Dear Editor:
A troubling trend seems to be forming in Parsippany. During the last town council meeting, during which a move to censure Councilman Musella was on the agenda, comments by the public were limited to one minute rather than the standard five-minute time frame. No advanced notice was given of this change from the norm. This required speakers to try and change their prepared statements on the fly to accommodate the truncated time to speak.
I am sure we recall the same gamesmanship used to limit public participation during the PILOT Program protest in December 2023, when a minute and a half time limit was announced just as the public comment session was about to begin. These two incidents have one thing in common: the administration knew the residents were not in favor of either of the proposals being endorsed by the mayor and council.
Limiting the citizens of Parsippany to speak about their concerns on both matters only galvanized their opposition to both proposals being pushed by the mayor and his cohorts. This type of interference with free speech is another reason Parsippany needs new leadership from the top down. It is time to clean the house in City Hall and elect representatives who listen to the residents and do not view the taxpayers as an impediment to their preconceived plans.
Richard Suarez
