Newly elected officials are setting their agendas, but relations between the Democrats for Hudson County (DFHC) and the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) remain heated.
Swapping players
Since the end of the election last week, West New York Board of Commissioner Gerald Lange, affiliated with the DFHC, announced that he will head a recall election next year to remove West New York Mayor Silverio “Sal” Vega.
Vega, who is a member of the HCDO, lost the 33rd District state Senate primary election to Union City Mayor Brian Stack.
“[During the May election] he ran unopposed and it was a terrible turnout, and he didn’t even carry his own town in this past election,” said Lange last week. “That’s an indication that there is no confidence in him.”
Vega refused to comment on the matter.
The Hudson County Board of Freeholders held a special session last Tuesday afternoon to appoint Union City resident Jose Falto, affiliated with the HCDO, as the new trustee for the Hudson County Schools of Technology.
The board even flew in Freeholder Eliu Rivera of Jersey City, who was currently on vacation in Puerto Rico.
Falto, who ran unsuccessfully for a position on the Union City Board of Commissioners two years ago, is replacing Union City Commissioner Chris Irizarry, whose term was up. Re-elected Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise did not reappoint Irizarry. Irizarry is also CEO of the North Hudson Community Action Corporation.
“I am elated and happy to serve in the field of education and give back to the community, where I can put my experience to use,” said Falto.
“I wish them the best of luck,” said Irizarry. “I had a good time being on the board and it was a good experience. Now I have a lot more time to spend with my family and help Brian Stack with his transition to the state Senate.”
Some members of the Board of Freeholders disagreed with the decision to replace Irizarry, including 5th District Freeholder Maurice Fitzgibbons and 7th District Freeholder Gerald Lange. When word came out a few weeks ago that Irizarry would not be reappointed, some felt it was “politics as usual” from the HCDO because Irizarry is an avid Stack supporter.
“It’s disrespectful,” said Lange. “It seems like they don’t want peace at this point.”
Fitzgibbons argued that the board would lose its only Hispanic member because they originally thought of Sebastian “Chips” D’Amico of Jersey City for the position, but that concern was resolved with the nomination for Falto.
“I was vocal about having a Latino on the board,” said Fitzgibbons. “[Regardless] the board still does not reflect the diversity of the county and the schools.”
But Irizarry’s term was up and Falto had submitted his resume to the county executive a few years ago. Falto also has 32 years of experience in education, including being a teacher in Union City.
“[Jose Falto] is very qualified and has a background in education,” said DeGise, who said Falto’s appointment was not any kind of retaliation. “I think it’s fair to say that, due to the political circumstances here, I don’t feel any obligation to run things by anybody that was trying to knock me out of my office. I do feel strongly that Union City deserves the seat and that a Latino should be on the board. Jose Falto is [qualified] and deserves the seat. There was no shot there [being taken], but it was somebody of my choosing.”
“My only concern is the kids,” said Falto, who will be one of five board members. “I will do my best so we can continue to improve the quality of education and make sure that every child gets a first class education.”
In an attempt to thwart the appointment, freeholders Fitzgibbons, Lange, Tilo Rivas of Union City, and Doreen M. DiDomenico of Bayonne initially intended to skip the meeting but decided to attend to place their votes on the record. Fitzgibbons abstained but Lange, Rivas, and DiDomenico voted no. The other five freeholders voted yes.
Picking their leaders
The victory for Stack and the recently formed DFHC on Tuesday’s election might not be as clear as it seemed. The HCDO still controls Senate and Assembly seats in the 31st and 32nd districts, as well as the three county seats with DeGise’s re-election and the elections of new County Sheriff Juan M. Perez and County Clerk Barbara Netchert.
The DFHC also picked up seats on the Hudson County Board of Freeholders, including the 7th District seat with Jose Munoz from West New York.
Last Wednesday evening, the DFHC held its first reorganization meeting to reinforce the party’s stance and elect members to their Executive Board, for which Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner was selected as chairman.
County Executive candidate Noemi Velasquez was made first vice chair of the board, and vice chairpersons included Michael Russo of Hoboken, Joe Cassidy of Jersey City, former Commissioner Ercides Aguasvivas of West New York, and Mary Jane Desmond of Bayonne.
At the same time, the HCDO held their reorganization meeting elsewhere and also selected new members to their board, including several representatives from the 33rd District, which was won by the DFHC in the June Primary election.
Jersey City Mayor Jeremiah Healy was made chairman of the HCDO. The vice chairs included 33rd District Assembly candidates Nicole Garcia and Carol Marsh. Additional chairpersons included Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell and West New York Commissioner Michelle Fernandez Lopez. The sergeants at arms included 7th District Freeholder candidate Alberto Cabrera and Union City resident Frank Scarafile, who ran on an opposing ticket two years ago in the Union City municipal election.
Once colleagues in the HCDO, the members of both parties were involved in a contentious campaign throughout the recent primary, and some question if they will be able to work together. Jessica Rosero can be reached at jrosero@hudsonreporter.com