Dear Editor:
I apologize to Parsippany.
As a Resident of Parsippany for the last 29 years, I have tried to be a good resident giving back to my community in as many ways as I could. I am normally a civil person and no one can ever say I disrespected them or have ever raised my voice.
I am a board member of our wonderful school district. When we are not at a school board meeting we are not considered Board Members speaking on behalf of the Board or the School District. It is a disclaimer we have to use per our attorney. So that people are aware that whatever is said cannot legally bind the School District in anyway.
Our voice is only official at a Board Meeting or when the 9 Members of the Board of Education have authorized us to speak on their behalf.
With that being said, I can tell you that nothing upsets me more than someone who takes people for granted and tries to lie and disregard the voice of the people that is why what the Mayor did during tonight’s Town Council Meeting upset me so much.
Why does he get the floor to speak at the Town Council Meetings is bewildering to me since it is a Town Council Meeting and not a Mayor’s meeting. He is invited to the meeting, not part of the Town Council.
I did call out during the meeting and disrupted his speaking and called him a liar. He keeps stating that the Board gets 100% of the budgeted amount and that is true because it is mandated by law. What the Mayor does not say is that as of now we will get zero amount to cover the developments granted Pilots regardless of the children that they bring in. Which in 3 to 5 years when he says the developments will be completed the number of students coming from this developments will be substantial.
The Mayor stated that the Board keeps on telling people that we are not getting any money from the Pilots, but he was on the defensive by stating the town has not received any money either.
That none of the Pilots have been completed and no certificate of occupancy have been issued.
The mayor has at no point stated an intention of sharing any Pilot money with the board.
That is why we keep on insisting that the Mayor agree to meet with us and agree to a percentage amount.
We are not money hungry as he likes to call us, we are just making sure that the residents are aware that he has never included not only the School District in any negotiations with the housing developers but he has not included the Fire Department either.
Yes I was out of order and yes I called him a liar and disrupted the meeting, but when someone can be so obviously unconcerned about the education of our children I could not stay quiet. He likes his photo ops more than he cares about the community, but with actions demonstrating such lack of integrity I could not stay silent.
Had our Mayor done like the Mayor of Hanover did and put forward a resolution on the books that states that the Town will share Pilot revenue with the school district and fire district without being asked to, then that my fellow residents is a man of integrity.
There were more than 900 residents at the December meeting at the PAL to protest the Pilots. The Mayor and the Town Council members at the time disregarded the attendees and voted for Pilots anyway. Where will these politicians be in 10-15-30 years? Residents who may afford to stay in their homes and those that may move in are going to pay.
Parsippany needs a transformative leader who does not get scared to call in people who may disagree with them and maybe just maybe work together.
There is so much good that can happen in our Town without destroying our suburban hometown and making it into an urban town.
In my opinion our Mayor has had such an incestuous relationship with Attorney Inglesino. The mayor was voted out after his first term because of his dealings with this attorney and it will happen again.
He cares about putting money into his associates pockets rather than the citizens pockets.
We citizens of Parsippany will be left to hold over 90 million dollars of debt over a 30 year period for the Pilot developments that have already been approved, this amount is on the low estimate.
Who do you think is going to pay for the shortfall? The Residents of Parsippany.
Enough Mr. Mayor you want to enrich your friends and associates, I hope that you won’t regret the consequences.
Be careful who you surround yourself with, who you listen to they are wolves in sheep clothing. You may think they are your friends, but only as long as they can use you. Mr. Mayor you serve us, not the other way around.
Respectfully,
Susy Golderer
Parsippany Resident
