Scarpelli Takes Reins As Nutley Mayor, Shares Goals For Township

NUTLEY, NJ — A changing of the guard happened in Nutley on Tuesday, when Joseph Scarpelli took over for the town’s departing mayor, Mauro Tucci.

Scarpelli was sworn in as Nutley mayor at the Board of Commissioners meeting.

According to the municipal website, the Nutley Township Commissioners function as the legislative authority of the municipality. They are elected at-large in nonpartisan elections to serve concurrent four-year terms. The mayor is selected from among the commissioners (often the one who received the most votes), makes most of the key appointments and has a "vague, often undefined, supervisory authority."

Scarpelli – who tied with Tucci in the township’s last election – referred to the agreement he previously reached with Tucci about sharing the mayoral seat.

“Two years ago, within five minutes of the county clerk posting the results, Mauro and I talked and agreed to split the four-year mayoral term, taking two years apiece,” Scarpelli recalled. “We worked as a team these past two years, and we will continue to work as a team for the next two years.”

“When you talk to people outside of Nutley, they always ask, ‘Why would you guys split the mayorship?’” Scarpelli continued. “It’s almost foreign to them that two people would put ego aside and do what’s best for the town. But that’s what we do in Nutley.”

Scarpelli – who previously served as mayor from 2016 to 2020 – said that the last time he “had the honor of taking this gavel,” Commissioner Alphonse Petracco facilitated a “special moment” by letting his dad present it to him.

“That picture sits on the wall over my desk,” Scarpelli said. “As Mauro is also family, this ranks a close second to that day six years ago.”

Turning to current events, the new mayor touched on some of his upcoming goals.

“As Mauro laid out at the last meeting, the issues we have faced have been unprecedented: the coronavirus pandemic, storms Isaias and Ida, protests on our streets, the rescue squad demise and absorption into public safety, the ON3 development issues, the Ciccolini Building collapse and the Pool Club litigation,” Scarpelli noted.

• Read More: Nutley Mayor Offers A Look Back As His Term Nears End

Scarpelli continued:

“Enough of the pomp and circumstance. There remains much work to do and challenges to face. We still struggle with COVID and its variants. ON3 has the potential to transform our town for the next generation. All five of the vacant buildings left from Roche’s departure have been filled. Eisai has now joined the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Modern Meadow, Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation, Y-Mabs and Ralph Lauren. We now have a vibrant campus and premier innovation hub that is fueling our local economy, producing quality jobs for our residents and increasing property values. And there is more to come. But we will not be bullied by deep-pocketed developers into agreeing to short-term gains that result in long term costs and adverse consequences for our township.”

Scarpelli added:

• “Thanks to Mayor Tucci, we have a settlement with the owners of the Pool Club that will put aside multiple lawsuits and will ultimately result in much needed 55-and-over luxury housing.”
• “Very soon, we will have an agreement on selecting a redeveloper for the Ciccolini site that will preserve parking, add beautiful open space and revitalize Franklin Avenue.”

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