WEST NEW YORK AND BEYOND — Dr. Felix Roque and the “Together We Can” recall committees were in Hudson County Superior Court this week to challenge the West New York Town Clerk’s finding that the group hadn’t gathered enough signatures to put a recall question before the voters. Roque was hoping to recall Mayor Sal Vega in advance of the regular election 2011.
However, on Thursday, Judge Maurice Gallipolli’s office confirmed that the case was dismissed.
Town Attorney Daniel Horgan said that the case was dismissed because the recall committees failed to provide proof that Gallipolli had ordered them to collect in January and again in March.
“They never did it,” he said. “Because they don’t have any proof.” He continued by saying that it was only on Thursday that the recall committees began to offer to bring in people and proof.
“The judge was also very clear that the clerk in this had been wrongly vilified for not doing her job,” said Horgan, “when in fact they may have never wanted her to do her job. All they did was simply complain and make excuses.”
Roque, however, said he lost on a technicality and plans to continue the battle to “liberate the town of West New York.”
“My pressure on the town is going to increase,” said Roque. “When the going gets tough, the tough get going and that’s how I feel about this whole situation.”
Turning the obstacle into an opportunity, he said that he is officially announcing his candidacy to run for office in the regular mayor/commission election in May 2011.
He added that he will appeal the decision to dismiss the case. “This is not about me,” he said. “It’s about the people. They want a change and I’m going to provide that change.”