Hackensack's reformers win another term despite pathetically low turnout by voters

A CLEAN SWEEP: In a photo from his campaign's Facebook page, Hackensack Mayor John Labrosse, center, declared a clean sweep over 2 other tickets in Tuesday's non-partisan City Council election. From left, Councilman Leo Battaglia, Councilman-elect Gerard Carroll, Deputy Mayor Kathleen Canestrino and Councilwoman Stephanie Von Rudenborg.

 

Labrosse, running mates beat

10 others in nasty City Council race

 

Editor's note: This post has been updated with the official results as certified by the Hackensack City Clerk's Office.

By VICTOR E. SASSON  

EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Mayor John Labrosse -- first elected in 2013 as a reformer after the city became a laughing stock known as "Zisaville" -- won another 4-year term on Tuesday to lead the City Council.    

Labrosse, Deputy Mayor Kathleen Canestrino, Councilman Leo Battaglia, Councilwoman Stephanie Von Rudenborg and newcomer Gerard Carroll scored a clean sweep in the nonpartisan election.

Here is part of their statement as posted on the campaign's Facebook page late Tuesday night, as well as the official results as certified by the City Clerk's Office:

"It's a Clean Sweep.

"Today, Hackensack voters spoke loud and clear that they want to keep moving forward and let the Labrosse Team finish the job of revitalizing our city and building a brighter future for all residents."

Low turnout

Labrosse was the top vote getter with 1,879 votes in a city with 27,365 registered voters as of May 6, 2021, according to the Hackensack City Clerk's Office, which certified the election.

Hackensack residents would rather bitch, bitch, bitch than vote, vote, vote.

The official results for all candidates appear below. 

Officials said 3,133 voters went to the polls on Tuesday, but the number of returned mail-in ballots wasn't available.

READ: Campaign by 15 candidates turned nasty

OFFICIAL RESULTS:

LABROSSE 1,879

CANESTRINO 1,812

BATTAGLIA 1,754

CARROLL 1,832

VON RUDENBORG 1,823

AMIRHAMZEH 1,056

GLOVER 1,059

POST 1,062

GAINES 1,141

LOPEZ 1,005

SIMS 1,119

ROMERO 1,138

MILLER 1,015

NELSON 995

MERINO 965

Bounced from Hackensack slate, official accepts backing of discredited Zisa family

WHAT IS HE HIDING? In this April 2018 photo taken at a Hackensack City Council meeting, then Board of Education President Jason Nunnermacker, in a black hoodie, hides from a cellphone camera. Now, Nunnermacker is serving as spokesman for Deputy Mayor David Sims, who was dropped from Mayor John Labrosse's slate in the upcoming council election.

 Deputy Mayor David Sims

heads own ticket on May 11

By VICTOR E. SASSON

EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Deputy Mayor David Sims is a walking contradiction.

Sims has served on the Hackensack City Council since 2013, when he and four others first won election on a reform platform after decades of rule by the Zisa family and its allies.

But after he was dumped from Mayor John Labrosse's council slate for violating the Covid-19 lockdown at City Hall, Sims has enlisted Zisa allies to run with him and serve as his spokesman in the May 11 council election.

And they've chosen to call themselves the "Coalition for Clean Government."

So, here's the contradiction: 

Is Sims saying that since 2013, he's been part of a governing council that wasn't "clean"?

A third slate

A third slate of candidates in the non-partisan May 11 election is led by Leila Amirhamzeh, development director of New Jersey Citizen Action and a former member of the Hackensack Board of Education.

Sims "is turning to the Zisa political dynasty for financial and political backing," Jason DeAlessi, a spokesman for the Amirhamzeh slate, told NorthJersey.com.

"The people of Hackensack are tired of the same political fights of the past and deserve better," DeAlessi said.

MAIL-IN VOTING: We've already received our 4 mail-in ballots for the non-partisan Hackensack City Council election on May 11, as well as campaign material from the Labrosse Team.

MAYOR AND COUNCIL: From left, Councilwoman Stephanie Von Rudenborg, Deputy Mayor Kathleen Canestrino, Mayor John Labrosse (seated), Deputy Mayor David Sims and Councilman Leonardo Battaglia (2017 photo from City of Hackensack).

Sims' spokesman

In a March 19 story in the Hackensack Chronicle, NorthJersey.com quoted Jason Nunnermacker as a spokesman for Sims.

Nunnermacker, a lawyer who is a key ally of the Zisa family, served as Board of Education president and ran unsuccessfully for the City Council.

