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North Arlington Democrats Endorse 2018 North Arlington Candidates Yampaglia for Mayor, Massa & Papile for Borough Council!
Democratic Ticket Stresses Experience, a Commitment to Public Service with 2018 North Arlington Candidates
The North Arlington Democratic Municipal Committee unanimously endorsed 2018 North Arlington Candidates Councilman Mark Yampaglia for Mayor and former Mayor Peter Massa and Josie Papile for Borough Council.
Yampaglia, the longest serving and ranking member of the Governing Body thanked the local Democratic Party for their endorsement.
“As a life-long resident, it is truly humbling for me, my wife Shirley and my family to represent the Democratic Party as the nominee. I have served as an elected official under three mayors who I all respect and hope to continue the tradition of a bipartisan approach to local governance,” offered Yampaglia, a practicing attorney in Rutherford.
Democratic Municipal Chairman Nick Antonicello was delighted by the formation of what he called “one of the most experienced tickets this party has ever offered to the voters of North Arlington.”
“I’ve served as local leader for nearly three decades and I want to thank the Party’s Search Committee for doing a fantastic job of offering to the full Committee a ticket that has unquestioned integrity, as well as a commitment to putting North Arlington first,” said Antonicello.
The ticket of 2018 North Arlington Candidates was endorsed March 29th at a meeting held at The Arlington Diner.
“All three candidates are competent, qualified and ready to serve. They all possess outstanding resumes with a demonstrated expertise in public administration, finance and public policy. I can’t be more satisfied with this team that is united to win and offer voters a new kind of leadership for homeowners,” offered the Democratic Party leader.
Councilman Mark Yampaglia is a life-long resident married to his wife Shirley and a practicing attorney in neighboring Rutherford. Appointed twice and elected four times (2005, 2008, 2011 and 2016) to the North Arlington Borough Council, Mark is the Governing Body’s most experienced and ranking member.
A graduate of North Arlington HS and former member of Varsity Baseball Team, Mark graduated from Fairleigh-Dickinson University and the Touro School of Law. A member of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa, Mark previously served as North Arlington’s Public Defender.
The son of retired Municipal Judge Emil Yampaglia, Mark’s brother John currently serves on the Borough’s Planning Board.
“Government service, to be a public servant and give back is very important to me and my running-mates. I believe in sharing the credit and working with Democrats, Republicans and Independents to get things accomplished. To me, it’s about implementing the best ideas to make NA better. I have a great deal of respect for Mayor Massa to join this ticket as well as Josie Papile as we present voters a discussion, a blueprint for the future,” noted Yampaglia.
In former Mayor Peter Massa, Democrats are offering voters one of the most experienced public servants in borough history.
A retired member of the North Arlington Police Department, Peter Massa has served as a school trustee, school vice-president, school board president, councilman, mayor and was recently appointed Commissioner to the Bergen County Utilities Authority (BCUA).
Massa attained the rank of Sergeant and is a former President of PBA Local #95 and was elected to the North Arlington Board of Education in 1990 and re-elected in 1993 where he served as both President and Vice-President.
During his tenure as a board trustee he stabilized school taxes as well as increasing test scores and successfully engineering a $7 million dollar referendum that renovated and expanded our school facilities for the first time.
Massa was elected to the Borough Council in 2004 and elected Mayor in 2006 and reelected in 2010. An adjunct professor of Criminal Justice, Massa earned an MPA in Public Administration and was a finalist for the newly created position of Borough Administrator in 1980.
An Eighth Street homeowner, husband and father of two-adult sons, Pete and his wife Valerie enjoy travel and spending time with their family. Massa is also a graduate of Queen of Peace HS.
The newcomer to this year’s Democratic ticket is Josie Papile.
“It was important to me that we provided balance on the ticket and I insisted we seek out someone with the experience and credentials of Josie. Her long resume in finance will be a crucial asset to me and the rest of the Governing Body,” stressed Yampaglia.
A resident of Arlington Boulevard, Josie Papile is a graduate of Upsala College.
Josie is currently employed as Controller of Paragon Sports since 2003, where she reports to the CEO as the highest ranking financial professional within this specialty sporting goods retailer. In her capacity as Controller, Josie initiated operational reforms that resulted in redesigned process flow, reduction in staffing and improved financial accuracies.
“Josie’s financial background will be critical when we formulate our Municipal Budget and seek ways to best invest tax dollars while keeping a keen eye on the bottom-line. During my tenure on the Governing Body few times have we had a real expert in finance serve in an elected capacity and I believe Jose’s election will provide that knowledge and skill set,” said the Mayoral hopeful.
One of the North Arlington Candidates, Councilman Yampaglia, stressed that his campaign will set the tone of the kind of tenure he will offer as Mayor of North Arlington.
“I have a great respect for my colleagues both Democrat and Republican. I have an excellent working relationship with Mayor Joe Bianchi as well as Councilman Dan Pronti. We need consensus-building and doing what is best for North Arlington to move forward, to work together for the common municipal good of all homeowners and tenants alike.”
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