Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Blue-collar municipal employees say that while their white-collar colleagues have seen pay hikes, they haven't seen a raise since 2010.
Municipal blue-collar workers say they have gone more than two years without a contract — and they're not happy about it. A group of them brought their complaint before the Parsippany Township Council at its Tuesday agenda meeting at Parsippany High School. They were represented by Samuel Poff, president of the New Jersey Blue Collar Association, which represents non-white-collar town workers in departments including sanitation, water, parks and public works. "We're unhappy as of late," he said. "We've been without a contract for two years, four months. We can't get $800. I'm negotiating an $8.5 million contract for 135 guys ... who make an average of $42,000 a year. I can't get an $800 raise for these guys who spent anywhere from one …
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
The largest fish in the lake, courtesy of James Barberio, is a 26-inch, 7-pound trout.
Par-Troy Spring is officially underway. The season was greeted Saturday with the annual trout stocking at Lake Parsippany. The event was held by the Lake Parsippany Property Owners Association and was led by Mayor James Barberio. About 70 townspeople gathered for the festivities, which prepare the lake for the fishing season that starts Saturday. The trout stocking event has become a traditional start of the season for local fishers and families. This marks the fourth year Mayor Barberio has participated, donating the biggest fish available and contributing a gift certificate prize for the fisher who catches this 26-inch, 7-pound fish during the season. “I wouldn’t miss this event for the world," said Barberio. "It is a great opportunity …
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
James Barberio said he shares Gov. Christie's anger over large payouts he blamed on contracts that preceded his administration.
Mayor James Barberio says he does not bear responsibility for the nearly $400,000 being paid to newly retired Parsippany Police Chief Anthony DeZenzo, who left the job after 18 months as the town's top cop. DeZenzo retired March 1 after a 32-year career in law enforcement—one year with the Morris County Sheriff's Office and the rest with township police. According to a retirement calculations document obtained through an Open Public Records Act request, he called it quits with an accumulation of 418 unused personal, sick and vacation days worth $379,082.31. The documents also said he was to receive an additional $16,003.79 for 160.6 hours of unused compensatory time. The total payout, according to the OPRAed documents, amounts to $395,086.…
Monday, February 25, 2013
Jigar Shah said building stronger ties between Parsippany government and people of Indian descent will take a community effort.
Who is Parsippany-Troy Hills' official liaison to the township's Indian-American community? Some know Jigar Shah as a father, uncle and businessman. Many know him as a hardworking volunteer for the local Republican Party. Still others recall a bit of scandal: Shah was named in allegations regarding possible—but never proven—absentee voter fraud during the 2011 GOP primary. He won't say much about that. "Let’s set the record straight," said Shah. "I was never investigated for anything. People who say otherwise are not being truthful." Speaking of his new volunteer position for the town, the 55-year-old is much more vocal, sharing his excitement to serve as a link between Mayor James Barberio's administration and Parsippany's burgeoning …
Sunday, February 10, 2013
After nearly 200 years of Smith-Baldwin family ownership, the South Beverwyck Road estate is now the property of to Parsippany.
It's official: Parsippany is the new owner of the historic Baldwin House. After more than a year of negotiations and dealings involving environmental issues, Mayor James Barberio on Thursday finally signed the closing documents to transfer ownership of the home at 460 S. Beverwyck Road to the township. The move was first announced in September 2011, when the mayor announced the town's intention to buy the home built in the 1820s from its most recent owner, Anita Baldwin, to who he issued a proclamation sending thanks. Baldwin, whose family had lived in Parsippany since 1733, now lives in California. The Township Council formally approved an ordinance allowing the $672,750 sale in December 2011. Following Thursday's closing, Mayor Barberio…
Monday, January 14, 2013
Paul Carifi Jr., a councilman since 2011, will take on James Barberio in June GOP primary.
Get ready for an intra-party battle: Republican Town Council member Paul Carifi Jr. announced Thursday that he is launching a new political fight. "I am announcing my candidacy as mayor of Parsippany-Troy Hills," he said before a standing room only crowd of supporters. The announcement came at Carifi's campaign launch rally at newly opened deli Rick's Bistro on Route 10 Monday evening. The councilman said he chose Rick's, which opened its doors officially last week, because he wanted to support "a business that chose Parsippany." Bringing businesses to the township, he said, is one of the tentpoles of his campaign. The councilman, who recently retired from the Morris County Sheriff's office, told Patch he is running for mayor because he …
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Proposed ordinance removed from council consideration.
By a vote of 4-1, the Parsippany Township Council voted to pull a proposed ordinance that would have extended to apartment residents the sewer rebate going to homeowners and businesses. The move came at the council's Tuesday night regular meeting at Town Hall. In late November, the body voted unanimously to approve a resolution authorizing a rate decrease for homeowners and businesses starting in the first quarter of 2013. Another resolution, mandating a one-time sewer rebate, was also passed by all members of the council. Another proposed ordinance, up for second reading Tuesday, did not go forward. This plan would have ordered landlords to pass along the rebate to their tenants in the form of rent credits. Before the matter could be …
Friday, December 14, 2012
Officials, citizens celebrate Money Magazine's ranking at festive invitation-only cocktail party.
Parsippany is still celebrating its selection by CNN and Money Magazine as the best small city in which to live in New Jersey. The Hilton Hotel put on an invitation-only cocktail party Thursday evening that attracted township officials, area dignitaries and residents to socialize, dine and hear Mayor James Barberio recount the reasons people should have "pride in Parsippany." In August, Money Magazine's "America's Best Places to Live" issue featured Parsippany as the best small city in New Jersey and as the 16th best in the entire nation. Using a PowerPoint presentation, the mayor addressed the crowd to point out the reasons why Morris County's largest municipality is "a great place to live, play and work." Barberio hailed what he called a…
Monday, December 10, 2012
Local Finance Board rules James Barberio's plea for friend's son was a 'personal letter.'
Mayor James Barberio was not out of line to send a letter to a Superior Court judge asking for leniency in a drug case involving the son of a friend last year, according to a ruling from the state Department of Community Affairs' Local Finance Board in response to a complaint lodged against Parsippany's chief executive. The body, however, failed to address the mayor's use of official township letterhead for what the LFB characterized in its denial to the complainant as "a personal letter." The issue arose in October 2011, when Barberio wrote a letter on behalf of his friend's son, Daniel Moses, who awaited sentencing after his guilty plea to charges of conspiracy to distribute eight pounds of marijuana. Moses, then 26, ultimately was …
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
James Barberio tempers previous praise of the utility company for helping the Puddingstone area during the storm.
The issue of Jersey Central Power and Light's performance during Superstorm Sandy arose during the Parsippany Township Council's Tuesday night regular meeting at Town Hall. During the public comment portion of the meeting, Mayor James Barberio softened a statement he made last week praising the utility. At the Nov. 20 council agenda meeting, Barberio finally revealed serious problems—including a close call for the town's sewer plant—faced while dealing with the storm and massive power outages that affected more than half the town. Among other things, Barberio last week mentioned the plight of residents in Parsippany's Puddingstone neighborhood who ended up trapped in their homes due to downed trees and wires. "[JCP&L] came to the rescue …
To a better future
3:55 pm on Friday, April 12, 2013
One more thing 3 years without a raise. Cost of living went up taxes went up insurance went up benefits went up. Our take home is less now than 3 years ago. I will be so happy once we settle the contract. That 7 cents should take care of all the inflation. Thank you for working so hard on our behalf. more ›