Parisi Begins New Role as West Orange Mayor

More than 200 attended the induction ceremony of Mayor Robert Parisi Thursday evening at the West Orange Township Municipal Building on Main Street.

"We all chose to live our lives in West Orange ... the time for criticism is behind us," Parisi said during his 10-minute speech. "Stop looking for ways to place blame."

Parisi has selected a transition team who will help assist in the establishment of his administration during his first few weeks in office.

The nine-member team is chaired by Chris Lackey, a former president of the West Orange Education Foundation. The other eight include Ernest Booker, a former municipal judge, executive director of the Newark Parking Authority and a partner in the West Orange law firm of Feinstein, Raiss, Kelin & Booker; Bruce Buechler, a long-time member of the West Orange Zoning Board and an attorney with the law firm of Lowenstein Sandler; Abe Bunis, a member of the West Orange Juvenile Conference Committee and a mediator in the Essex County Municipal Courts System; Mort Bunis, a retired partner in the law firm of Sills, Cummis & Gross; Lisa Fahoury, owner of a marketing communications firm in the downtown district; Joseph Fonzino, former director of the West Orange Health Department; Deborah Gabry, a member of the West Orange Zoning Board and an attorney practicing in Roseland; and Joseph Riopel, a member of the West Orange Library Board and Committee of Managers of Llewellyn Park.

Sal Anderton, township council president, said he is excited to begin his role in West Orange with Parisi and the team.

"I'm ready to work with our new mayor," he said. "There are few folks who share his passion for West Orange and fewer that can ... build equal relationships throughout the years."

Anderton said Parisi's "West Orange-ness" will serve the new mayor and the community well.

"We look forward to (his) leadership in a time when local governments truly are challenged," he said.

Former New Jersey Gov. Richard Codey, who's known Parisi for more than 20 years, said he is a fit for the position during challenging times for government.

"At this point in time, he's doing a great job," said Codey. "He understands government and, being a mayor in these times when the state has decimated aid, he may make choices he may not want to make."

Parisi said the township is full of energy and he's ready to embrace that positivity.

"We need to get a handle on some of the issues that are open," said Parisi, citing property taxes. "Government has been governing, so we need to adjust the direction (of it) in the next month."

Read more about Parisi and his ideas for the first few months in office here.