PARSIPPANY — Although Mayor James Barberio hasn’t officially announced his candidacy for third term as Parsippany-Troy Hills Mayor, Council Vice President Robert Peluso formally announced he will challenge him in the June primary. Joining Peluso was his two candidates for Parsippany Council,Township of Hanover Police Officer Chris Martino and Former Parsippany Planning Board Chairman Casey Parikh. The event which drew a large standing room only crowd at Embassy Suites on Friday, February 17 was attended by many local Politicians, family members and supporters of the team.
Introducing Peluso was Councilman Paul Carifi Jr., with whom Peluso has provided opposition to the Barberio administration. Both councilmen have criticized Barberio for what they term a “lack of transparency” and excessive spending, particularly on excessive township legal fees by current Township Attorney John Inglesino.
Carifi said, “”He does his due diligence, does his homework, he’s very meticulous and very thorough. And he’s very transparent, always looking out for the residents, and always available to them.”
“The change Parsippany needs is real and is urgent. We can not rely on the old guard or a political establishment to make that change. If they haven’t created the change by now, it is because they are unwilling to do so or don’t know how. Being a genial figure and disengaged no longer gets the day-to-day job done. Township government is not functioning in the way it should. We need to run it like a business and create accountability for the actions that it takes. I want to put crisis in the rear view mirror. My vision for Parsippany is that all of Parsippany will be working together and helping to move our community in the right direction. Everyone has a seat on the bus and can be a part of this journey,” said Peluso.
He continued, “It’s time we elect a mayor who is committed to making ground breaking progress, not just making ground breaking ceremonies. I will declare in detail what we will do better and it will be seen across all parts of Parsippany. We will have conversations about controlling taxes, transparent, open and accessible government, job creation, a cleaner environment, the safety of our schools and all residents, true economic development both in Lake Hiawatha and in our neighborhoods. Leaders need to listen to our voters, they need to hear specifics, not slogans.”
Peluso was raised in Parsippany-Troy Hills, married, worked, purchased his home, and started his family with his wife, Ildiko and son Robert right here in our community. He is a graduate of Parsippany High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Montclair State University and holds a Masters of Business Administration Degree in Finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He currently is a Parishioner of Saint Peter The Apostle Church and believes in giving back to our community.
As an active community leader, he takes pride in the contributions he makes to enhance the quality of life for those who work, live, and play in our Township. He is passionate about community service and Mr. Peluso focuses on initiatives including the areas of health, education, economic development, arts and culture, and family services.
Mayor Barberio is expected to announce his candidacy for re-election on Monday, February 20, although Parsippany Focus has not been officially informed. Council President Louis Valori and Robert Peluso’s seat is up this election year. Former Councilman Brian Stanton, Dr. Louis Valori and former Councilman Vincent Ferrara have filed registrations with the state as Republican council candidates for nominations in the June primary or have expressed their intent.
Stanton told Parsippany Focus he intends to run and will announce his candidacy on March 1.
Democrat Michael Soriano announced his candidacy for the mayor’s office last week. (Click here to read related article).
Parikh said, “I used to say I come from a big family, five brothers and two sisters, nieces and nephews about 69 of us. But today I can say that my family is not 69. There are a lot more people here who are part of my family.” There were many supporters from the Indian community were in attendance.
“He’s been on the town planning board for over 20 years and was president,” Carifi said of Parikh. “He did great things volunteering in that position, giving a lot of time and effort towards the town of Parsippany and the residents of Parsippany.” When it was rumored that Parikh was considering a Council position, Mayor James Barberio failed to re-appoint Parikh to the Planning Board after serving over 24 years, citing that Parikh wasn’t a Parsippany resident, although he resides in Powdermill Heights, a residential complex built and owned by Parsippany’s prominent builder, Edward Mosberg.
“It’s definitely time for change,” Carifi said. “Our current mayor is not transparent at all. He consistently lies to residents in this town and we definitely need a change.”
“I’m tired of this, and it will get done,” Peluso said. “One way or another, come with me and we will do great things together.”
Casey Parikh is a retired executive and a dedicated public servant who has spent 24 years working to preserve the fabric of our community. Parikh’s commitment to Parsippany will ensure responsible growth while maintaining the standards we expect. He holds a BS Electrical Engineering – Bombay, India; MS Computer Science – Melbourne, FL and MBA – Melbourne, FL.
Parikh has been a Parsippany resident for 29 years and moved to USA in 1978. He is married to Dr. Rita Parikh for 36 years, and they have a daughter Dr. Coral Parikh, Graduate of PHHS. Dr. Coral Parikh lives with her husband Krishna in NYC. They also have a son, Emil Parikh, also a graduate of PHHS and he resides in New York City. Casey worked at Kennedy Space Center, FL as a Space Shuttle launch team member at NASA. He has over 30 years of experience in the Security industry with Management and Budgeting experience. Worked at ADT/Tyco security as a Director. Managed up to 350 technical people in USA and Canada. He retired in 2013 after working for 36 years in the professional field to dedicate my time to volunteer for community services.
Chris Martino is a decorated law enforcement professional. When he says he has your back, he means it. His experience in policing allows him to bring a unique insight to our council regarding public safety and the security of our residents and children.
Martino was born in Brooklyn, New York where his parents lived at the time and shortly moved to West Paterson. His family moved to Bloomingdale in 1986 when he was just 14 years old. He attended Butler High School and graduated from the County College of Morris.
Shortly after graduating college Martino was accepted into the Morris County Alternate Route Police Academy Program in August, 1993. Once he graduated the Morris County Police Academy he was hired by the Hanover Township Police Department on March 1, 1994. He has been with the Hanover Township Police Department for the past 23 years. During his 23 years he has worked in all aspects of law enforcement, which requires a great deal of dedication. He has been involved with numerous investigations that require a high level of discipline and attention to detail.
Chris has resided in Parsippany for the past 14 years originally moving into the Troy Hills section of Parsippany in 2003 with his wife Shreya. He currently resides in the Powder Mill Estates section of Parsippany, since 2014. This is where his wife Shreya, seven year old twins Ella and Deven, along with their family pet, Marley call home.
The primary will be held on Tuesday, June 6. Polls will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
You are eligible to vote if you are a citizen of the United States, are a Morris County resident 30 days before the election. You can register is you are at least 17 years of age, but cannot vote until the age of 18. You can not be incarcerated, on parole or on probation due to a felony conviction.
If you don’t know if you are a registered voter, you can click here to find out.
If you are not a registered voter, you can fill out the application form (click here), and mail a completed form to Morris County Board of Elections, Post Office Box 9000, Morristown, New Jersey 07960. You must register 21 days prior to the election which you wish to vote. Your registration will remain valid, as long as you do not move out of Morris County.
Once you are registered you will receive a ballot in the mail. If you need to find out where you go to vote, click here.
Parsippany Focus has reached out to all candidates that have filed their registrations, asking when and where they are announcing. Parsippany Focus will give equal coverage to all candidate running for office. Candidates can contact us by sending an email by clicking here.
