Stopping the EnCap Housing Scheme and replacing it with the Federal Express Distribution Center earns Yampaglia high marks as an effective local leader
NORTH ARLINGTON – While other candidates try to take credit for the work of others or create the illusion of a record, North Arlington Councilman Mark Yampaglia can cite a serious record of public service that has no peer in this race for the unexpired term on the Borough Council.
His GOP opponent in this race is the daughter of GOP insider and chief party fundraiser James “Jimmy” Bocchino, a twice failed candidate for borough council who is chairing the Republican effort in which his wife is serving as treasurer. Bocchino, a retired county patronage employee and ex-party operative was recently appointed by the Republicans to the needless position of Quality of Life Officer that has been criticized as nothing but a patronage position for a top party operative.
Bocchino’s daughter has no serious record of public service and some question if she’s ever attended a council meeting before becoming a candidate.
A local attorney with offices in Rutherford and Jersey City, Yampaglia is a life-long resident who graduated from North Arlington High School where he played Varsity Baseball. Yampaglia earned his BA and MA from FDU and his JD from The Touro School of Law. Licensed to practice law in the State of New Jersey, Yampaglia served as the Borough’s Municipal Defender before being appointed twice, and elected four times (2005, 2008, 2011 and 2016) to the Mayor and Council.
The son of retired Municipal Judge Emil Yampaglia, his brother John has served as a member of the Planning Board and Yampaglia is a parishioner of Queen of Peace Church with his wife Shirley who is a nurse.
Yampaglia is the only candidate in the race that has been elected by voters and has a keen institutional memory that plays to a positive skill set in working with both Democrats and Republicans serving both in the majority as well as the minority.
“Yampaglia has an impressive resume and body of accomplishment as a local official. His opposition to EnCap and his support of the Federal Express Distribution Center as a council member demonstrates his ability to work in a bipartisan fashion and get things done for taxpayers,” offered one local political observer when asked to comment.
Originally supporting the concept of redevelopment in the Meadowlands in the form of housing, Yampaglia changed his position and joined Democrats like former Mayor Pete Massa and then Councilman Steve Tanelli in opposing the construction of some 1500 units of housing through the process of eminent domain seizure that would have transformed North Arlington into an extension of Jersey City and Hudson County.
In clear contrast, local Republicans like former redevelopment commissioner Kirk Del Russo, who was appointed to the Borough Council by Mayor Dan Pronti was an avid supporter of EnCap, and because of his support of the project caused local taxes to spiral out of control. Del Russo would never change his position on the project and was defeated by Yampaglia in 2011 for a seat on the Mayor and Council.
Both Del Russo and Bocchino continued to support the project right until its collapse even when then developer Donald Trump tried to save the proposal from eventual bankruptcy. Had North Arlington move forward with EnCap, dozens of local businesses at Porete Avenue would have been forced to move to make way for this failed housing scheme.
Instead, North Arlington got out from under the clutches of Encap which made way for more reasonable development strategies like the Federal Express Distribution Center that started under former Mayor Massa and came to fruition under former Mayor Joe Bianchi who passed away in October of 2019.
Yampaglia’s ability to earn the confidence of voters allowed him to work in a bipartisan basis to move away from EnCap and bring Federal Express to the community.
“I have always enjoyed a positive working relationship with all the mayors in which I served with. Be it former Mayors Pitman, Massa and Bianchi or current Mayor Dan Pronti, working in a bipartisan fashion allowed good things to occur like Federal Express and ensuring poor public policy like EnCap from occurring. But most of all I stand before the voters as a fiscal conservative who time and time again voted to control taxes and spending by providing tax relief and placing homeowners first,” said the four-term Democrat.
Yampaglia enjoys strong support from New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, US Congressman Bill Pascrell, County Executive Jim Tedesco, Freeholder Steve Tanelli, NJ Senator Paul Sarlo, US Senator Cory Booker and NJ Assembly members Gary Schaer and Clinton Calabrese. Yampaglia has also been endorsed by former mayors Russ Pitman and Pete Massa.
“Mark is an accomplished incumbent who is qualified and capable in his service. He voted to approve the various infrastructure projects such as the new turf at Zadroga Memorial, Allan Park and the Little League field at River Road. His reelection is crucial to maintaining a balance of Democrats in a community where Democrats outnumber Republicans. Mark represents a dialogue, not a monologue or monopoly that the local Republicans demand and seek,” said local party Nicholas Antonicello, the long time Democratic municipal chairman.
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