There was a party at Jose Marti Middle School Tuesday.
Re-elected Mayor Brian Stack was sworn in with his slate of Union City Commissioners – incumbents Christopher Irizarry, Tilo Rivas, Maryury “Margie” Bombino, and newcomer Lucio Fernnadez.
They were joined by residents, political colleagues and friends to celebrate their May 9 election victory and witness the Union City First team take the oath of office for the next four years.
“We have a mayor in Union City who for many years has been true in his dedication, in his ethics, and his commitment to the entire city of Union City,” said Superintendent Stanley Sanger. “They received 85 percent of the vote in Union City compared to the opposition’s mere 15 percent. This is a tremendous vote of confidence.”
Unfortunately, this happy occasion was also shadowed by financial woes for the Board of Education, who last Tuesday sent out 150 notices of possible layoffs to their non-tenured staff due to the recent ruling upheld by the State Supreme Court, which has frozen additional funding to the urban Abbott “special needs” Districts.
Ready to work
The evening began with a special blessing made by Union City Police Chaplin S.T. Sutton, and student performances of the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem.
“First and foremost, I am very grateful to the people of Union City,” said Stack. “I am super, super happy. I want to give a tremendous round of applause to the community; I know one person who is smiling from above, my dad. Thanks to my girlfriend Mercedes, my brother Edward, my mom, and I want to thank all those people who knocked on doors.”
He added, “This is not a political machine as some would like us to believe; it’s people who have come together throughout the community.”
Before beginning with the official swearing-in ceremony, Stack also took the time out to single out a few people for their work and friendship, as well as his mother Margaret Stack and his brother Edward.
“There is never a day I don’t enjoy going to City Hall; Mercedes has to stop me sometimes and only lets me go in in the morning on Sunday,” said Stack.
Friends and colleagues
Coming to show their support for the Union City First team were fellow politicos West New York Mayor and Assemblyman Albio Sires, who is running in the June primary for the vacant seat in the 13th Congressional district; Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner, Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise, Assemblyman Vincent Prieto, and Chairman of the Hudson County Republican Organization Jose Arango.
“The day after elections, I was in the office at 7:30 a.m. because we are here for you; we will never take your vote for granted,” said Stack. “There is a lot of work ahead and we will do it to the best of our ability.”
Stack also managed to get a few words out in Spanish to thank the Hispanic community: “Gracias a la comunidad Hispana por apoyarme.”
After speeches were given, Stack and the commissioners took their oath of office as a commissioner of Union City and then in a unanimous vote across the Board of Commissioners re-elected Stack as mayor of Union City.
School budget troubles
The Union City First team will already be springing into action to work alongside the Board of Education after the New Jersey Supreme Court ruling last week upheld the freeze on additional funding for Abbott District Schools. This will leave the Union City Board of Education to make up over $5 million in funding for the next school budget.
“When last I mentioned about the budget, we were asking for additional state aid,” said Anthony Dragona, business administrator. “Since that time, two things happened. We met with our fiscal manager for the Board of Education and with a member of the Department of Educations Financial Review Team, and were requested to submit a flat funded budget [which factors out current cost of living and expense increase].”
The Union City Board of Education had submitted their 2006-2007 school year budget of $192 million last March for review by the state. The budget included a request for an additional $5.2 million in order to supplement cost of living increases, as well as growing expenses that are also attributed to the new school construction.
“Last Tuesday the Supreme Court ruled that every Abbott District must absolutely submit a flat-funded budget, and once we reduced the $5 million out of the budget, obviously we have to find a way to make up that shortfall,” said Dragona.
Although no permanent decisions have been made as of yet, for the first time in seven years, the Board of Education submitted 150 notices to certified, non-tenured staff in order to follow protocol, which requires them to give sufficient advanced notice to dismiss a teacher.
However, the board can rehire the teachers before September if they get the funding.
“By the statute of New Jersey we have to notify non-tenured teachers by May 15 if they will have jobs next year,” said Dragona. “It was strictly because of the law that we had to send out the non-renewal letter, which was a very difficult thing.”
This was also the first time Union City’s Board of Education has ever had to ask for additional aid from the State Department of Education, and the freeze has affected them tremendously.
“Union City has never been in this position that we have had a negative impact on the budget; we have always lived within the funding the state has given us,” said Dragona. “Now we’re just trying to make up that number in a way that is having as little impact on the staff. It’s an unfortunate situation.”
In the meantime the Board of Education and a team of financial advisors are working quickly on ways of reducing cost, and hopefully keep a good portion of their non-tenured teachers.
“We have not made a determination; we are reviewing all areas and every department in every aspect,” said Dragona. “We will resolve this as soon as we can, because every day that goes by, we risk losing a great teacher.”