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Teaneck voters will decide this November if we want 100% Clean Renewable Energy for all residents!

Teaneck residents tried unsuccessfully for nearly two years to get our local elected representatives to discuss an ordinance to bring 100% Clean Renewable Energy to the Township by creating a Community Choice Aggregation program. With CCA, local and county governments can provide their residents and businesses with 100 percent clean renewable sources of electricity by the year 2030 — or even sooner.

Despite consistent support from the Teaneck Environmental Commission, the Teaneck Democratic Municipal Committee, Food & Water Watch, and many grassroots organizations and individuals throughout the town, it was clear that the Teaneck Council had no intention of seriously considering this popular program. The only option left was to launch a petition campaign, allowed under NJ’s Faulkner Act, to let voters decide in November.

Many people worked very hard during the Covid-19 pandemic to get enough signatures on the petition to qualify the ordinance for a vote. Governor Murphy's Executive Order allowed all candidate and ballot question petitions to be circulated and signed electronically to protect our health and safety during the pandemic. However, the Teaneck Clerk rejected all petitions that were signed electronically.

Renee Steinhagen, the attorney representing Food & Water Watch, took Teaneck to court on our behalf to challenge this and, on September 13, State Superior Court Judge Robert Wilson ruled that our electronic petitions were valid, and the referendum must be printed on the ballot in time for early voting!

Support us so we can get a massive YES vote on Municipal Question #2 to bring 100% Clean Renewable Energy to Teaneck!

CCA programs give towns or counties the power to bulk purchase electricity on behalf of their residents. Like going to Costco, bulk purchasing electricity can help residents save money on our energy bills. CCA programs also increase access to clean, renewable sources of energy like solar and wind.

The utility, PSEG, would remain the same. PSEG would continue to bill and provide services, delivery and maintain reliable power. Residents will not have to do any new work to participate.

The Township will simply bulk purchase electricity on behalf of all Teaneck residents from a renewable energy provider through a competitive bidding process. The renewable energy itself will not be produced in Teaneck.

All residents will have the opportunity to opt-out of CCA at any time, and that’s easy. And we can rejoin at any time, too.

Also, Teaneck could join a multi-town or even County-wide CCA program to further increase bulk purchasing power. For example, Glen Rock is part of a group including Montclair and five other towns. Teaneck’s ordinance has been drafted in such a way that it will be easy to join a Bergen County-wide CCA program.

NJ has some of the worst air pollution in the country. Power plants that provide most of our electricity here in NJ are located in environmental justice communities (with majority Black or Brown residents) or in low-income communities. The natural gas used in many of our power plants is a fossil fuel fracked from under the earth. Fracking pollutes the land, water, and air. When gas is burned to make electricity at power plants, toxins and greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. The pollution is extremely dangerous to our health, particularly to people in the communities where the plants are located.

Climate-driven fires and extreme floods are impacting communities across the country. Many Teaneck residents were severely impacted by flooding from Hurricane Ida. The creation of a 100% renewable CCA program will help Teaneck do its part to cut its carbon footprint and help clean up air pollution in the region caused by the burning of fossil fuels.

For more information about CCA and to volunteer:  http://fwwat.ch/NJ100

Pledge to vote YES and volunteer: text "Teaneck" to 23321

After some twists and turns, the Committee of Petitioners for the One Town

One Vote group has succeeded in placing onto the ballot the question of whether to move Teaneck’s nonpartisan municipal elections from May to November.

The petitioners had collected signatures and submitted its petition to the Township Clerk, Doug Ruccione, in July. Ruccione, however, declined to certify the petition for three reasons:

After One Town One Vote volunteers collected over 2,000 additional signatures during the statutory 10-day “cure” period, Ruccione eventually acknowledged that the group had surpassed even the higher signature threshold. Nonetheless, he rejected the petition again on August 17, for the other two reasons.

Additionally, Ruccione raised a new basis for rejection for the first time. Because the petition referenced a statute he believed was not applicable, he thought that

The Petitioners filed a lawsuit on August 19 in Superior Court, asking the Court to direct Ruccione

The Township Attorney, John Shahdanian, representing Ruccione, filed an Opposition brief on August 23.

