Tom Wyka, the local Democratic open-government advocate who came up short in the  November Town Council election, announced at Tuesday's council meeting that the just-passed race could be his last for a while. In a public comment calling out Mayor James Barberio and two council members, he said that if the body takes certain actions, he will not run in 2013. 

At last week's council meeting, Councilman John Cesaro predicted publicly that Wyka would run against him in the next election.

Before he will commit to skipping the contest, Wyka said certain things must take place:

First, he demanded a reversal of the 2009 ordinance change that ousted Wyka and his election ticket mate Annelise Catanzaro from the town's Transparency Committee. Both were appointed to the panel in late 2008 by outgoing Mayor Michael Luther. At the end of 2010, after Barberio was in office, the ordinance governing the committee was changed to shorten the three-year member terms to one year in length, allowing the new mayor to remove the Democrats.

Barberio has said that the ordinance was changed so that he could fill the committee  with "qualified" people rather than be stuck with the appointments made by a "lame duck mayor."

Wyka called the move "nothing but a blatant backhanded way of ousting myself and Ms. Catanzaro." He wants changes made to the law governing committee appointments so that term lengths "revert back to the lengths specified in the originally passed ordinance so that truly committed members can serve for the length of time it actually takes to fulfill the spirit of the ordinance."

"Furthermore," the demand continued, "re-appoint myself and Ms. Catanzaro so we can actually get something done."

Wyka's second demand is for the town to open the bid process to hire someone to handle the municipal website and general online services for the town. Right now, the firm Alpha Dog Solutions has the job via a no-bid process not witnessed or vetted by citizens.

The activist's third condition gave voice to the frustration of many non-Republicans in a township in which it is often heard in government halls and back rooms that Democrats and others who wish to have a say in their government should move out of Parsippany and Morris County.

"Our former Mayors Luther and [Mimi] Letts made a point of selecting folks of all political stripes for committees," Wyka stated. "Since I’ve lost faith that will happen going forward, as a gesture of bipartisanship, I’d like an ordinance, if legally possible (or a resolution, failing that) that ensures or endorses that no less than 20 percent of the membership of any committee in town be populated by someone bearing a written endorsement by the party chair of either major party at the time of appointment.  Just 20 percent to achieve balance regardless of who's in power."

His final wish was for a public apology to Parsippany taxpayers by any council member intending to run or serve through 2013 who was involved with the December 2008 decision to award "the highest bid insurance policy to Morris County Joint Insurance Fund, which wasted hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars."

"None of these things address anything you might do in the next two years, which is a great risk I’m taking," Wyka said. "But the offer still stands.   I will not run in 2013 if these things happen."

Wyka went on to wish the council what appeared to be a sincere holiday wish, along with an explanation for the often frosty relationship he has with the body's members and Mayor Barberio.

"...[A]fter all I’ve been through at the hands of this council in that simple pursuit and all the obstacles you’ve thrown out, and the personal sacrifice I've made to overcome them ... It’s tough to exchange pleasantries sometimes," he said. "I know you generally think I come here to embarrass you, but I suspect there would barely be any hard feelings at all if you really had nothing to be embarrassed about.  I can’t embarrass you without your assistance."

He then proceeded to name names, starting with Councilman Cesaro.

"Am I supposed to overlook insensitive comments and bad decisions, Mr. Cesaro, because we were friends once and we attend the same church on Sunday?   Am I supposed to accept that I’m not allowed on a committee because of my party registration, even regardless of that friendship?" he asked.

Wyka moved on to Council President Michael dePierro.

"Am I supposed to stand in deference, Mr. dePierro, to your many years of service, when I see you inexplicably side with disingenuous votes to exclude me from community service (and even exclude others [whose character and work ethic], in the past, you have seemingly appreciated?" he asked. "Or excuse even more egregious decisions done in concert, or at the behest of folks who appear to have much less integrity than yourself?"

He directed the same question to the mayor, noting that the two once were able to share a hearty handshake and that both are dedicated New York Giants fans.

Wyka said he knows the Republican leadership wishes he would drop his complaints and "let it slide," but the Democrat said he's not ready to make nice.

"In a word, no I can’t," he said. "There’s way too many examples all around us of bad things that happen when folks look the other way."

He ended with another holiday wish, from one human being to others: "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and all your families."

The only response from the Council Chambers dais was a series of quiet statements of "Merry Christmas."