Former State Assemblyman David Kronick, who served for the past year as the first-ever salaried executive director of the North Bergen Parking Authority, abruptly resigned his position last month, apparently over a salary squabble.
According to a reliable source, Kronick resigned after asking township officials for a $10,000 raise over the nearly $50,000 salary he was receiving. Most township personnel received a standard 3.5 percent salary increase in July, but Kronick apparently was looking for more.
Kronick was replaced by Joseph Muniz, who was serving as the township’s community services and senior services director. Muniz will receive an annual salary of $42,000.
There were rumors circulating throughout the township that Kronick was fired from the position, but township administrator Joseph Auriemma dismissed those rumors.
“Dave Kronick resigned and was not fired,” Auriemma said. “Other than the fact that he resigned, I don’t have any other comment. And there was nothing political behind the move whatsoever.”
Auriemma praised Kronick’s contribution to the Parking Authority in his brief one-year tenure.
“He brought the Parking Authority from a disheveled entity to a much more organized unit,” Auriemma said. “He brought it through the first phase of the new project and we were pretty pleased with that.”
During Kronick’s tenure, the Parking Authority received a new permanent location on Bergenline Avenue, at the site of the old Embassy Hall, moving from the basement of Town Hall.
The Parking Authority also set up curbside parking meters along Bergenline Avenue and Broadway and made strides to improve two existing municipal parking lots on 74th Street and 72nd and Broadway.
The biggest undertaking of the Parking Authority has been the implementation of a resident parking permit program, which is now slated to go into full-time operation by the beginning of next year.
Under Kronick’s guidance, the township was beginning to institute a program that will enable only residents to park on certain township streets during the day, to cut down on the amount of commuters who drive into North Bergen, park their cars and board commuter vans and buses into Manhattan daily.
According to the anonymous source, it was the work of the resident parking program that caused Kronick to approach the township’s Board of Commissioners for more money, and that request was turned down.
Kronick declined to comment last week on his reasons for resigning.
Auriemma said that he thought Muniz was the perfect replacement for Kronick.
“Looking at the possible candidates, we felt that Joe Muniz possessed the major critical criteria,” Auriemma said. “You need an organized person to insure the day-to-day things and Joe is a very organized man. You need someone with good computer skills to build the type of report that is necessary. Joe has proven himself to be a very efficient person and in the time that he’s been in charge, he’s been right on the money.”
Kronick was named the first-ever salaried director of the Parking Authority in May, 1999, after long-time Authority Chairman Elvira Lambaise resigned. He also served as the township’s director of the Economic Development Advisory Commission for five years.
Kronick also served three two-year terms as the State Assemblyman, representing the 32nd legislative district from 1987 through 1993, but was replaced on the Democratic Organization ticket in favor of Secaucus’ Anthony Impreveduto in 1993.