PARSIPPANY — Congratulations to Mayor Barberio, Councilman Neglia, and Jigar Shah on winning the Republican primary. We’re looking forward to a conversation about the future of Parsippany, a conversation that respects the voters and taxpayers of this community. That conversation starts today.
The choice in this election is clear.
One ticket offers more of the same: nearly two decades of political control by the same insiders, the same tax hikes, and the same giveaways to developers we’ve seen again and again:
• Sweetheart deals for the politically connected.
• A town hall consumed by personal feuds and political vendettas.
• Taxes up 25% in just 4 years, including this year’s proposed increase.
• Corporate tax breaks (PILOTs) that leave our schools and students holding the bag.
These problems fall directly at the feet of the Mayor, and they cost you money.
We know that Parsippany’s record is better than the Mayor’s. But we will never solve the problems of tax hikes, overdevelopment, and transparency in Parsippany if we reelect a three-term Mayor who has not and will not change. That’s why we’re running. We’re as fed up with your mismanagement and lack of transparency.
• Pulkit Desai is a Marine Corps veteran and cybersecurity professional who has delivered absolute transparency and accountability. As President of the Lake Parsippany Property Owners Association (LPPOA), he leads one of the largest lake communities in New Jersey, serving over 2,200 homes. That means he helps represent and support a community of thousands of residents on a volunteer basis. He has demonstrated executive leadership, cutting waste, publishing every dollar of spending online, and implementing open “Ask Me Anything” sessions for residents. Managing a team of 17 board members, 100% volunteers, Pulkit knows how to roll up his sleeves and build a consensus for the betterment of the community.
• Matt Kavanagh is a Navy veteran, an Annapolis graduate, and a weapons system engineer. Today, he is a clean-energy engineer who helped secure $22,000 in sustainability funding for Parsippany as Chair of our town’s Green Team. He has served as an executive with multiple renewable energy companies and brings a results-driven approach to every project he leads.
• Diya Patel is a Parsippany-Troy Hills School District graduate and a Pace University JD candidate. Currently working in the District Attorney’s office for Bronx County, she’s part of the next generation of Parsippany natives to call this town home long-term. She is running to make Parsippany a more affordable place to live.
We’re not politicians. We’re working professionals who listen and bring people together to solve problems and achieve win-win outcomes for the residents of Parsippany.
This week, we’re releasing our first three commonsense commitments to the people of Parsippany:
1. Audit the books. Since Mayor Barberio started his third term in 2022, taxes have risen 25%. In the prior four years, taxes had risen 18%, significantly less for taxpayers. We will hire an independent auditor to determine why this increase occurred and why residents have not seen a similar increase in public services.
2. Transparency in public works. Residents want to know when their street is being worked on, and for how long. We will implement a system that does so, and maintain the schedule publicly. We’ll then expand this system to improve transparency and communication with residents in general.
3. Fully fund and support our schools. The Board of Education raised its taxes, and never had school finances threatened until the Mayor’s PILOT deals. Our schools are about our kids, not the politics of whoever serves on the school board. We won’t dodge accountability by inventing a problem with our schools. We’ll work with our schools to ensure our kids are safe and thriving.
In the months ahead, you won’t just hear what’s wrong. We want to talk about what’s possible. We’ll be in your neighborhoods, at your events, and on your doorstep listening. We want our town to prosper by focusing on solutions that actually improve residents’ lives.
To every resident, no matter your party or your past vote:
We ask you to judge us by our records, by our ideas, and by our conduct. We’ve had enough dividers. We’re here to deliver.
Under new leadership,
— Pulkit Desai, Matt Kavanagh, and Diya Patel
New Leadership for Parsippany