On August 24 Judge Robert Wilson granted the Petitioners’ request to stay the printing of the ballots. He directed the Petitioners to file a reply to Ruccione’s Opposition by September 7. And he and scheduled oral arguments for September 13.

At oral argument on September 13, Shahdanian appeared to contravene Ruccione’s earlier contention about voter confusion.

Shahdanian acknowledged that the Petitioners have been crystal clear that their petition deals solely with a change to the date of the elections, not the form of government.

Per Shahdanian, the

However, Shahdanian maintained that the Petitioners could not achieve those goals by relying on the statute that it cited in its petition. He asserted that the cited statute could only be used to change the form of government (from nonpartisan to partisan, or vice versa). Shahdanian argued they should have followed the procedures of a different statute, which requires that an ordinance be submitted for the Municipal Council’s consideration before the question ever goes to the voters on a ballot.

Finally, he contended, by omitting the required ordinance, the Petitioners deprived the Municipal Council of its right to weigh in on this question. This was another novel argument that Clerk Ruccione failed to include in either of his official notices rejecting the petition.

Judge Wilson rejected each of the arguments advanced by Ruccione and his attorney.

Although Judge Wilson denied the Petitioners’ application for attorneys’ fees, he did grant them relief by directing the Municipal Clerk to certify the petition and to have the question placed on the November 2, 2021 ballot.

Although Ruccione filed an appeal with New Jersey’s Appellate Division, he has since withdrawn that appeal, clearing the way for the County Clerk to begin printing ballots that include One Town One Vote’s referendum question.

Teaneck residents are joyfully celebrating our two wins in Superior Court this past Monday. The victories mean that voters will decide two municipal questions which will appear on the November ballot:

Teaneck Residents now face the challenge of raising funds to pay our attorneys who served us so well and to get out the vote to vote Yes on these two municipal questions.

However, Teaneck taxpayers are also paying for the legal services of our opposition counsel, the attorney and his firm who encouraged the residents to sue if they didn’t like what was going on.

That invitation to sue carries a financial burden to the taxpayers. It also brings a financial gain for township attorney, John Shahdanian of the law firm, McCusker, Anselmi, Rosen, and Carvelli, P.C.

The Teaneck Township attorney, traditionally works on a contractual basis. He/she is not an employee. She/he is a consultant, who uses support personnel from their law firm.

Mr. Shahdanian writes his own contract, which is approved by the Council.

How much do Teaneck taxpayers pay Mr. Shahdanian?

We pay him a monthly retainer; a monthly fee for research services (whether used or not); an hourly fee for all litigation and for all OPRA and OPMA work; and a higher hourly fee when he serves as Township Labor attorney. In addition, paralegals in his law firm are billed at an hourly fee.

Here are the numbers:

Monthly retainer: $19,750 ($237,000 annually)

Monthly research fee: $400 (4,800 annually)

Total Annual Base Fee: $241,000

Additional hourly Fees:

What does this taxpayer burden add up to annually?

Of the most recent $98,199.49 legal bill approved by Council for the Town Attorney, just over $78,000 was for additional hourly fees on top of his base fee. This $78,000 was for just the two months work in June and July.

If this bill is representative rather than exceptional, it would mean that Teaneck taxpayers are paying our Town Attorney over $700,000 a year for his legal services, including, of course, for the two most recent court fights against residents. Those bills have not yet been submitted. When they are, Teaneck Voices will follow up so residents can get a more complete picture of their annual legal tax burden.

“Mrs. Wilson, I need more flyers! I have four more blocks to do!”

“Mrs. Wilson, I need Voter Registration Forms!”

“Mrs. Wilson, can you make your mac and cheese for my campaign kickoff?”

“Mrs. Wilson, Will you be my campaign manager?

Gloria Alexander Wilson, born in Hackensack, oldest of 14 children of the late Alma and Melcorl Tinsley, always answers, “Yes!”

Gloria is a star community activist. She organizes “my boys” (high school age young men) to canvas the neighborhoods in town with Gloria-prepared maps to distribute campaign materials for local candidates or flyers to challenge unwanted development; she holds a community meeting around her warm and welcoming kitchen table; she serves as Mistress of Ceremonies for occasions here in our town; she dishes up her luscious mac and cheese and smothered pork chops at campaign events, rallies, school programs, or dinners for her loving women friends. All that and more, while raising a big family and working full-time!

