Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Before council, John Inglesino hails Somerset County Prosecutor's finding that criminal charges were not 'viable' in Town Hall job-offer allegations.
Town attorney John Inglesino addressed the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office decision not to pursue criminal charges against Mayor James Barberio and associates at Tuesday's Township Council meeting at Parsippany High School. Inglesino claimed vindication over the decision, which was prompted by a probe based on claims by former Parsippany Police officer and current council candidate Dr. Louis Valori. The candidate had claimed Inglesino, Barberio and Council President Brian Stanton offered him a $50,000 police department public relations job to keep him out of the 2013 election race. Valori took his complaints—and a portion of a secret recording he made of the Sunday, Jan. 13, Town Hall meeting where the job was discussed—to law …
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Prosecutor will not press charges, but accuser says he is going to the feds for 'a fair and impartial investigation.'
The Somerset County Prosecutor's Office will not file criminal charges in connection with a Town Council candidate's allegations that Mayor James Barberio offered him a job in January in exchange for not running for office, NJ.com reported. On May 9, a letter from the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office was sent to town Attorney John Inglesino saying a determination was made that lodging charges was not "viable" and that additional investigation was not necessary, according to NJ.com. The Somerset prosecutor conducted an investigation into retired Parsippany Police Sgt. Louis Valori's claims after he reportedly sent his complaint to the state Attorney General's Office. The case was sent to Somerset rather than to the Morris County …
Thursday, May 9, 2013
But bad blood continues between union leader and the mayor.
There is finally resolution in the long-running contract dispute between the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills and its blue-collar workers. At Tuesday's Town Council agenda meeting at Parsippany High School, the governing body approved an employment agreement covering 2010-14 with the New Jersey Blue Collar Association, which represents non-white-collar town workers in departments including sanitation, water, parks and public works. The administration would not discuss details of the pact, however Samuel Poff, president of union local chapter 1 said workers would get a 6.5 percent pay raise over the four years but make concessions in prescription drug coverage. Poff said his colleagues did vote to ratify the agreement, which he said gives …
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Barberio blasts councilmen seeking mayor's seat for voting against introduction of $62M 2013 spending plan.
The Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Council, by a vote of 3-2, approved the introduction of Mayor James Barberio's proposed $62 million 2013 municipal budget at its Tuesday night agenda meeting at Parsippany High School — and the town's top executive is not happy that the vote wasn't unanimous. Council members Paul Carifi Jr. and Jonathan Nelson, who are both running for mayor in the 2013 election, voted against the measure. Barberio is running for re-election. In a statement released Wednesday, Barberio attacked them both and called on the councilmen to change their votes when the measure comes up for a final vote. The $62,286,803.97 spending plan would result in a zero percent tax increase for residents. "I worked hard on this budget to …
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
The owner of the first Lake Hiawatha house to be raised in this go-round says his family should be home again before year's end.
Dignitaries and Parsippany citizens gathered Tuesday morning to witness the start of a new chapter for a Lake Hiawatha family and for the township. More than a year and a half after Hurricane Irene devastated sections of the Parsippany community, and after three severely damaged houses were lifted above the 100-year flood plain last year thanks to a $7.2 million Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood Hazard Mitigation Grant, three more residences are in line to be raised in the hope of allowing families to go home again. The first of those families is the Young family: Kayne, Tiffany and their two young sons. Work to raise their Irene-damaged Lake Shore Drive house, part of FEMA's second phase of elevations, began Tuesday morning. This …
Monday, May 6, 2013
'We have worked so hard to get to this point,' said Mayor James Barberio.
Nearly two years after Hurricane Irene, many in Parsippany are still displaced from their homes due to severe damage to their residences. For some homeowners, the only way to save their houses was to agree to have them elevated higher than the 100-year flood level. And while a precious few homes were raised last year, there is good news for those still waiting. The second phase of elevations kicks off Tuesday in Parsippany, said Mayor James Barberio. “This process has been endured far too long by the residents of Lake Hiawatha who have yet to return to their homes," he said. "I am glad to see progress being made and the gradual return of normalcy to the area. “We have worked so hard to get to this point.” Paid for through the Federal …
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Paul Carifi Jr. blasts investigation of brother, James Carifi; Barberio says candidate's bid is an 'act of revenge'; Police Chief says he's got it wrong.
Councilman Paul Carifi Jr., who is running for mayor and at least publicly so far has stayed away from the campaign controversies arising from ticketmate Dr. Louis Valori's accusations of a quid pro quo job offer against incumbent Mayor James Barberio, is speaking out. The candidate says efforts to investigate his brother, Board of Education member and retiring Parsippany Police Capt. James Carifi, are politically motivated. Barberio rejects the accusation and says Paul Carifi's criticisms are "unethical" considering his council status and may rise to the level of official misconduct. “Time and time again, Jamie Barberio resorts to unscrupulous schemes in an attempt to ascertain an easy campaign victory," Paul Carifi said in a statement …
The town filed a Superior Court motion that may force the police captain to talk—and may cost him a $368K retirement payout.
It appears there is more trouble for Parsippany Board of Education member and retiring police Capt. James Carifi. Hard on the heels of having his April 1 retirement delayed due to an in-progress Parsippany Police internal affairs probe, published reports say the township has filed a motion alleging Carifi took official and perhaps confidential documents belonging to the PPD—which, if proven, could rise to the level of theft of digital information, a second-degree offense. The motion filed Friday before Superior Court Judge Rosemary Ramsey in Morristown accuses Carifi of using removable hard drives to transfer to his personal email police reports and confidential information about residents not wanted in connection with any crime—and that …
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Councilman says it's 'inappropriate to try to anticipate' what Somerset Prosecutor's Office may be looking for after trip to Town Hall.
A visit on unspecified business by the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office to Parsippany Town Hall last week moved a resident to ask at Tuesday's Township Council meeting for the town attorney to be removed. Resident Roy Messmer publicly questioned whether the visit was in relation to allegations by political opponents that Mayor James Barberio offered a council candidate a job in exchange for not running for office. He told the governing body, which did not adopt his suggestion to remove the town attorney, that their reputations were "on the line." 'Inglesino should be removed' Two representatives of the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office visited the municipal building last Wednesday, witnesses, including Messmer, told Patch. He said …
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Town attorney characterizes resident's questions about alleged job offer to candidates 'harassment-oriented.'
A Parsippany resident said she will talk with an attorney and the American Civil Liberties Union to pursue legal action against township Attorney John Inglesino and the Town Council after she was denied the chance to speak Tuesday about allegations levied against the administration. At Tuesday's agenda meeting at Parsippany High School , as with each of the body's gatherings, President Brian Stanton announced that residents had a five-minute limit to speak "on any subject." The first person to come to the public microphone was Pat Petaccia, a Republican Municipal Committee member and a resident known for being an outspoken critic of town government. "At the last Town Council meeting [on March 19], I directed questions to Mayor [James] …
Bob
6:00 pm on Saturday, May 18, 2013
It was perfectly legal to offer a job to a running mate. But if that running mate accepted that job he would have to step down from running as a councilmen in Parsippany. Why do you think Stanton said everything that happened at that meeting was legal???? Legal yes. In the townships best interest???? I think not. One day you wont promote the guy and the next you offer him a job? Mayor do you … more ›