The City of Jersey City is bringing in former New York City Department of Sanitation Manhattan Borough Chief James Leavy as their Department of Public Works (DPW) superintendent.

Photo courtesy of the City of Jersey City.

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

“Jersey City residents deserve a Department of Public Works that is world-class, and James Leavy is the leader to get us there. He has spent his entire career mastering exactly the kind of complex, high-stakes urban operations we need to improve here in Jersey City,” Mayor James Solomon said in a statement.

“From storm response to sanitation to fleet management, he has seen it all and delivered results. I am confident that under his leadership, we will modernize how this department operates, raise the bar on service delivery, and make real the reforms our residents have been asking for.”

At DSNY, Leavy directed emergency response during major weather events and the COVID-19 pandemic, managed logistics for marquee civic events including the New York City Marathon and Times Square New Year’s Eve celebration, and oversaw data-driven improvements to service delivery across Manhattan.

“I’ve spent my career in service to the public, and I know what it takes to run operations that residents can count on every single day. Jersey City is a dynamic, growing city and its residents deserve a Public Works department that meets that moment,” he added.

“I’m eager to get to work alongside this team, implement the reforms that will make our operations stronger and more responsive, and ensure that every neighborhood in this city sees the results.”

Leavy, who has 25 years of municipal experience, succeeds Greg Kierce, whose last day on the job is today, though he will remain head of the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, as HCV first reported.

Kierce faced scrutiny for the municipal response to the January 25th blizzard that dumped between 15 and 18 inches of snow throughout the city, which a city report attributed to outdated snow maps and equipment and no shift work planning, among other things.

Leavy will oversee 10 divisions within the DPW, including Sanitation, Buildings and Street Maintenance, Automotive Maintenance, Forestry, Solid Waste Recycling, Graffiti Removal, Neighborhood Improvement, Demolition, Automobile Impounding, and Administrative Services.

He will also serve as the city’s liaison to the Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority, set to start in his new role on Monday, according to the mayor’s office.