At the most recent rally against tax increases in West New York, the man at the center, future mayoral candidate Dr. Felix Roque, said last week that he plans to finally follow through on his threat to start a recall election against Mayor Sal Vega.
“This is the point of no return, the point of explosion,” said Roque last week. “I was feeling the pulse of the people, and now I could tell you they are ready to do a recall. The people want a change. They want a positive change. The door just opened, and we have to go with it.”
Many towns in New Jersey have suffered from higher taxes and less state aid this year.
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It was the third large rally protesting the town’s 27 percent tax increase since February, when residents began to get their tax bills in the mail. Many towns in New Jersey have suffered from higher taxes and less state aid this year.
At each rally, Roque has spoken out against the increase and the current administration, calling for the removal of the mayor. The recall had also been the focus of a meeting Roque held with supporters in January, when he first announced he would like to run for mayor.
However, Roque never actually initiated the recall process.
Roque said last week that he waited so long because he had not been sure it was the right time.
“People were saying ‘Let’s wait for the elections,’ ‘This is not the right moment,’ ” said Roque. “I was listening to the townspeople.”
What does a recall take?
Vega is not up for reelection until 2011, so in order to pry the mayor from his seat sooner, Roque will have to request a special election.
“I don’t think the town would last another year and a half,” Roque said of Vega’s leadership.
To initiate the recall, Roque will first have to file a “notice of intention” with the town clerk.
Roque said last week that he has not yet filed any paperwork with the town, but that an attorney from the Fort Lee-based firm Mariniello & Mariniello will take care of the paperwork for him this week.
The next step will require Roque and his supporters to collect signatures from at least 25 percent of the town’s registered voters, as of the last general election. They must do so within 160 days, or a little over five months, after filing the notice.
This is not as simple as finding residents or property owners to sign the petitions, because the signers must be people who were actually registered to vote in last November’s election. Roque said that his attorney will train 50 volunteers for this task.
The petition will then be filed with the town clerk, who must determine whether the signatures are valid within 10 days of receipt. If the paperwork is acceptable, the special election will be scheduled on a date that does not interfere with a regular election.
Roque also said last week that he is currently planning another tax rally on April 19.
Vega’s response
Vega said he is currently focused on trying to solve the problems his town faces, and that he is not preparing for any special election.
“I am very busy being the mayor of West New York,” he said last week. “We are working together with the commissioners and the staff to make it better.”
Regarding the most recent rally that stopped traffic, he said, “I don’t think that the best way to promote a political campaign is marching down Bergenline Avenue. Bergenline Avenue is the heart of our commercial area, and any time there is a disruption on the avenue, it hurts the merchants.”
Vega said he is working on several initiatives to cut the budget. He said he has also met with the commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Joseph Doria, to request the assistance of a state monitor, who will foster negotiations with unions regarding layoffs and help with other issues surrounding the town’s finances.
As far as the taxes, Vega said he hopes to lower the rate in the near future.
“I think if we get through this cycle, we are going to be in better shape,” he said.
He added that his administration is already planning for the next fiscal year.
“I think that next year, we probably will have less expense within our budget, so we’ll then be able to reduce the rates from what they are today,” said Vega.
Amanda Staab can be reached at astaab@hudsonreporter.com.