Friday, April 19, 2013
The mayor and members of the township council exchanged emotional statements Thursday night after the council moved to formally investigate a question surrounding police overtime expenditures in 2012
Local politicians’ emotions were on high Thursday night as council members made moves to start a formal investigation to try to determine who approved a police overtime policy change that cost Mahwah $500K last year. At recent council meetings, members have questioned who approved a policy change in January 2012 that required police officers to attend court proceedings on Tuesday nights for the tickets they write out. At past meetings, Police Chief Jim Batelli, Municipal Prosecutor Dennis Harraka, and Mayor Bill Laforet all denied approving the policy switch. The questioning was prompted by an increase in police overtime costs in 2012. According to township officials, OT in 2011 cost the township $327,000, and $514,000 in 2012. After …
Thursday, January 10, 2013
DPW worker says the ongoing feud he has with the mayor is not over, and he is likely to file additional civil suits against the mayor
Mahwah Mayor Bill Laforet was found not guilty of a harassment charge filed by a township Department of Public Works employee, NorthJersey.com reported. Central Municipal Court Judge Roy McGeady said Thursday morning that DPW worker Marc Bracciodieta’s story that Laforet elbowed him inside the Bagel Express in Mahwah “could not be corroborated, therefore necessary proof beyond a reasonable doubt could not be reached,” the report said. Bracciodieta, who had accused Laforet of elbowing him at the Franklin Turnpike bagel shop in October, said he was not satisfied with the court’s ruling. “I don’t care what the court says,” he told Patch after the ruling Thursday. “I know the truth, the mayor knows the truth, and there is a video out there …
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Assault charges the two filed against each other were dismissed by a judge Thursday, report says
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Bill Laforet and Ed Sinclair introduce themselves at a Meet the Candidates Night Wednesday
Wednesday night, the library board hosted the second half of its second annual ‘Meet the Candidates’ Night. Both candidates running for mayor introduced themselves and answered the following questions: Continue to check Patch this week for continuing coverage and video highlights of the event.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Mayor Bill Laforet and DPW Superintendent Ed Sinclair will run in November; Former Mayor John DaPuzzo will not
Two men will be vying for the position of mayor in Mahwah this November. According to Township Clerk Kathy Coletta, two candidates – incumbent mayor Bill Laforet and challenger Ed Sinclair – filed petitions to run. Both sets of petitions have been “checked and certified,” she said. No other candidates submitted petitions by the Tuesday deadline. Laforet, who won a one-year term last November to finish out the term of late mayor Dick Martel, said he wants to continue projects he began while in office this year. “I decided to run because we have more work to do,” he said. “We engaged the residents of this community and the results will speak for themselves. We as a community have achieved the lowest tax rate increase in 11 years, a 1.75% …
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Ed Sinclair is a lifelong resident and 31-year volunteer firefighter
DPW Superintendent and lifelong Mahwah resident Ed Sinclair is planning to run for mayor this November, he confirmed Tuesday evening. Sinclair has picked up petitions from the town clerk’s office to run, and although he said he would not officially announce his candidacy until he turns them in, “I am definitely planning on running,” he said. Sinclair, 54, has worked for the township’s Department of Public Works for 25 years, and currently serves as its Superintendent. Before that, he was Superintendent of Water and Sewer for the Borough of Ramsey. The Mahwah High School graduate has also been a Company 2 volunteer firefighter since 1981. He also served as an EMT driver for Company No. 1 Ambulance Corps for 7 years. He coached Mahwah DARE …
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
If John DaPuzzo runs for mayor, residents can expect a rematch between two of last year's candidates
Former Mahwah Mayor John DaPuzzo, who served in the role from March to November of last year, said he is “definitely leaning towards” making another run for the job this November. DaPuzzo said he has picked up petitions to run from the town clerk’s office, and “already [has] about 100 signed.” When asked why he is contemplating jumping back into Mahwah’s political landscape, DaPuzzo said, “I really enjoy serving the township of Mahwah.” According to township clerk Katherine Coletta, DaPuzzo and current Mayor Bill Laforet are the only two residents who have picked up petitions to run for mayor. The petitions first became available last Friday, and do not need to be handed in officially until September. Neither has handed in their petitions…
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Saturday Mayor Bill Laforet officially kicked off his second campaign in as many years
Mahwah Mayor Bill Laforet will seek reelection this November. Laforet officially kicked off his campaign at a luncheon at Roxanne’s Restaurant Saturday afternoon. “Becoming Mayor has been an amazing experience, and I think we’ve been able to accomplish a lot,” he told a group of about 65 supporters. “I think we started a lot of things this year that are long-term, and I’d like the opportunity to continue to work on them.” Laforet was elected last November in a special election to replace Mayor Dick Martel, who died last March. Laforet is in the middle of serving the one-year that was left in Martel’s term. This November’s election will choose a mayor to serve a full four-year term. Laforet said he is running this year’s campaign on three …
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Provident Bank VP will lead "Blue Ribbon Panel"
Mahwah’s new Mayor Bill Laforet says a “Blue Ribbon Panel” of business leaders from Mahwah he is compiling will help put together this year’s township budget. "We have people in our community who are CEO's, CFO's and very successful and accomplished businesspeople,” Laforet said in a release Tuesday. "We ask members of our community to contribute as volunteers in so many ways, but not from a business perspective. I see an opportunity for our entire community to benefit from the extra set of ideas that these folks will provide for us." According to the release, CPA David Bagatelle, a Walsh Drive resident and the Executive Vice President and New York City Market President at Provident Bank, will lead the panel. He and the others who serve on…
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Mayor thanks residents for voting, no matter who for
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Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Letter to Editor, I would like to thank my friends and supporters for their confidence in electing me Township Mayor. It is a position I accept with a sense of deep pride and responsibility. On Election Day the voters made it abundantly clear that it was time for a change and they expect their government to be managed with transparency, accessibility and fiscal responsibility. There are many challenges that we face and no success is accomplished without hard work and determination. I am confident that as a team we can meet these challenges head on and work to continue to make Mahwah a great community that we have all chosen to be our home. As a team we are going to make this government start working for you again, and that I assure you …
Gottardo DiGiacopo
10:29 pm on Wednesday, April 24, 2013
J P i and others like me don't bow to abstracted phrases like "private capitalism" as if they're almighty absolutes that deserve our blind worship. Remember "greed is good"?, well i've always disagreed JP... and i'm also opposed to backroom dealings among the connected, and especially at the expense of my people and my peers. But i did get your didactic message fine sir; in this case i continue … more ›