Dear Editor:
On Tuesday, December 19, at the Town Council meeting Mayor Barberio and Council President Loretta Gragnani were taught a lesson by the over 200 Parsippany residents who attended the meeting. By turning out in such numbers, Parsippany residents made clear to Barberio and Gragnani, in no uncertain terms that Parsippany and its future were not up for sale to the developers who own (and through their attorney, double dipping John Inglesino) control Barberio, Gragnani and Council members dePierro, Carifi and Neglia. Gragnani’s overtly political and stunningly incompetent stunts at attempting to reorder the timing of Council votes only underscored her willingness to bow to Barberio’s and Inglesino’s dictates.
The lesson that Parsippany residents delivered to their elected officials last evening was that Parsippany’s elected officials need to demonstrate that they have made the effort and taken the time to fully consider the pros and cons of the PILOTs and that having done so they will then act in the best interests of Parsippany. That does not seem to be an unreasonable request and yet the Mayor and the Council are determined to rush and vote and pass the remaining PILOTs by year-end while Gragnani and dePierro are still in office (and before the newly elected Council members Judy Hernandez and Matt McGrath take office on January 1, 2024).
Without a doubt, that is why Council President Gragnani at Mayor Barberio’s direction has scheduled an emergency Council meeting for next Thursday, December 28 at 7:00 p.m. at the PAL at 33 Baldwin Road. Barberio and Gragnani know that if that meeting is held then the PILOTs will pass before year-end and Parsippany residents will suffer the consequences for the next 30 years.
However, if more than 500 residents attend the meeting at the PAL on December 28th at 7:00 p.m. the Fire Marshall can not allow the meeting to be held due to safety considerations and the Council will not be able to pass the PILOTs thereby blocking Barberio’s and Gragnani’s desperate attempts to ignore and over-ride the sane and sensible Parsippany residents’ requests for more information and more time.
So, the fundamental question for Parsippany residents is this:
Will you take the time to join your neighbors and friends at the meeting at the PAL and tell all the Grinches (Mayor Barberio, Council President Gragnani, Councilman Carifi, Councilman Neglia, Councilman dePierro, Attorney John Inglesino, and the multi-millionaire developers) that Parsippany not for sale? After all Tis the season for giving and not for taking
Bob Crawford
Montville
