One month before Board of Education President Carlos Perez’s five-year term is up, Union City Mayor Brian Stack has already announced Perez’s replacement.
Alicia Morejon, who is currently serving as the mayor’s campaign manager for the uncontested upcoming May 14 municipal election, will be sworn in as a trustee on May 16.
“Alicia will make an excellent Board of Education trustee,” said Stack. “She truly cares for Union City and understands that the future success of our city depends on the children we are educating today. She will always make our children’s education a priority.”
Perez, who was been a member of the board for 18 years, said that he was surprised when he found out that Stack would not reappoint him. The superintendent of schools, Thomas Highton, expressed disappointment in the move.
The Union City Board of Education was an elected board until the public voted in 1992 to make the board appointed. Now, the mayor appoints the five board members for five-year unpaid terms, with a different term expiring each year.
Political appointment?
According to Superintendent of Schools Highton, Perez was only notified about the appointment of Morejon through a letter delivered through the Board of Education’s secretary’s office last week.
Ironically, Highton said that he and Perez were in Trenton meeting with Gov. James McGreevey lobbying for money toward school construction.
Stack said that he did try to notify Perez personally. He said that he tried to call Perez numerous times last week and didn’t receive a call back. Stack also said that Perez gave him every indication that he was ready to retire. Highton added that a lot of people at the Board of Education are very upset about the change.
“This shows that if they work hard for 18 years, they may never be appreciated for it,” said Highton, adding that the mayor never talked to the administration about his decision or asked what kind of work Perez was doing. However, Stack does not think that the people will see his appointment as political.
“I would only choose someone as my campaign manager who is as civilly involved as I am,” said Stack. “The people want change.”
Stack underwent similar charges after appointing Tilo Rivas to the board last year. Union City residents attacked Stack and Rivas, who is now running for commissioner on May 14, saying that Rivas was not qualified for the position.
Following that appointment, a five-member committee of parents and residents representing a small, vocal community, filed a petition for an elected Board of Education.
Perez also came under fire at this time. The committee filing the petition claimed that they had been treated poorly by Perez and the other board members at the Board of Education meetings.
However, Stack negotiated with the committee to include more parent involvement with his next choice, rather than having an elected board.
“I had a lot of input from parents,” said Stack. He said that Morejon will encourage parent involvement on the board. “Morejon talks to everyone in the community,” he said.
Highton further claimed that Perez may have been looked over for political reasons.
“Perez wanted to make sure that the Board of Education didn’t become an employment agency for City Hall,” said Highton, adding that Perez was against hiring those who could not find jobs in City Hall.
Perez has also always been involved with parents in the community and Highton is confident that the majority of parents don’t want to see Perez leave the board.
“Carlos put a lot of time into the board,” said Board of Education Trustee Lenny Calvo. “Perez was always at all events, even those that took place at night. You don’t see that much.”
“He has always been dedicated to the people of Union City,” said Highton, adding that Perez attended every community event that took place. “He always had the ear of the people. I can get a meeting with 400 parents that are for Carlos Perez.”
He will be missed
To his fellow board members and the Board of Education administration, Perez was known as a hard-working man who enjoyed serving the Board of Education.
“[Perez] helped keep us on the straight and narrow,” said Highton.
“His dedication and interest in Board of Education matters is something that I admired,” said Felina Del Nodal, the board’s vice president. “Whenever I had any questions I went to him. This will be a loss to the Board of Education.”
Perez, who was elected in 1984, 1987 and 1990, before the board became appointed, said that he is satisfied with work that he has been able to do on the board.
When Perez was first elected to the board, the district was at risk of being taken over by the state.
Perez has worked with the district in completing several additions to schools, opening two new schools and planning for two new schools, one kindergarten through fifth grade school opening in January and one middle school opening in 2003.
Perez was also a strong advocate of not raising the school tax levy for residents.
“We have never asked the taxpayers for more money,” said Highton, who has been with the board for 13 years. “Carlos [Perez] was adamant about that.”
However, Del Nodal realized that this is an appointed board and each person is only given a five-year term. “Everyone of us will come to our time,” said Del Nodal. “We have to give a chance for new people to give new ideas.”
Although Highton admitted that he didn’t always see eye to eye with Perez, he will miss him.
“I am going to miss arguing with him,” said Highton. “He will be missed.”
“I just hope his replacement can do half as much as he did,” added Del Nodal.
His replacement
Morejon, a licensed real estate broker and sales associate with Hudson Realty in Union City, has been a very active member in the community. In the last two years, Morejon has joined the Urban Enterprise Zone’s redevelopment Board and the city’s Planning Board.
“I am looking forward to serving on the Union City Board of Education,” said Morejon. “As a businesswoman, and also as a mother and grandmother, I see education as a means to improve our city’s economy. Our children must receive a good education to compete in the business world. An investment in our children’s education is an investment in our society.”
Morejon is also a member of the National Association of Cuban-American Women and has received awards from the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic American Alliance.
Stack said that Morejon will also play a role in the city’s administration after May 14.
However, Stack’s fellow runningmate, Tilo Rivas, will have to resign from the Board of Education after the May 14 election, leaving another vacancy on the board.
“I didn’t know that I was going to ask him to run for commissioner when I appointed him to the board,” said Stack about Rivas’ appointment. “If I did, I would have thought about it some more.”
Stack said that he doesn’t know who he will appoint in Rivas’ position. After Rivas resigns in May, Stack will have 30 days to replace him.