Nicholas Sacco is the mayor of North Bergen – not big news after 24 years in the role, but it’s official again as of May 19. That’s when he took the oath of office for the seventh time (the ninth local oath overall, dating back to his initial election as a town commissioner in 1985).
Sacco and his team won the municipal election earlier this month after an arduous, expensive, and brutally combative campaign against challenger Larry Wainstein, a wealthy local businessman.
“In this election, probably more than anything, [I enjoyed] walking with you as you took me door to door in your neighborhoods,” said Sacco after he took the oath.
In the months leading up to election day, the mayor trod the streets in every one of the township’s 39 districts to greet voters face to face. “I got to meet so many people that it was hard to keep track of where I was,” he joked. “We would take photos every night and put them on Facebook. That’s the only way I knew where I was.”
In North Bergen’s form of government, five commissioners are elected to office. They then vote among themselves to select the mayor and the heads of the town departments.
Each commissioner gets a small part-time salary ($15,000 per year) and helps oversee a department.
Reorganization
To nobody’s surprise, Sacco retained the mayor’s seat. He was sworn in by New Jersey Superior County Judge Mitzy Galis-Menendez, taking the oath of office and an oath of allegiance to the constitution of United States and the State of New Jersey.
Sacco was joined for the swearing-in by his son and his infant grandson. The ceremony took place in the tightly packed commission chambers, filled with dozens of local and state officials as well as hundreds of supporters from the town.
Retaining their seats as commissioners were Hugo Cabrera, Frank Gargiulo, and Allen Pascual. Joining them was new Commissioner Julio Marenco, formerly the president of the Board of Education.
Immediately following the swearing-in, a public reorganization meeting was held, with the commissioners voting on their roles going forward.
“We have given a lot to the township and we have a lot more to give.” –Mayor Nicholas Sacco
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Pascual took on a new role as director of the Department of Public Safety, a position previously held by Commissioner Theresa Ferraro, who passed away earlier this year. Marenco was appointed to Pascual’s former position as director of the Department of Revenue and Finance.
The current slate of commissioners is the first to feature a Latino majority, reflecting the town’s changing demographic.
Four more years
“We have given a lot to the township and we have a lot more to give,” Sacco told the standing-room-only crowd gathered for the swearing-in. “There are things we’re planning for the future. We’re going to do our best to succeed in making certain aspects of the town better.”
Among his priorities was keeping taxes stable and maintaining the high level of police services. Citing the many options available to residents through the recreation department, he praised Commissioner Cabrera’s efforts, saying, “We go from dance classes to band to every major sport and often minor sports. We have more teams and more activities than any community I know of.”
Cabrera returned the praise, saying of Sacco, “He’s a great leader and I look forward to serving with him for the next four years.” In a reference to the bitter election that just passed, he added, “Our town cannot be divided.”
Marenco, the newest addition to the team, thanked his fellow commissioners for their advice, and Sacco for his counsel over the years. “Just as the mayor says, we’re always coming up new ideas to serve our constituents and serve the town,” he said.
Cabrera summed up the feelings of the commissioners when he said, “I want to thank the people of North Bergen for giving us the opportunity to be your commissioners for the next four years, to serve you, and to make sure that our township continues to move in the right direction.”
Former Hudson County Surrogate Donald Dileo served as emcee for the event, introducing the many political leaders in attendance at the ceremony, including Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, Assemblywoman Angelica Jimenez, Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari, Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner, Guttenberg Mayor Gerald Drasheff, West New York Mayor Felix Roque, Bayonne Mayor James Davis, County Executive Tom DeGise, Hudson County Board of Freeholders Chairman Junior Maldonado, Freeholder Anthony Vainieri, North Bergen Democratic Municipal Chairman John Beluardo, North Bergen Superintendent of Schools George Solter, Police Chief Robert Dowd, and Township Administrator Chris Pianese.
Art Schwartz may be reached at arts@hudsonreporter.com.