Longtime rivals state Senator (D-33)/Union City Mayor Brian Stack and North Bergen Mayor Nick Sacco are again trading punches, this time over the trailers in James J. Braddock Park that host a pre-school.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“The Township of North Bergen and the County of Hudson have commenced the regulatory process of diverting an area within James J. Braddock North Hudson County Park due to the placement of school trailers for North Bergen pre-K students and students with special needs,” begins a Union City Board of Commissioners resolution opposing the usage.
“Said use being in violation of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Green Acres Program regulations …”
The measure, which was approved unanimously (5-0) at their October 8th meeting, also cites state statute that “strongly discourages” using park space anything other than recreation or conservation unless it is to “satisfy a public need” and/or “a significant public benefit.”
North Bergen spokeswoman Sofia Quintanar said the local legislation “is shameful and disgusting” since Stack is simply doing this to needle Sacco at the expense of North Bergen families.
“It is shameful and disgusting that a state senator would actually oppose providing full day Pre-K for the children of one of the communities he’s supposed to be representing in Trenton,” she told HCV in a statement.
“It’s clear that Senator Stack has taken this action to further a vendetta against North Bergen that is based solely on his own delusion and paranoia, and he’s willing to harm children and families to satisfy his selfish political goals. North Bergen has been working cooperatively with the State DEP and the County of Hudson on this diversion application for years and Senator Stack has never spoken out about it until now.”
She also pointed out, as Sacco previously has, that the Union City Board of Education receives hundreds of millions of dollars in state education aid, while North Bergen’s does not (Quintanar further stated the program saves parents thousands of dollars).
In response, Stack said Union City has remained quiet until now because they remained hopeful North Bergen would come up with an alternative solution, but said they have taken advantage of the situation for too long (it’s been at least a decade).
“Instead of North Bergen building expensive condominiums, they should invest in purchasing a property to buy a school. We’ve tried to use public parking lots, etcetera, to build our schools: they should do the same,” he asserted.
“It’s not fair to any other municipality, nor the residents who utilize county parks, to have a school [in a park]. I would never dream of building a school in Washington Park and they shouldn’t be building schools in James Braddock Park, the same as Jersey City shouldn’t be building schools in Lincoln Park or Stephen Gregg Park in Bayonne – and that’s the bottom line.”
He continued that Sacco and the North Bergen Board of Commissioners “can run roughshod over this county” and needs to follow the same rules everyone else does, noting that he would be happy to help since his district includes North Bergen.
“North Bergen constituents are now my constituents, which I’m very proud of.”
This is the latest sparring session between the two North Hudson power brokers, following the Hudson County Board of Commissioners voting North Bergen Commissioner Hugo Cabrera being voted off the volunteer county schools of technology board the same day as Sacco’s annual ball.
At that event, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, a Democratic candidate for governor, praised Sacco’s leadership and said most Hudson County mayors (seven out of 12) were happy to stand with him, while Sacco exclaimed that Fulop would win the state’s top office.
Meanwhile, Stack, Hudson County Executive Craig Guy, Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis, Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner, and West New York Mayor Albio Sires are backing U.S. Rep Josh Gottheimer (D-5) for governor despite not being a declared candidate yet.
A county spokesman declined to comment on the situation at Braddock Park.
What a surprise. Brian stack being vindictive and retaliatory. What’s the big surprise. Everyone knows but no one wants to speak up. Unfortunately, kids, home and business owners be dammed.
Rules are there for a reason – get the school out of my park please. Cant just plant a flag on land that isnt yours.
What a self-own that Sacco cries about Stack getting state aid. Maybe Sacco should do a better job for his Residents and get the same aid, so his students dont have to go to school in trailer park. Invest in your people! What a dumb look for NB.
There’s plenty of lots in North Bergen for a school. Tear down the ones at the park, and plant some trees. While they’re at, re-soil and plant on that gravel path they cut through the ever diminishing wooded area next to the trailers.
Please! This has been going on for years. In the beginning it was supposed to be only temporary. Sure!!! With all the construction going on nearby on Bergenline Ave.,85th street and JFK Blvd., they couldn’t come up with a parcel of land for a pre-K? And all the while our taxes keep going up. What a shame!!!