To the Editor:
I am writing this letter to express my and my other residents’ surprise that Council Member Juan M. Perez, the first Hispanic council member in the history of the City of Bayonne, was not elected by his fellow council members as council president.
It is well noted by the people that the racial and ethnic backgrounds in the City of Bayonne are changing and that Perez did in fact receive a large number of votes throughout the entire city. Not only is Juan Perez the first minority to prevail in Bayonne but his experience in government administration far surpasses many of those who were elected. Perez served in a command position in the New Jersey State Police, Deputy Director of the Jersey City Police Department and as the elected Sheriff in charge of a workforce of several hundred sworn and civilian employees with a budget in the millions.
We in Bayonne will be watching the new administration and council and hope that things are really changing in the right direction in Bayonne.
LEKEISHA MCQUILLA