Two weeks ago, West New York officially welcomed their new Town Administrator Nicholas Goldsack into the township at the monthly Board of Commissioners meeting with a unanimous vote.
‘This is a very important position that carries a lot of responsibility,” said Mayor Silverio “Sal” Vega. “We are impressed with Mr. Goldsack’s experience and believe he will serve the people of West New York well.”
“I’m honored that Mayor Vega and the Commissioners have provided me with this opportunity and I’m looking forward to the challenge,” said Goldsack.
Servant of the people
Over the last few years, Goldsack has served as chief of staff for Assemblyman Vincent Prieto, where he has been since December 2004.
In addition, Goldsack has worked as business administrator for Carteret, finance director in Hoboken, and assisted the Secaucus business administrator in the court, finance and tax offices.
A certified financial officer and a certified tax collector, Goldsack has almost 20 years experience in the public service and 19 years in the private sector.
“I have been in public service for about 20 years,” said Goldsack. “I have been the town administrator, and I am also a financial officer and tax collector.”
A life long Hudson County resident, Goldsack was born and raised in Hoboken, and has resided in Secaucus for the past ten years.
“We had over 25 applications and we looked at all of them,” Vega. “We interviewed six individuals, but what separated Mr. Goldsack from the rest of applications was that he is certified as a chief financial officer and a tax collector besides his certification as a municipal administrator.”
Vega first met Goldsack when he became an assemblyman in September of 2006.
“So he also has a great knowledge of how the assembly works, and especially the budget process at the state level,” said Vega.
After Vega put out a notice of advertisement for the position, it was Prieto who encouraged Goldsack to apply for the position.
“So besides being impressed by his resume, I felt like I knew him,” said Vega.
Vega was very impressed with Goldsack’s resume and background, and ultimately decided that he was the best candidate for the job. Goldsack, of course, happily accepted.
“I was impressed with the enthusiasm of the mayor and the Board of Commissioners, and I [welcome] the challenges of being an administrator for a town in Hudson County,” said Goldsack.
“It was a very good fit,” said Vega. “It’s very important to feel comfortable with the people around me and besides his great knowledge of municipal finance; he has a great knowledge of people. He’s the umbrella person for all our departments, and will have to deal with our directors and some of our employees.”
First on the agenda
One of the first things that Goldsack will deal with is the upcoming 2007-2008 municipal budget.
“We’re in the process of putting our budget together, so he arrives at a very good time,” said Vega. “Fortunately for me I have had the assistance of Harold Demellier, who has been on loan from the county.”
Demellier has been serving as the town administrator since the beginning of this year since former administrator Richard Turner, also mayor of Weehawken, left to continue to work with now 13th Congressional District Rep. Albio Sires.
Sires was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November of 2006 replacing now Sen. Robert Menendez.
“[Demellier] has already started work on the budget, so the two of them are working together for a period time where they are consulting with one another, and Goldsack will bring the final version of the budget to the Board of Commissioners for introduction,” said Vega.
The introduction of the municipal budget will be sometime in October, and adoption by late November, as it has been for the last several years.
Goldsack is also getting to know the ropes of city hall.
“First thing I did was introduce myself to everyone in town hall,” said Goldsack. “I thought it was very important for them to know who I am, and to know that they can come to me at any period with any problem. I want them to know we are a team.”
Goldsack graduated from St. Peter’s College with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, and also completed his graduate degree in finance and banking from the National Association of Bankers.
“[In addition] to his knowledge and experience in finance, he is also the right personality to deal with individuals in a public and a government setting,” said Vega.
“I have been living here all my life,” said Goldsack. “I love Hudson County.”
During his youth, Goldsack even played football against his then rivals in West New York.
“I went to Hoboken High School and we had a good rivalry with West New York,” said Goldsack. “We always got along very well. We used to meet up with them after the game.”
As a matter fact, Goldsack can claim the streets of West New York as part of his old stomping grounds.
“I used shop up here on Bergenline when Slazengers [department store] was here, and all these great stores that are now closed,” said Goldsack.
Goldsack has also watched West New York change since running around Bergenline Avenue during his high school days.
“It’s a very diverse town with various ethnic backgrounds that have settled in West New York, and this is a good thing,” said Goldsack. “Bringing diversity to the town is important, and seeing the enthusiasm that Mayor Vega has, I want to be a part of that team.”
“There are not many opportunities in life where you can make a difference in people’s lives,” he added. To comment on this story, e-mail Jessica Rosero at jrosero@hudsonreporter.com