Jersey City Council President Mariano Vega was the target of another call for his resignation from his council post.
Vega was arrested on July 23 as one of the 44 swept up in the public corruption/money laundering bust by the federal government for allegedly accepting $30,000 in bribes.
At a public meeting last week, Jersey City Heights resident John Seborowski took issue with Vega continuing to sit in on council meetings. He referred to a resolution introduced by City Councilman Steven Fulop at a July 29 council meeting asking the rest of the City Council to support a formal request for the resignation of Vega. The council voted down the resolution 7-1 with only Fulop voting yes.
“Since Mr. Vega will not step down in the best interest of the city, it is imperative that the City Council take action and start restoring the image of Jersey City,” Seborowski said.
Vega later in the meeting voted for several resolutions reappointing the city’s department directors, including most contrroversially, Carl Czaplicki as director of the Housing, Economic Development, and Commerce. Czaplicki is also known as “JC Official 3” in the complaints against some of the officials arrested on July 23 but he was not charged with any crime.
After the meeting, Vega commented on both Seborowski’s comments and on his vote for Czaplicki.
On Seborowski’s resignation call, Vega said “in our liberal democracy, everyone is entitled to their opinion.” Vega then said his approval vote for Czaplicki was “appropriate” since Czaplicki is not facing any criminal charges. – RK