While Union City’s Board of Commissioners agree that financial cutbacks and saving money are top priorities, they seemed to have a hard time reaching an agreement on the right way to save the taxpayers money at the Oct. 3 Board of Commissioners meeting .
These disagreements did not go unnoticed by the residents, who got their chance to speak during the public portion of the meeting.
“You are just throwing money around here,” said city resident John Romanik directly to Revenue and Finance Commissioner Ralph Fraguela. “You are stealing money from my pocket.”
“I am not stealing money from anybody,” answered an angry Fraguela. “I have never blamed Mayor [Rudy] Garcia or anyone else for the problems we are facing, and I don’t want anyone to blame me.”
A calmer Fraguela later continued, “I left my island because we didn’t have the right to disagree. In this type of government it is good to disagree. But we do agree on a lot of issues. You just only see the ones that we don’t agree on.”
Split decisions
The board was split on a decision to reappoint Municipal Court Judge Augustine Sanchez and appoint Lilia Munoz as a new municipal court judge. The appointments were tabled to a later meeting in a motion made by Revenue and Finance Commissioner Ralph Fraguela.
Right now, Joseph Falbo, who has been on sick leave since early June, is the city’s only contracted municipal court judge. However, by city ordinance, there should be two municipal court judges.
“Every time we need to have a judge sit here, it costs the taxpayers $300,” said Public Affairs Commissioner Ray Lopez, who said that another judge has to come into Union City court three times a week to sit for Falbo. “That is a total of $900 a week we are spending.”
However, Fraguela wanted to hold off on the appointments to give the city more time to make sure that all of Falbo’s benefits were in place.
According to Mayor Rudy Garcia, Falbo will be able to receive his complete benefit package.
Public Safety Commissioner Michael Leggiero voted with Fraguela and Commissioner Tina Yandolino to table the appointments of Sanchez and Munoz.
“What is going on here goes beyond benefits and taxes,” said Leggiero. “This is a moral issue.”
Garcia disagreed about putting off the appointments. “We have a moral issue here,” he said. “We have a moral responsibility to the taxpayers of Union City.”
“I am not making my decisions based on personalities,” said Lopez. “I am making my decisions based on what is right for the taxpayers of Union City.”
Fraguela said that he supports the appointments, but wants to make both at the same time.
A $4,000 public service contract to Susan Colditz of Donahue, Gironda and Doira, the accounting firm already contracted by the city, for the preparation of the city’s financial statement, was also met with some opposition. “Aren’t [Donahue, Gironda & Doira] our auditors already?” said Garcia, who felt that this service should have fallen under the umbrella of their original service contract. “Why do we have to pay them an additional $4,000 for the work they are already doing.”
“I am trying to save the taxpayers $10 million,” said Fraguela, who added that the financial statement was part of the package that the state required. “That is why I am spending $4,000.”
Commissioner Fraguela and Freeholder Brian Stack visited Trenton two weeks ago to ask for Distressed Cities Aid. However, the state requested a financial statement and other documents before it would make its decision. The contract was awarded with a 3 to 2 vote. Garcia and Lopez voted against the contract.