A major Hoboken election year is full of skullduggery, posturing and occasionally bomb throwing. There’s millions of dollars at stake; a far cry from the trillions of federal dollars with the corresponding yelping but in Hoboken it’s the per capita griping which matters most.

No HudCo municipality goes faster and deeper into the sewage treatment than Hoboken when the mayoralty stakes are on the line. The rough and tough who fancy themselves such in Hudson County  cringe then shy away from the Mile Square City during election season.

Mayor Dawn Zimmer and Freeholder Anthony “Stick” Romano share a lighthearted moment last year as they weigh dueling candidacies in 2017.

Nothing in Hoboken is too untoward: dealing the race card from the bottom of the deck, repeatedly abusing the courts with political power plays in both civil and criminal court and leaning on those soft reform types with some old style On the Waterfront muscle. If the wannabe thugs could only decide, “To be a thug or to be whimpering crybaby “victims.”

Yesterday, MSV reported two independent sources claimed Councilman Michael DeFusco showed deference to Freeholder Anthony “Stick” Romano on a mayoral run in 2017 but offered if the senior official chose not to do so, the first ward councilman is “ready to go.”

The conversation reportedly took place last month in the long holiday stretch when Hoboken politics settles into one of its rare freezes. Now there’s push back, although of the generic, anonymous variety.

MSV measurably uses unnamed sources when the information isn’t available or won’t reach the public without some political cover. It comes with some caveats, as one former Hoboken councilman of some strategic renown once offered in a sidebar during an interview, “I know one thing. Don’t lie to Horsey.”

On Saturday, Grafix Avenger published the fundraiser invitation now heard round the world and forced MSV to move faster on its developing story with interviews ongoing early Monday. Yesterday’s news took some by surprise and the reactions came throughout the course of the day.

The Romano camp however did get back to MSV on Monday on two separate fronts. A source close to the Hoboken freeholder flatly denied any conversation on mayoral candidate musical chairs took place last month. “It never happened,” they insisted while declining to be named for the story.

Thus this chewy grist-able finds its way to the oft right but unconfirmed rumor column.

Hoboken election year 2017: it’s spy vs spy and political operative vs political operative. The mayor’s seat is the high stakes.