Councilman
Fernando Irizarry

PERTH AMBOY – Madam President and fellow council members I am going to take some time to respond to accusations and comments that have been against me in this council chamber. I apologize to you and the public for taking the time but enough is enough. Today, I am saying enough to the cynical and obnoxious brow beatings that, in my opinion, are intended to sully my character and integrity.

First, I am going to respond to the accusation that I “wasted 1.5 million dollars of taxpayer monies on the Seaman Ave. property. “Anyone that knows anything about board relations understands that a board member has no authority to act on his or her own. A board member has authority only when the full board acts on the recommendations of the superintendent. In this case the full board, of which I was part, chose to purchase the Seaman Ave. property for 1.5 million dollars. Something that everyone should understand is that the board did not have a buffet of sites to choose from. I am certain that had the board chosen another site it would have probably faced the same issues that it did with the Seaman Ave. property. This was the hand of the board of education had been dealt. Based on what I knew I followed my conscience and voted to purchase the property. As God as my witness, my vote was never about how I, or the property seller was going to benefit from this transaction or about wasting taxpayer money. It was only about how the children of the city were going to benefit. I consider any implication that I benefitted personally or financially from my vote to be slanderous and diabolical.

Here are my recollections of what transpired after the BOE decided to purchase the property:

1) The state approved the project.

2) Board representatives met with the state to select an architect and preliminary drawings were begun.

3) In the meantime, environmental testing and remediation was conducted.

4) The state formed the school construction cooperation (SCC) to take control of school construction. The SCC instructed the BOE to cease what is was doing and took control of the project.

5) The SCC ran out of money before the school could be built, but the project remained on the state’s list of approved school projects.

A rational mind would consider these facts and understand that this matter was taken out of the hands of the BOE. An unbiased consideration of these facts leads to the conclusion that it was never my intent, or the board’s, to waste 1.5 million dollars of taxpayer money.

Something else that everyone should know is that Charles B. McKenna, the chief executive officer of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (NJSDA), informed the present BOE that it was “presently finalizing plans for a new elementary school on Seaman Ave.” What is interesting about this is that my critics, who seem to have the ability to research and find all kinds of information, never came across or shared this information that was continued in a September 2014 letter to be written to the BOE president. So, as it has turned out taxpayer money was not wasted. As a matter of fact, if the BOE were to purchase this property today it would pay much more than 1.5 million dollars.

Now, it seems that the argument is that I wasted not 1.5 million dollars, but 3 million dollars. Anyone that knows anything about school construction in Perth Amboy knows two things: 1.) that the purchase price does not include the cost of remediation. 2.) That remediation is likely to be part and parcel of any project. My question is how is 1.5 or 3 million dollars that is utilized to build a school wasted? Our children have been dealing with overcrowding for 20 some odd years, and they are not worthy of better schools? My answer, and everyone else’s answer to the question should be, is yes they are.

Unfortunately, I must also address a topic that I have addressed before. I regret beating a horse that is in rigor mortis and decomposing. Yes, I voted to give the police chief a LONGEVITY INCREASE that he was entitled to. I did so because I believed that the police chief deserved to be compensated in the same way that previous chiefs were compensated. To put it simply, I followed my conscience on this issue and stand by my vote.

The last topic that I am going to address is my fundraiser at Terrazza. I just cannot believe the attention that this fundraiser has garnered. I categorically deny that there was any quid pro quo (something for something). Again, I consider an implication that there was any as defamatory and evil. The only reason that my team and I chose the venue was because it met our goals and needs. The way I see it is that we contributed to the economy of the city.

Unfortunately, there are some in this community that are not about agreeing to disagree. What they are about is I am right and you are wrong or my way or the highway. I want to assure my constituents that I am committed establishing a partnership that is based on the mutual respect of disagreements. What I will not commit to is a partnership that is based on manipulation, brow beatings, or control.

I humbly thank everyone for time. God bless you. God bless the great city of Perth Amboy.

 – Councilman Fernando Irizarry