Gloria and her husband of 35 years, Michael Wilson, moved to Teaneck in 1984. A loving second marriage, they share six children, nine grandchildren and two great-grands.

Gloria was intensely involved in her children’s and grandchildren’s school and extra-curricular activities, but along with loads of children packed in her car were also voter registration forms, absentee ballot forms, flyers, brochures, bottles of water! She is a master of multitasking: work all day, drop a child at a baseball game, reserve a room at the Rodda Center, distribute 100 flyers on the way home to prepare dinner.

Gloria was educated in the Hackensack School System and Bergen Community College as a Business Administration Major.

In 1970, Gloria accepted a full-time position with the Bergen County Community Action

Program (BCCA) as a Housing Specialist. During her tenure, she received certification through the Urban Housing Development as a Home Ownership Counselor assisting families with prepurchase counseling.

Her outstanding record, effectiveness, sensitivity to the needs of her community, and

leadership earned her a reputation for outstanding, caring service and effective administration. Her exceptional reputation led to her next position with BCCA in 1993 as Director for Bergen County’s first family shelter for the homeless.

Gloria’s love for the people she served radiated from her as she talked about “my families,” and the wonderful support she was able to provide.

Gloria retired in 2008. But she didn’t retire! She was asked to assist with the homeless as a Case Manager with the Family Promise Agency in Ridgewood, NJ. Her “assistance” lasted from 2008 to September 2013!

Gloria has always believed in the power of community and, with her dearest friend and

colleague, the late Mrs. Gwen Acree, encouraged the establishment of neighborhood block associations, assuring the neighbors knew each other and worked together to serve their communal interests.

She served as Vice-President of the North East Teaneck Block President’s

Association (NETBPA) for several terms, and has recently been named NETBPA’s President. She also is President of the Ardsley Court and Fairfield Street Block Association. Serving the greater community, Gloria is also the District 14 Representative for the Teaneck Democratic Committee.

Gloria Wilson’s life is evidence of the adage, “If you want to get something done, give it to a busy woman!” Gloria will tell you that God is in her heart and that the Bible is her ultimate prescription for life.

Her favorite saying is, “Let the work that I do speak for me.”

~~~~~~~~~AND~~~~~~~~

Purchasing a Congressman John Lewis Make Good Trouble Vote! lawn sign is a charitable donation that will help the Martin Luther King Birthday Committee in awarding annual scholarships to applicants who meet the qualifying criteria. Thank you for your support!

Any questions can be directed to Joseph Harris at: harrisjilr@gmail.com -or/call 201-280-8580 

September 19, 2021

Dear Friend of One Town One Vote,

As reported in the The Record, the judge sided with more than 3,400 Teaneck voters like you who signed the petition to allow township residents to vote on whether to move municipal elections from May to coincide with the November general elections.

Even though this decision means the question will be on the ballot in November, we can be sure the Teaneck town council will continue to try to defeat this proposal. They know a low-turnout May election benefits them, and they can continue to use their bully pulpit to try to defeat the referendum. 

As an engaged Teaneck resident, you undoubtedly realize that moving municipal elections from May to November will save our town approximately $50,000 per election. More important, it will double, or even triple, voter participation in council elections. Many more Teaneck residents across various demographics will participate in the democratic process.

The result? A more representative local government! But greater participation threatens the status quo. 

Please help us raise money to convince all Teaneck residents to vote YES on this municipal question in November. We also need funds to pay ongoing legal costs as we defend our efforts to make it easier and more convenient for all Teaneck residents to vote in municipal elections. Please be generous but keep in mind every little bit helps. Donate now to help secure the future of Teaneck.

Bernard Rous, 764 Wendel Place, Teaneck NJ 07666

Wednesday September 22, 2021 at 8:00pm

Zoom address to be available at www.teaneckschools.org

Thursday September 23, 2021 at 1:30pm

Zoom, but public access by approval of the Chair only - contact Town clerk

Click here for this week’s Teaneck Library Events Calendar