Bill Matsikoudis

Bill Matsikoudis, the Jersey City Corporation Counsel, is the leading candidate to become the Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to sources familiar with the appointment process.  The nomination of Lisa Jackson to head the EPA led some Democrats to believe that the veteran regulator, who became Chief of Staff to Gov. Jon Corzine in December 1, might have her own candidate in mind to replace Alan Steinberg, a Republican who was appointed by George W. Bush.  Jackson spent many years at the EPA before joining the Corzine administration as Commissioner of Environmental Protection in 2006.

Emerging as a formidable candidate for Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is Bill Matsikoudis, the Jersey City Corporation Counsel and a former Assistant Counsel to Gov. James E. McGreevey.  Insiders report that Matsikoudis has at least two very influential backers: Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy, the Hudson County Democratic Chairman; and Newark Mayor Cory Booker.  Healy and Booker were early supporters of Barack Obama’s bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.  The two mayors have the ability to influence New Jersey’s two Democratic U.S. Senators, whose recommendation can, in turn, influence the Obama administration.

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy, who backed Barack Obama for president when most other New Jersey politicos were supporting Hillary Clinton, thinks that his corporation counsel, Bill Matsikoudis, would make a good Regional EPA Administrator. 

“I don’t know if the Obama Administration is interested in anybody for that position or for Billy, but he’s got a good background in environmentalism,” said Healy.  He’s filed some suits on the city’s behalf against corporate polluters. He’s very knowledgeable, diligent and is a hard working. I certainly think he can fill that or anything else.” 

Multiple sources say that Matsikoudis is interested in that position, although it remains to be seen if Healy has the Obama administration’s ear.

Jersey City Corporation Counsel Bill Matsikoudis met one of his idols tonight.    

Among the familiar faces milling about the crowd in the Massachusetts delegation, seated just behind New Jersey, was a former presidential candidate and Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, who almost exactly 20 years ago took the podium himself.

Matsikoudis greeted him in Greek. 

“It was the first election that really grabbed me and got me hooked on politics.  I was inspired for a couple reasons – one it was the first time I paid attention to the issues, and I just found him to be on the smart side of the issues,” said Matsikoudis, 37.  “And of course as a Greek American, I was also moved by his candidacy.”

DENVER -- Already embroiled in the preludes to what’s certain to be a hold-no-punches mayoral battle next year, Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy’s allies tonight at the Pepsi Center said they hope to be able to pull an Obama card before the May election.

Healy supported Barack Obama early on, though his endorsement is often overshadowed by Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s endorsement.

Does Healy want Obama to come campaign for him? Of course. But is that actually a realistic possibility if Obama becomes president?

Carl Czaplicki, Healy’s former chief of staff and the current director of the Department of Housing, Economic Development and Commerce, (and former executive director of the Hudson County Republican organization) thinks it’s not that far-fetched.

“I wouldn’t consider it a long shot. A number of times already he’s shown his willingness to come to New Jersey and Jersey City on two or three occasions,” said Czaplicki, who sat just a couple rows in front of State Sen. Sandra B. Cunningham, another prospective mayoral candidate.

In the battle of the ballot initiatives, Jersey City Municipal Clerk Robert Byrne ruled against Councilman Steve Fulop today, deciding that a petition for an ordinance he wanted to put before voters in November that would bar council members from accepting more than one public salary did not have enough signatures to get on the ballot.

Fulop said today that he intends to challenge the decision in front of a judge.

“We’re going to fight. We think we have a strong standing on this, and we’re going to go to court,” he said.

Last week, Jersey City Corporation Counsel Bill Matsikoudis filed an 11th hour challenge to Councilman Steve Fulop’s signatures to put one of his two reform initiatives on the ballot.

Today, Fulop shot back with by presenting his side of the legal argument to Municipal Clerk Robert Byrne, written by attorney and Brian M. Nelson.  He also submitted an extra 600 signatures. 

Fulop, who’s considering a mayoral bid next May, has spent the greater part of the last year collecting signatures for two initiatives for November’s general election: one bars contractors that do business with the city from donating to public officials.  The other, which was challenged by Matsikoudis, would bar city council members from accepting more than one taxpayer-funded salary (Six of the nine council members hold more than one public job, while Councilman Steve Lipski runs a charter school). 

One of Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop's two ballot initiatives suffered a severe blow earlier this week by a prominent city official, but Fulop said the move has energized his base.

"Yesterday I sent out that email letting people know about it. We got 60 new donors, 25 new volunteers and we're just starting," he said.

A move by Jersey City Corporation Counsel Bill Matsikoudis on Tuesday sparked outrage in an already politically charged atmosphere. Fulop had just turned in 1,800 signatures for two ballot initiatives: one which would enact new anti pay-to-play rules, and another that would bar council members from receiving more than one public salary (six of the nine council members have more than one taxpayer funded salary).

Sources close to the Barack Obama campaign say that there will be roles in the New Jersey campaign for Rep. Steve Rothman’s Chief of Staff, Bob Decheine, and for Bill Matsikoudis, the top lawyer for Jersey City Mayor/Hudson County Democratic Chairman Jerramiah Healy.  Obama selected Tricia Mueller, the political director for the carpenters union, to run his N.J. operation.