After attending North Bergen High School’s Law Day, Katarina Cabanilla said that she came away with a new appreciation of town government.
Each year, the event allows a select number of North Bergen High School students to shadow government officials for the day, and the students also hold a mock court trial and Board of Commissioners’ meeting.
This year, the kids had the delightful experience of learning through a Power Point presentation about the town’s budget and the need to cut it, as well.
The presentation showed how Gov. Christopher Christie’s freezing of state funds for the town’s business district (Urban Enterprise Zone) impacted the budget, and how each of the township’s departments is being asked to cut 10 percent from its spending plan. Chief Financial Officer Robert Pittfield had given the same presentation to township workers.
“It gives students a different view.” – Katarina Cabanilla
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“It makes you appreciate it,” said Cabanilla. “It gives students a different view.”
Pittfield said that as usual, he was impressed with what students took away from Law Day.
Hands on learning
Ishan Shah, the North Bergen High School Student Council president for the last two years, was given the opportunity to follow Mayor Nicholas Sacco for the day.
“His office was like a museum itself,” said Shah, explaining the many photos he saw.
What really stayed with Shah was the budget presentation and the amount of work needed so the town could “cope with it.”
“I didn’t know anything [about the Department of Public Works],” said Ana Nunez, who was chosen to head the DPW. She said she came in with an open mind wanting to learn. She said that looking at the many pieces of heavy machinery was the highlight of her day.
Students were also treated to a mock trial in which a North Bergen police officer pretended to be a person arrested for graffiti.
Understanding the process
Armed with their new knowledge of government and the help of township employees, each student chosen as a commissioner drafted resolutions for their very own meeting.
Viany Reyes took the seat of Commissioner Allen Pascual, the director of the North Bergen Department of Parks and Recreation.
One of her resolutions called for renting the North Bergen Recreation Center to families for private parties. One student in the audience questioned where there the center could be used by both the public and the Recreation Department, while another asked how underage drinking would be prohibited, but the resolution passed.
Eric Negron took the seat of Public Works Commissioner Frank Gargiulo. One of his resolutions asked for a recycling garbage bin to be placed on every other street on Kennedy Boulevard and Tonnelle Avenue.
Negron told the public that they could get funding from other sources since the roadways were county and state owned, but students questioned everything from the aesthetics of adding garbage cans to whether or not DPW workers could handle the additional duty. Ultimately, the resolution failed.
They also voted down a resolution by Erica Duque, who played the role of Public Safety Commissioner Theresa Ferraro. It called for giving property tax deductions to those who go “green.” Students caught on that residents would have to spend upwards of $12,000 to install solar panels for an annual cost savings of around $250, and this also did not pass.
‘Great lesson in civics’
Ultimately very few resolutions were able to pass, with board members and audience members asking if the town could afford certain projects.
Sacco pronounced the day a success.
“They are willing to challenge each other and ask questions if they are not satisfied,” said Sacco. Sacco continued, “This is a great lesson in civics. They got to learn about the township, [when] many of them see the government from a far distance. It’s a great experience that couldn’t be duplicated from reading a book.”
Tricia Tirella may be reached at TriciaT@hudsonreporter.com.