FITZHENRY “MOCKS” THE NOTION OF REFERENDUMS FOR NA VOTERS!
Still claiming a twenty-year old water sale that yielded $4.3M to taxpayers was poor judgement, Fitzhenry now claims direct voter participation in the form of a referendum doesn’t make sense either!
He was wrong twenty years ago and he’s wrong on the ongoing overdevelopment of Ridge Road by the NA GOP!
NORTH ARLINGTON – Despite the fact that a successful sale of a dilapidated water utility for $4,300,000 brokered by NA Democrats twenty years ago occurred even though it required $4,500,000 in upgrades if they retained it, embedded GOP Councilman Brian Fitzhenry continues to rail against a deal that saved tax dollars!
The facts seem to escape this hard-headed Republican!
A solid deal for taxpayers that saw him lose by landslide proportions for councilman just weeks after because of his incessant opposition without rhyme or reason!
His “keep the water utility” position without a solution was the reason for his absolute rejection by voters that saw him soundly defeated by then Councilman and now Bergen County Commissioner Steve Tanelli!
And if North Arlington rejected the water utility sale as proposed by Fitzhenry at the time, NA would have been on the hook for approximately $3 million dollars in capital improvements and a projected rate increase far exceeding those of Passaic Valley at the time of the transaction!
What Fitzhenry conveniently forgets is that it was GOP mismanagement of the utility as well as the municipality in general that left the borough with no other choice than to sell an asset it could not operate effectively and in the black!
To have turned down a purchase price of $4,300,000 in lieu of the net asset value of the utility by audits and auditors appointed by the Republicans of just $250,000 with a debt of $2M would have been foolish, silly and simply bad governance.
At the time of the sale, the estimated book value was $257,078.69 (12/31/03).
The audit was prepared 9/16/04.
Is it any wonder why Mr. Fitzhenry lost his delusional campaign against the sale and his election solely based on this single-issue effort?
You would think after twenty years he would admit he was just wrong and the voters told him so?
Arrogance knows no bounds for this embedded incumbent who hasn’t received a serious challenge in nearly ten years!
And why is he obsessed on his failed political past versus his record or North Arlington’s future?
And why does he oppose the notion of a referendum?
A referendum is a direct vote by the local electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue.
This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a governing body like the North Arlington Mayor & Council. Such a result could result in the adoption of a new policy or specific law, or the referendum may be only advisory or just non-binding.
But referendums seeking voter opinion is at the core of a working, grass roots democracy.
To claim that democracy is too expensive or seeking community support is somehow a bad idea in and of itself a symptom of a one-party political machine that doesn’t want your voice heard.
It is a monopoly of the political process and your opinion doesn’t count!
Maybe the real truth is that Fitzhenry and Sheedy fear a referendum because no one supports their gentrification, density and urbanization of Ridge Road and the unbridled plethora of multiple apartment units that are being constructed and proposed by the likes of Mr. Fitzhenry with absolutely no voter advice, engagement or support! 
The Facebook page “North Arlington Uncensored,” is polling and gaging support on this very issue.
“Does North Arlington support the continued development of multi-family apartment buildings in town?”
Who supports this transformation of North Arlington into an extension of Hudson County?
Brian Fitzhenry.
Allison Sheedy
Not the residents of North Arlington and the Democrats seeking election are 100% opposed to this wrong direction led by the GOP incumbents.
Maybe if Fitzhenry could acknowledge he was wrong about the water sale as much as he is about the overdevelopment taking place along Ridge Road, residents would not be up in arms and upset by his failed policies and opinions. 
This year the choice is crystal clear in North Arlington.
Brian Fitzhenry and Allison Sheedy.
Out-of-touch, in too long and time to go!
John Balwierczak and John Yampaglia.
Keeping North Arlington small, safe and suburban!
Putting taxpayers first!