When taxes keep climbing and services keep slipping, everyday life gets harder—broken ankles from potholes, locked parks that sideline kids, and 16-minute waits for 911 during a break-in. We invited Ward D city council candidate Catherine Healy, a lifelong Jersey City resident, attorney, and mom of three, to talk about a path forward that doesn’t start by charging residents more. The through line is execution: build a real grants department, fix what’s visible, and restore trust in public safety.

Catherine breaks down why parks matter to family life and community health, from reopening Leonard Gordon Park with restored bathrooms to installing water refill stations that cut plastic waste. She connects small, practical upgrades to larger systems—funded by state and federal grants that Jersey City simply hasn’t been applying for. We get specific about road paving, potholes, and how missed applications translate into daily frustration, then outline how a centralized team of grant professionals could bring in millions for infrastructure, green space, and public safety without raising the tax burden.

Public safety takes center stage as we unpack a recent 16-minute police response in the Heights and what it reveals about staffing, dispatch, and morale. Catherine makes the case for community policing—officers who know the neighborhood and are known by it—and for leadership that encourages decisive, measured responses. The goal is pragmatic: streets that feel safe to cross, parks that actually work for families and seniors, and a city that runs with Union City’s level of cleanliness, lighting, and responsiveness.

If you want a blueprint built on competence, accountability, and external funding, this conversation delivers specifics you can hold leaders to. Subscribe for more candid, local-first conversations, and share this episode with a neighbor who’s ready for cleaner, safer streets.

Your hosts: @lynnhazan_ and @tonydoesknow

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