THE OFFICIAL 2026 “NA TODAY” VOTER GUIDE FOR BOROUGH COUNCIL:
Dennis Papile and Cengiz “Jim” Sever are the change we desperately need!
NORTH ARLINGTON, NJ – With the prospects of a new mayor, the dynamics of the community will change, and John Balwierczak could use some cooperation and consensus in getting things done.
In the case of embedded GOP incumbents Mario Karcic and Donna Bocchino, neither have displayed a spec of independence from MAGA Mayor Dan Pronti, as they have voted 100% of the time with him on anything placed on the council’s agenda!
That’s thousands of votes agreeing with him on property tax increases, random reassessments, unbridled construction of hundreds of apartments, endless government expansion and debt with no guard rails and most troubling, neither has even commented once on the double homicide murders on Ridge Road or the federal raid of the Belleville Turnpike business mixed up in illegal narcotics and drugs!
How can you responsibly serve the public and fail to have an opinion or comment on murders and drug raids?
That itself should disqualify them for reelection.
Compounding that is they have awarded themselves hefty raises five years running, and neither Karcic or Bocchino have a record worth mentioning or even discussing.
They are in fact political puppets and straight “yes” votes for Pronti’s failed agenda of urbanization, gentrification, the decimation of our business district and turning North Arlington into an extension of Belleville and a gateway, to Newark versus Bergen County.
The better choices are Democrats Dennis Papile and Cengiz “Jim” Sever.
Dennis Papile is employed by both the County of Bergen and North Arlington as a school crossing guard. A homeowner, husband, father and grandfather, Papile moved to North Arlington in 1976 and is originally from Lyndhurst.
Papile served in the United States Navy (1969-1973) and was assigned to the US Franklin S. Roosevelt. The USS Franklin D. Roosevelt was the second of three Midway-class aircraft carriers. To her crew, she was known as “Swanky Franky”, “Foo-De-Roo”, or “Rosie”. The USS Roosevelt spent most of her active deployed career operating in the Mediterranean Sea as part of the United States Sixth Fleet. It was decommissioned in September of 1977 and dismantled in neighboring Kearny in 1978.
A former small business owner in the area of auto technology, he was the recipient of the General Motors Mark of Excellence Award.
His running mate is Cengiz “Jim” Sever, a longtime resident, homeowner, husband and father of three children.
A Journeyman tile and marble installer, he is a member of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC), Local 7.
A skilled tradesman working with tile and marble installation in the New York metropolitan area, he attended Lafayette High School in Brooklyn, New York. His campaign emphasizes property-tax affordability, responsible development, preserving North Arlington’s suburban character and greater accountability in municipal government.
Sever also secured the endorsement of the New Jersey State AFL-CIO and was among a relatively small group of municipal candidates receiving federation support.
The Bergen County Central Trades & Labor Council, AFL-CIO has endorsed the ticket as well as New Jersey Senator Paul Sarlo (D-36), Bergen Executive James Tedesco, County Clerk John Hogan, Assemblymember Gary Schaer (D-36), former Oakland Mayor Linda Schawger, and former North Arlington mayors Ed Martone and Peter C. Massa.
In addition, former North Arlington council members Mark Yampaglia, Al Granell, Patrick Roche, and Thomas Zammatore have also endorsed both Papile and Sever.
Give Balwierczak the ability to govern. He’ll need cooperation and consensus. Both Papile are clearly the better choices.