FORMER NA MAYOR ENDORSES BALWIERCZAK & SEVER
RETIRED COP, BCUA COMMISSIONER CALLS FOR RESPONSIBLE TWO-PARTY GOVERNMENT, END GOP ROLLING TAX ASSESSMENTS NOW!
NORTH ARLINGTON – Lifelong resident and former two-term Mayor Pete Massa has endorsed council candidates John Balwierczak and Cengiz “Jim” Sever.
A retired North Arlington police sergeant who served as President of PBA Local #95, Massa has been a college instructor for decades focusing on curriculum such as criminal justice and public administration.
Massa himself earned a master’s in public administration from Rutgers University.
He is the only resident to serve as a school trustee, board vice-president, board president, council member and mayor.
Upon his retirement from the NAPD, Massa also served as a detective with the bi-state Waterfront Commission of New York & New Jersey.
Massa currently serves as a commissioner on the Bergen County Utilities Authority (BCUA).
Massa is best remembered for fighting and defeating the controversial Encap housing project known as Arlington Valley.
It was Massa who led the fight to stop the 1,700-unit debacle that would have eliminated the Porete Avenue business community.
Had not for Massa’s efforts, the Federal Express Distribution Center never would have become a reality.
Massa worked in a bipartisan fashion with the late Joseph Bianchi, his successor to secure the worldwide delivery service relocation to the community.
Massa was originally elected to the North Arlington Board of Education in 1990 and reelected in 1993. Under his leadership voters passed the first comprehensive school construction referendum that transformed the Wilson elementary into a Middle School. Elected to the Borough Council in 2004, Massa was elected mayor in 2006 and reelected in 2010.
As mayor, Massa stood toe to toe with then developer Donald Trump to prevent the controversial EnCap project from ever breaking ground.
“I threw Trump and his Encap scheme out of North Arlington,” said the former mayor with a chuckle Thursday evening. 
North Arlington council candidate John Balwierczak (left), Democratic municipal leader Nick Antonicello, BCUA Commissioner
and former mayor Peter Massa and council candidate Cengiz “Jim” Sever (right) pose for a photo Thursday evening at the annual Bergen County
Democratic Committee Gala. Over 1,000 were in attendance.
Candidates Balwierczak and Sever enjoy the festivities that included speeches by retiring NJ Governor Phil Murphy.