Challengers Yampaglia & Bradley are Popular Life-Long Residents seeking to bring “Party Balance” to the NA Mayor and Council!
North Arlington local government is in a Republican stranglehold, as all seven seats are monopolized by the GOP even though there are more Democrats than Republicans in this small suburban community that’s being threatened by overdevelopment, urbanization and gentrification thanks to Council President Mario Karcic and Councilwoman Donna Bocchino.
As Republicans seek to transform Ridge Road into a revolving door of tenants similar to Bergenline Avenue in Union City, Democratic challengers John Yampaglia and Tom Bradley wanted to retain our suburban reputation and quality of life North Arlington residents demand and expect!
In Karcic and Bocchino, they have a record that’s the “polar opposite” of what North Arlington homeowner’s support.
In just 8 months, here is a litany of bad ideas and initiatives that are transforming North Arlington into an extension of Hudson County, not the first community of Bergen County:
- Karcic and Bocchino continue to push in-person public meetings, instead of using technology such as ZOOM meetings to keep North Arlington safe.
- Karcic and Bocchino voted to give themselves a hefty pay raise in the middle of a pandemic as well as 25 other borough employees, many patronage employees with close ties to the GOP.
- Karcic engineered a job for his nephew at the Department of Public Works, an obvious example of patronage and nepotism for a position not needed!
- Bocchino not only voted herself a raise, but a 23% pay hike for her father, a political insider and chief fundraiser for her campaign and the local Republican Party.
- Karcic and Bocchino voted to give one municipal employee and local GOP official a $43,000 raise!
- Karcic and Bocchino are political puppets to developers who are ramming hundreds of new apartments on Ridge Road, “urbanizing” North Arlington with zero resident input!
- Taking part in partisan, political propaganda videos designed to support more tenants and even more dwellings along Ridge Road!
- Both support lifting height restrictions on Ridge Road from “three stories to six stories,” making the way for low Income Housing in North Arlington!
- Supporters of Karcic and Bocchino are now calling for skyscraper construction on Ridge Road.
- Rumors persist that even more housing is being considered for the Italian Villa and Boston Market sites on Ridge Road.
Bocchino, a political “double-dipper” with no real experience in municipal government has become a “rubber stamp” for unbridled development here in North Arlington along with Karcic as all six seats are held by Republicans who support this massive housing expansion despite the fact residents have never been included in these radical changes to make North Arlington an urban center versus a community that has been small, safe and suburban!
And what makes this all the more strange is that this proliferation of tenant units will only increase stress on our school system, local police and fire services and ultimately raise property taxes.
“We need people on the council who actually care what homeowner’s want. In a new world of COVID-19, people are no longer working in Manhattan but at home. Thousands of people are now working from home which is causing a housing glut with the few units on Ridge Road as we speak. This is an incredibly bad idea and this is just the beginning with Karcic and Bocchino in charge,” asked one longtime political observer when asked to comment.
But beyond this transformation of Ridge Road no one supports, local Republicans are bonding at an incredible pace that is piling up North Arlington municipal short and long-term debt.
“You can’t bond away, create this “credit card” government and give raises and promotions to everyone and expect taxes not to climb. This is a vessel for higher taxes, a Trojan horse for misguided spending, borrowing and expenses North Arlington cannot afford in the depths of a pandemic.”
NA Today has also learned that Mayor Dan Pronti wants to build a private suite for an office even though he is just a part-time elected official with no day to day responsibilities.
“The Administrator runs North Arlington, not a part-time mayor who doesn’t even prepare a budget or vote on anything unless there’s a tie vote which is impossible with seven Republicans in charge.”
Now we hear Karcic and Bocchino want to move the Senior Center to River Road and force them to share the VFW facility with our veterans. Why are we not renovating the current Senior Center at its current location?
Democrats are wondering why this is all happening at a time when residents are afraid to even attend a Mayor and Council meeting?
Karcic and Bocchino did not debate last year and will not debate this year either. They seem to govern in a political vacuum and take their orders from Mayor Dan Pronti.
“They fear him. They lack the guts or courage to challenge anything he does and that’s bad news for homeowners.”
NA Today will cover this year’s council race like no other medium and should you like to comment, please email us at [email protected] or participate in our poll questions about what is important to you here in North Arlington.