HOBOKEN - One of Dawn Zimmer and Peter Cammarano's early battles involved zoning board appointments.

Cammarano wanted the mayor to make them. Zimmer, as the council president, argued that the council should make them.

Today, moments after she assumed the oath of office to replace Cammarano and become mayor, Zimmer stood by her desire to see the power to make zoning board appointments invested in the governing body and not the mayor.

"I hope my council colleagues restore power of zoning board appointments to the City Council," she announced moments after her swearing-in ceremony.

Cycnics would argue that as council president with at least three solid allies on the council, Zimmer would still ultimatley retain control of those appointments.

But all along she has maintained that the "more democratic" forum of the council, where appointees can be publicly discussed and debated - would better suit the public interest than to have that power concentrated in the executive branch.