GOP council candidates woefully inexperienced to govern, responsible two-party government hangs in the balance come fall campaign.
The recent actions of the Pronti Administration has indicated a spiral to Hudson County style politics and a penchant for machine rule that doesn’t belong in a small, suburban community like North Arlington.
In the end, we could see an explosion in property taxes as well as an estimated $2000 school tax hike!
Pronti, now entering his ninth month as mayor has a lock-solid 4-2 majority that has seen the hiring of political supporters like Jim Bocchino, raises and promotions for other key GOP allies and an unprecedented fundraising effort to eliminate responsible, two-party government.
It isn’t enough for Pronti to control the government, but he is demanding the elimination of Democrats once and for all.
PRONTI’S POLITICAL PUPPETS!
He has carefully selected three candidates with little or no governmental experience except for the fact they are either employed by government or earn their income as a vendor to North Arlington.
While Pronti has tagged them “elite,” the reality is woefully different.
CANDIDATE DEL RUSSO: ENCAP SYMPATHIZER AND BOCCHINO PROTÉGÉ!
Kirk Del Russo, a failed council candidate in 2011 and state employee is a former redevelopment commissioner who enthusiastically endorsed the controversial EnCap that led to budget deficits and tax hikes. Had Democrats not defeated the housing scheme, low income housing would have been the end result of that disaster while services would have been stretched, a spike in crime likely, and the transformation of North Arlington into an extension of Hudson County with over 1500 housing units descending upon the community!
His political mentor is Jimmy Bocchino, the retired BCUA patronage employee, former local Republican chairman and ultimate insider.
Twice run and twice lost for Borough Council, this year’s GOP council campaign has become a “family affair” of sorts with Bocchino’s daughter now a candidate and his wife serving as campaign treasurer.
The acknowledged fundraising machine of the local GOP by Pronti himself, Bocchino was awarded with an $8,000 politically inspired position of “Quality of Life” Officer in which no other candidate was considered and no other municipality in Bergen County employs such a needless job title.
WHAT ARE THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE OFFICER?
NA Today has now learned that an OPRA request has been made to review the work correspondence of Bocchino since being employed.
The question is what does this Quality of Life Officer do all day on your tax dollars?
PARTISAN APPOINTEE MASQUERADES AS VOLUNTEER!
The third candidate in the race poses as a dedicated volunteer, but the facts again reveal otherwise.
As the chair of the Municipal Alliance, she is paid a $1500 stipend while being employed by a municipal vendor that receives no bid contractual work with North Arlington.
Hardly the volunteer image being falsely pushed by Pronti & Company!
$2000 SCHOOL TAX HIKE PENDING AFTER NOVEMBER ELECTION?
Most disturbing is the fact that these three candidates are in 100% agreement with Pronti’s bizarre notion that NA’s Property Taxes have DECREASED three consecutive years when hundreds, if not thousands of homeowners have received a real tax hike!
Should Pronti add these three political puppets to the Governing Body, more tax hikes are in store for North Arlington and the prospect of a major school tax increase to cover the costs of the renovation and re-opening of Queen of Peace HS to the chagrin of Rutherford Place homeowners who oppose the controversial acquisition and impending school construction of this facility.
LACK OF LEADERSHIP BY NEW MAYOR!
Many residents believe taxpayers were kept out of the loop and Mayor Pronti has done nothing to protect them.
Pronti’s lack of leadership and silence on the QPHS proposal since becoming mayor has angered hundreds of homeowners.
NA Today has learned that local Democrats going door to door are hearing open hostility to the potential school renovation and reopening.
Few residents know exactly what is in store for the school and even less know the exact impact on school taxes while many political insiders believe the tax hike could be as high as $2000 per household!
With more tax hikes proposed under GOP dominance, millions have been bonded as the borough’s municipal debt continues to skyrocket out of control.
SENIOR FOOLISHNESS?
While claiming to be a conservative, Pronti is a tax and spend, tax and bond liberal who now is seeking millions to fund a controversial plan to construct senior housing with federal funds that will really become senior housing for low income individuals who don’t currently reside in NA!
The amount of units will be miniscule when compared to the actual need and most NA seniors won’t even qualify for this limited number of proposed units on River Road.
Some call the proposal unrealistic with no support from the various county, state and federal funding sources necessary for construction and completion.
Even Freeholder Steve Tanelli, the popular former councilman has yet to be approached by municipal officials on how to constructively work together on a realistic and sound proposal for senior housing for NA residents!
Pronti’s arrogance to go it alone and keep North Arlington a political island to itself isn’t working and the losers are homeowners and tenants alike!
GOP CHAOS!
Leading a GOP majority that is bonding away North Arlington’s future while making little headway with actual redevelopment that would increase ratable opportunities, keeping Democrats on the council is the smartest thing voters can do given the dozens of questions and lack of transparency we see every day with Pronti and Bocchino closing the curtains on local government and property taxes now under threat of explosion under the woefully inexperienced chief executive and his loyal majority.
Want to comment?
Email us at [email protected]