“BLOCKED”
BALWIERCZAK DENIED ACCESS TO MAYOR PRONTI’S FACEBOOK PAGE!
NORTH ARLINGTON – John Balwierczak, a candidate for borough council last month has been blocked and systematically denied access to the mayoral FACEBOOK page of Republican Mayor Dan Pronti for months according to the former Republican turned Democrat.
The page in question is the apparent governmental page of Republican Mayor Dan Pronti, who aggressively opposed the candidacy of Balwierczak and personally hand-picked his opponent, Amanda DeCicco, a political neophyte.
Here is how the page appears online:
Republicans have had a vice grip on local government controlling all seven seats on the Mayor & Council. No Democrat has served on the governing body since 2019 and no Democrat has been elected to the council since 2016, some nine years ago.
Nevertheless, Balwierczak and his running mate Cengis “Jim” Sever made a strong showing
In the race for two council seats, winning two election precincts, one where Pronti himself resides.
Democrats made serious inroads as Governor-elect Mikie Sherill defeated GOP challenger Jack Ciattarelli, who easily defeated Governor Phil Murphy four years earlier and both legislative incumbents Gary Schaer & Clinton Calabrese also carried the community as well as the three Democratic incumbents for Bergen County Commissioner.
Sources tell NA Today that Republicans were dumbfounded by the closeness of the results at the local level and that obvious kinks in Pronti’s political armor are becoming obvious.
Pronti will be seeking a third term as mayor in 2026.
But history is not on his side.
No mayor has served more than two terms with the exception of the late Leonard R Kaiser, who served five consecutive terms from 1983 until his defeat in 2002 by Democrat Russ Pitman, long regarded the greatest political upset in North Arlington history.
“All I seek is equal access to public information online like any other resident. The page is not personal, but governmental in usage and nature,” offered Balwierczak.
When blocking or denying access may be unconstitutional:
If the page is used in an official capacity — e.g.:
The official uses the page to post about government business or policies;
The page is “clothed in the authority of the office” (e.g. their official title, address, contact info, etc.);
The account invites public comment or feedback about governmental matters;
The courts may treat the page as a “public forum.” In that case, blocking or denying access to people — especially based on viewpoint or criticism — can violate the free-speech protections of the First Amendment. For example, in past cases (pre-2024), courts struck down officials blocking critics on Facebook under these circumstances.
📄 What the latest (2024) ruling says — and how it changes things
In 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued a new, more nuanced test in cases like Lindke v. Freed. Under that test, to treat social-media blocking as unconstitutional “state action.”
The Court emphasized that labeling a page “public official page” — by itself — does not automatically convert it into a government forum.
In plain terms, just because a public official uses Facebook doesn’t mean it’s always a “government forum.” It depends on how they use it.
Balwierczak believes the page is clearly a forum for Pronti to communicate with the public on issues about the community, and his access should be equal like any other resident or citizen.
“Dan Pronti is committed to destroying any semblance of competitive elections and two-party government. He wants me and any Democrat eliminated from the local political equation and denying me access is just another example of that agenda. I will continue to speak out no matter how hard Pronti tries to muzzle my voice. There are more Democrats than Republicans in North Arlington and things are trending back to Democrats. All I seek is access like any other resident.”
What do you think? 
Should Mr. Balwierczak be blocked and denied access to Mayor Pronti’s FACEBOOK page?
Give us your opinion via email at [email protected]