YOUNG TURKS BALWIERCZAK & YAMPAGLIA ADDRESSNA DEMOCRATS 
Both challenging the GOP status quo come 2024 in their quest to return responsible two-party government to North Arlington voters and fiscal sanity for taxpayers!
NORTH ARLINGTON – If there ever was a turning point in local politics in North Arlington, it occurred Thursday evening as both John Balwierczak and John Yampaglia took it upon themselves to bring back competitive elections and a viable discussion on the issues versus the current “monologue and monopoly” Republicans enjoy with a 7-0 domination of the governing body.
While Democrats did not file candidates for Borough Council in 2023, there will be formidable challenge in 2024 as the locals displayed a rare moment of unity behind this ticket of two life-long residents dedicated to serving the community first.
For putting “North Arlington First” versus partisan politics is the theme and hallmark of this effort that started several months ago when both John Balwierczak and John Yampaglia embarked on an intensive, door-to-door campaign that has them already visited over 1,000 residents and yielded over 200 signatures to place their names on the ballot for the Democratic nomination for North Arlington Borough Council come the spring of 2024.
For the meeting of the North Arlington Democratic Municipal Committee was packed with members as well as non-members, including a pep talk from longtime New Jersey Senator Paul Sarlo (D-36) who pledged his support in revitalizing the locals moving forward. He was joined by his colleague in the General Assembly, longtime legislator Gary Schaer (D-36) who also endorsed both Balwierczak and Yampaglia.
North Arlington Democrats, who have not won a local council contest since 2016 were enthusiastic and ready to work together as several former local office holders were in attendance including former two-term Mayor Peter Massa, former borough council members Robert Myers, Pat Roche, Al Granell, Tom Zammatore and Mark Yampaglia were all on hand to lend advice and good will to this team of mavericks seeking to break the GOP stranglehold on local government.
Former North Arlington council member Steve Tanelli, now serving as a Bergen County Supervisor for the last 10 years was on hand to help rebuild the party and bring it back to the days Democrats enjoyed a 7-0 majority back in 2006.
Democratic leader Nick Antonicello praised the efforts of both Balwierczak and Yampaglia, who he said were “leading from the head of the line.”
“North Arlington Democrats have not had representation on the Borough Council since 2019. We have been in a political wilderness for too long. Now we have two hard working and energetic hopefuls who are pounding the pavement and building a grass roots network of support. In contrast, the Republicans are out-of-step, detached and unresponsive. They see elections and local democracy as some nuisance to their power. Tonight begins our journey in offering open government to all,” offered Antonicello.
Former Mayor Pete Massa, the only person in North Arlington history to serve as a school trustee, board vice-president and president as well as a councilman and two-term chief executive thanked the two for their willingness to lead Democrats into a new direction for a better North Arlington.
Massa, a retired NAPD sergeant and current member of the Bergen County Utilities Authority (BCUA) urged all in attendance to take an active role in ensuring Democrats are back on the governing body come January of 2025.
“Right now, democracy no longer exists at the local level. We have six council members voting the exact way on every vote, every meeting. There is no dialogue or debate, just a roll call of yes votes and nothing is changing for the better,” noted the lifelong activist and Eighth Street homeowner.
Balwierzcak told those in attendance that the lack of communication with residents was “obvious and agitating” to many and that rolling assessments and high Municipal Taxes were pushing longtime residents out of their homes.
“Gentrification is being promoted outwardly by these Republicans. They have urbanized Ridge Road with an abundance of overdevelopment no one really supports and it will have a devastating effect on services and our overall quality of life. It shouldn’t never take thirty minutes to get from the Belleville Pike to Lyndhurst. The mass, scale and volume of overdevelopment is what we hear from those at their homes and front porches. They believe they have lost their voice and understand that having all Republicans only benefits Republicans and not the people of NA,” offered Balwierczak, a life-long resident who played Viking Varsity Basketball at NAHS.
“There was a time when you had bipartisan consensus that North Arlington was a suburban community, the gateway to Bergen County. That we were unique and different from Kearny or Hudson County. Today, the Republicans want to end height restrictions along Ridge Road. They see every available parcel as a land grab to build apartments from the developers who fuel there campaign coffers. This kind of unbridled overdevelopment sucks away at services and creates the kind of density no one supports as well as the traffic and congestion we don’t need,” noted the first-time hopeful.
John Yampaglia, who is making his second run for local office is a former member of the North Arlington Planning Board and owns and operates his own hair salon in Essex County. He recently received the endorsement of former New York Jet Denzel Mims, one his clients who was recently traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mims was a former second round draft choice out of Baylor University.
And while the election is just about a year away, the local Republicans are already moaning and grumbling about having to compete for voter support come 2024.
One wonders if things are so great under an all-Republican monopoly, what are they afraid of?
In a post online, the Republicans described “change” as a political cliché, claiming the challengers have not attended a “meeting,” and attacking them for going door to door to speak with voters which is at the foundation of a vibrant and active local democracy.
Already the attacks have begun online with crank calls and criticisms of candidate John Balwierzcak, who just lost his Dad.
Empathy and sympathy is not part of the GOP playbook.
And as usual, the local Republican obsession with this website, NA Today continues because they cannot control the content or the criticisms of their record which apparently they refuse to defend.
Just telling people North Arlington better because they think urbanization and gentrification is a goof things for who?
Seniors?
Middle-class families?
When did raising taxes ever solve anything?
For the Republican policy of trying to squeeze every possible tax dollar out of homeowners is indeed a strange way to run a local government as they fail to mention how the cost of government is rising at an alarming rate on their watch or the failure to consider local residents for high paying jobs such as police officers that seem to be hired from everywhere except North Arlington!
Or the infinite promise of senior housing that is just a political fantasy and will never happen or occur!
Wild accusations of building purchases and the notion that only Republicans can run the government and they have all the answers is not only false, but the net result of total power and control in the hands of a few, and in most cases just one!
For the pandemic changed people’s priorities and the local Republicans have been quietly spending your money, doling out raises and promotions to political supporters with the hope no one will notice.
Case in point was the ridiculous renovation of Borough Hall and a luxury suite of sorts for a part-time mayor’s office, or the generous raises the governing body awarded themselves for simply attending one meeting a month?
For the size of North Arlington’s government, spending and debt is swelling at record proportions, but that’s a subject for another day.
For the point is local Democrats led by Balwierczak and Yampaglia are offering transparency and accountability moving forward.
For who supports blind allegiance to a mayor where no one questions anyone or anything for fear of political reprisal?
So while this year’s Republican candidates throw a few signs on the lawn or have time to stick their collective noses into Kearny’s political affairs, John Balwierzcak and John Yampaglia are working hard and speaking to those that have been ignored and quite frankly, forgotten by this current crew of Republicans that are clearly out of touch with what North Arlington really wants to talk about.
Putting North Arlington first, not developers, partisan politics or policies no one supports except the current monopoly at Borough Hall.