront and the academic resources of our institutions of higher education to create clear career paths. Making Jersey City affordable Whether by utilizing State funding or negotiating with developers, a Matsikoudis Administration will use all possible resources to create affordable housing. We will require on site affordable housing in our hottest markets and incentivize workforce housing for the middle class. Transparency-opening the windows of government Contrary to his campaign promises, Steve Fulop operates in extreme secrecy and will not even let the public know who he meets with. The Fulop Administration spends a lot of time and money fighting citizens request for documents. While government should not have to reveal aspect of its deliberative efforts, a Matsikoudis Administration will not only shed the light on government decision making but will engage the community in the process itself. Landmarks-staying connected to our past We believe communities thrive when they honor their past. Jersey City is blessed with many historic buildings that can be used for many purposes that will not only enhance the aesthetics of our City’s environment, but also be functional as well. Landmark preservation will be a priority of a Matsikoudis mayoralty. Recreation-expanding opportunities and a fuller life We will give Jersey City residents of all ages, but with a focus on our youth, the opportunity to engage in year round diverse recreational opportunities. We will offer diverse athletic options City wide to keep or citizens spiritually and physically fit.	”
—Bill Matsikoudis' campaign website, (2017)

Endorsements

2017

Matsikoudis received endorsements from the following in 2017:

• Robert Kennedy Jr.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Bill Matsikoudis Mayor of Jersey City. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Bill Matsikoudis - Google News

See also

Jersey City, New Jersey	New Jersey	Municipal government	Other local coverage

External links

Suggest a link

• City of Jersey City
• Campaign website
• Social media
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