Dear Editor:
As long-time residents of Parsippany, my husband and I, and many other residents of the town, have been concerned about the appearance of numerous drones in our area; thus, it was with dismay that we learned our mayor, who had the opportunity to attend a statewide meeting this week to address the drone issue, decided to skip it. He opted instead to attend a holiday party for seniors. His justification was that they “look forward to my presence” at holiday parties. This cavalier attitude does little to inspire confidence in his leadership.
Mayor Barberio, it is your duty to attend critical public safety briefings—especially ones such as this, which drew hundreds of mayors from across the state. Regardless of how “well-informed” you believe you are, showing up matters. The purpose of the meeting wasn’t just to exchange updates but to shine a bright spotlight on an issue that has left township residents feeling deeply concerned and unsafe.
You should be a leading voice putting municipal pressure on state and federal officials to address these drones. You should be the one on national TV advocating for your community—not the Pequannock mayor. Parsippany is the largest municipality in the county, home to valuable public utilities, and your residents deserve better representation on this pressing issue. Your constituents are working people who understand responsibility and accountability. If we shirked our duties as you did, we’d likely lose our jobs. Residents are not convinced that you deserve a pass on this failure to act. It’s time to start prioritizing public safety over social events. Be more responsive to the people you serve—we deserve nothing less.
Gay Boyle
Mark Philhower
Parsippany
