To the Editor,
Belleville’s three ward Councilmembers, Steve Rovell, John Notari, and Marie Burke have recently sent out their campaign literature. What a gift! These three spendthrifts have been sitting on the Township Council for TWELVE years. They have no accomplishments to brag about, except giving us a 100% Municipal tax increase in twelve years.
One of their flyers states, ” Objectives & Goals”, “Upgrade & Reopen the Silver Lake firehouse”. Why did they fail to maintain this firehouse and allow it to be closed in the first place?
Another goal is “Lobbying for a true Senior Citizen Complex”. Well, they finally admit they duped our seniors and the Mill St. apartments are NOT Senior Housing. And just who are they going to “lobby”? They have been the elected officials for twelve years, they HAD THE POWER to construct “true” senior housing.
Councilman Notari states one of his goals is to “Upgrade/Improvements to our Senior Citizen Recreation Center”. Did you forget that you voted to give the senior’s picnic & open space area and more than 60% of their parking area to a developer? And you gave the developer tax abatement.
Notari wants a “New track/field facility at our Municipal Stadium”. Excuse me, John. Have you forgotten that you voted for a project to renovate the Municipal Stadium that ELIMINATED the track we already had?
Another Notari goal is “Continue to fight against tax increases”. WHAT??? 100% tax increase during your three terms in office! I guess you lost that fight, John, although I never saw you enter the ring.
What is missing from their campaign literature are a few FACTS! The December 28, 2015 delinquent tax sale, published in the Belleville Times, listed 340 properties that had not paid their taxes or water bills. They left out that there are almost five hundred foreclosures in Belleville. They did not tell you that on April 12, 2016, they introduced a bond ordinance to borrow $1,293,305 to pay Tax Appeal Payments to owners whose properties decreased in value. They are delaying the public hearing on this ordinance until after the election. Did they mention all the lawsuits and outside attorneys they have hired?
If you enjoy going to Notari’s rallies and getting a free hotdog or pizza, remember you are paying for it somehow. If your sweet tooth loves Marie Burke’s ice cream parties, look at your tax bill and see how she has made you pay for that sugar. It seems Councilman Rovell just posts on the Belleville forum under an anonymous name and spews false information in an attempt to cover his dismal record of twelve years. Councilman Cozzarelli has been on the Council for five years, but he too has joined their tax and spend club.
Unfortunately, Belleville voters don’t have much choice in the third and fourth wards. BUT, you can make a dramatic difference in Belleville’s future if you reject the “free” hot dogs and ice cream and elect two new Councilmembers in the first and second wards.
Vote for Mary Higgins in the first ward, and Jeff Mattingly in the second ward. Just two new members to the Council can re-route the destructive course our present Council has been pursuing.
One of the incumbents flyers stated “Actions Speak Louder Than Words”. When you enter the voting booth, let you little finger send a LOUD & CLEAR message.
Remember, your vote is private and signs don’t vote.
Vincent J. Frantantoni
129 Mt. Prospect Ave
Belleville, NJ 07109
973-964-7105
frantan39@aol.com
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