Parsippany Mayoral Election 2021: James Barberio

PARSIPPANY, NJ — Parsippany will soon elect a mayor and two new Township Council members. Patch has asked local candidates to share their thoughts before the Nov. 2 General Election.

Patch sent out emails to all candidates to the email addresses listed for their campaign provided to the office of the clerk. The responses received will get published between now and Election Day.

Here is the response from former Mayor James Barberio, who is seeking a third term.

1. Parsippany entered the last budgetary cycle with a $9 million revenue deficit. What would you do over the next four years to get the township out of that hole?

First, I would cut spending and look to increase revenue. To cut spending, I would perform a zero based budget analysis, which means that every expenditure would be strictly scrutinized. To many times, municipalities simply look to increase the budget by a certain percentage over the previous year. I would examine every expenditure in the budget to identify and cut wasteful spending. To increase revenue, I would look to attract quality ratables to appropriate areas in Parsippany. Parsippany has too many outdated office parks that need to be repurposed. We need to do this in a way that will attract desirable uses to increase revenue. These revenues would also help replenish surplus for our utilities.

Second, I would seek shared service opportunities with our school board and neighboring municipalities. This is a responsible way to cut the size and cost of our local government.

Third, I would create an internal budget committee with representation from my Administration and the Council to monitor the budget throughout the year to avoid Mayor Soriano type surprises like a 39% increase in water rates.

2. Both mayoral candidates have cast blame on each other's administrations for Parsippany's budgetary strain. Why do you feel your opponent is more responsible than yourself for the township's budgetary woes?

The fact of the matter is that I left Mayor Soriano with a $23Million in surpluses. He squandered all of it! Today, we have negligible surplus at best. This is inexcusable. I inherited a surplus shortage in 2010 and built it to $23Million when I left office in 2017. The result of Mayor Soriano's incompetence is a 39% increase in water rates this year. Don't take my word for it. Look at your water bill! Mayor Soriano also increased taxes by 17% in just four years - and that was by using one time gimmicks to reduce the tax increase as much as possible. In 2020, Mayor Soriano overspent the budget. That means he spent more than the Township Council approved. He Bankrupt Parsippany. Next year will be disastrous for Parsippany taxpayers, due to Mayor Soriano's incompetence. The fact that Mike Soriano blames me for his abysmal record, four years removed from office, is pathetic. Parsippany deserves better!

3. Outside of the budgetary situation, how would your administration improve the township over the next four years?

First and foremost, I will be honest with Parsippany residents, as I always have been. The same cannot be said of Mayor Soriano. In 2017, candidate Soriano pledged to stop development. After just four years, Mayor Soriano has approved more multifamily development than any other Mayor in Parsippany's history. There are eleven (11) sites that have been proposed or approved totaling 3332 units. Four years ago, candidate Mike Soriano pledged to "Clean up Parsippany". This will effect our infrastructure and impact our schools.

4. What accomplishments would you cite from your past as evidence that you can thrive in this job?

I created a Mayor's Counsel on Business and Industry which helped fill over $5Million square feet of vacant commercial space during my eight years as Mayor. That enabled me to keep taxes low and regenerate $23 Million of annual surpluses. This group also enabled us to lure UPS to Parsippany, creating hundreds of jobs and $400,000 of new annual revenue. I am the candidate with a proven record of attracting good businesses to Parsippany.

I decreased the rate of tax increases during my eight years as Mayor, never exceeding the 2% cap. Mayor Soriano cannot make such claim, having raised taxes nearly 5% in just this year alone!

I initiated and negotiated the Police resource officer contract with our school board. I initiated and negotiated a shared service agreement with Boonton and Rockaway Borough for shared courts. I have a strong record in shared services which I will continue when elected.

I acquired Forge Pond and preserved 130 acres of open space. Since 1994, the Township has tried to acquire the Forge Pond property. My Administration was able to acquire it.

I will continue to be assessable to our residents and businesses. I will reinstate regular office hours with our residents and businesses so that anyone can discuss their issues of concerns with me.

Lastly, I always told the people the truth. As Mayor, I took a solemn oath to the people of Parsippany. I upheld my oath and never breached the faith of the Office of Mayor to our people. The same cannot be said of Mayor Soriano. I have always believed that the truth is paramount. I will continue to be truthful with the people of Parsippany no matter the circumstance.

The one thing that sets me apart from my opponent is competency (which comes from experience and my past record). The residents of Parsippany will always be able to rely on my integrity and ability to govern. My experiences and proven track record as Mayor and Township Administrator demonstrates my commitment to the township and ability to responsibly manage our township’s finances while completing important projects that advances our community interests. I have always been and will always be honest with our residents.

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