Dear Editor:
Since being elected to the Parsippany Board of Education in 2014, I have been committed to advocating for our taxpayers and schoolchildren. Over the past year, this advocacy has led me to speak out at numerous town council meetings, raising concerns about Mayor James Barberio’s unfunded residential development PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) programs that I believe are putting our town in financial jeopardy.
Every time I speak, I start with a necessary disclaimer:
“The following statements are made in my capacity as a private citizen, not as a member of the Board of Education. These statements do not represent the Board or its members and solely reflect my personal opinions.”
This disclaimer is not a choice; it is a legal and ethical requirement under the School Ethics Act (N.J.S.A. 18A:12-21 et seq.).
But instead of engaging with the issues at hand, Mayor Barberio loves to mock this ethical practice, often quipping that he is “a mayor 24/7” and does not need to bother with disclaimers. It’s a clever little distraction that lets him avoid addressing legitimate questions about his controversial policies—questions about unfunded residential PILOT programs, Board of Education audits, and other hot-button issues.
This isn’t just a problem for me. Anyone who dares to question the mayor or voice an opinion he doesn’t like is met with disdain, ridicule, and a seat on his “enemies list.” Instead of responding with facts or accountability, he resorts to insults and theatrics, treating taxpayers who disagree with him as nuisances rather than as the people he is supposed to serve.
It is hard not to laugh at the irony of hearing the word ethics in the same sentence as “Mayor” lately, but the joke isn’t funny when you consider the damage his policies—and his divisive leadership style—are doing to our community. While he is busy making snide remarks, the rest of us are left picking up the pieces of a town burdened by his unfunded programs and lack of transparency.
Parsippany deserves better. We need leaders who answer tough questions, respect dissenting voices, and work to bring people together instead of tearing them down. Until then, I will keep showing up, making my disclaimers, and fighting for the taxpayers and children of this town—whether the mayor likes it or not.
In service to Parsippany,
Tim Berrios
The statements are made in my capacity as a private citizen, not as a member of the Board of Education. These statements do not represent the Board or its members and solely reflect my personal opinions.