Nunnermacker noted Sims' past electoral successes, saying they were the result of "his devotion to our community," according to NorthJersey.com.

'Zisaville'

The Zisa family's decades-long grip on Hackensack turned the city into a laughing stock called "Zisaville."

Jack Zisa, the former 4-term mayor (1989-2005), tried to return to power in the 2017 City Council election by backing a 5-member slate, just as he is doing now.

His father, the late Frank Zisa, served 16 years on the City Council and as mayor for one term (1977-81); his brother, Ken Zisa, was the city's police chief for many years and served in the state Assembly (1994-2002); another brother, Frank Zisa Jr., served as deputy police chief; and a cousin, Joseph C. Zisa Jr., was the city attorney for many years.

When the Zisas ruled Hackensack, greed, nepotism and partisan politics were king, as I reported in 2017.

READ: When the Zisas ruled Hackensack...

READ: The Record was clueless 

on Zisas' bid to regain control of city

The Record's crappy local reporting helps feed voter apathy in two spring elections

The sample ballot sent to the homes of registered voters before Tuesday's non-partisan City Council election in Hackensack. Today, the Record's Local news section greatly exaggerates the number of votes cast for candidates on three competing slates.

-- HACKENSACK, N.J.

Editor's note: This post has been updated with the total number of voters on Tuesday, and the total vote for each of 15 candidates, including mail-in and provisional ballots. 

By VICTOR E. SASSON

EDITOR

In two major articles on voter apathy, The Record of Woodland Park today refuses to examine its own role in low turnout for spring school and municipal contests (Page 1 and Local news front). 

And Hackensack reporter Rodrigo Torrejon greatly exaggerates the number of votes cast for three slates of candidates in Tuesday's Hackensack City Council race (1L).

"He doesn't know what he's doing," one city official said of Torrejon.

Less coverage

In the past 20 years, The Record's editors have streamlined coverage of school elections to the point where the paper rarely discusses issues or reports details of the proposed budget.

Nor does the paper explain to readers that thousands of dollars in property taxes go to support education, whether you have kids in school or not.

Torrejon's predecessor on the Hackensack beat, reporter John Seasly, didn't even bother to cover the 2016 school election in Hackensack, where nine candidates vied for three board seats and 44% of each resident's property taxes go to support the schools.

This year, Torrejon failed to report on the issues in the April 25 school election or discuss any details of the proposed school budget and tax levy.

He also didn't go beyond listing the four candidates' names, providing no biographical details.

Nor did he report that the Zisas were backing Team Hackensack, whose three candidates prevailed, just as they did in 2016.

Only 341 residents, including those who sent mail-in ballots, approved the $81.2 million tax levy on April 25 (to support a $109 million budget).

The vote against was 209, including 25 mail-in ballots. 

In reporting the results, The Record told readers for the first time the owner of a Hackensack home assessed at $241,342 -- the city average -- will pay $5,109.69 in school taxes.

Council election

Two major articles on Hackensack's non-partisan municipal election appeared last Saturday, three days before the vote.

Basically, Torrejon listed the two challenging slates' charges, exaggerations and lies about the incumbents' record, and then printed the Labrosse Team's response.

He actually quoted one opponent calling the city's ambitious downtown redevelopment plan "irresponsible."

Saturday's coverage also was the first to reveal the role of the Zisa family in supporting one of the slates, even though they signaled their bid to once again turn Hackensack into Zisaville more than a year ago.

On Tuesday, only 3,861 voters went to the polls in Hackensack, where 22,732 people are registered to vote, according to the county superintendent of elections.

Mail-in ballots were sent in by 267 voters and 15 provisional ballots were counted -- for a grand total of 4,143 voters, according to the City Clerk's office.

In a non-partisan election, candidates don't run under party labels.

Each voter picked 5

Each voter was allowed to pick five candidates from among the 15 on the ballot, so the highest vote-getter was Mayor John Labrosse with 1,944 votes, including 110 mail-in and 6 provisional ballots.

He led his team -- Deputy Mayor Kathleen Canestrino, Councilmen David Sims and Leo Battaglia, and planner Stephanie Von Rudenborg -- to victory.

The other candidates' vote totals (with mail-in and provisional votes in parentheses) were:

Canestrino, 1,852 (including 108 and 6); Sims, 1,933 (109 and 7); Battaglia, 1,757 (92 and 6), and Von Rudenborg, 1,779 (101 and 7).

All will be sworn to four-year terms on July 1.

The Record's Torrejon reports "unofficial results, not including provisional votes, show that the Labrosse Team ... received 9,233 votes total" (1L and 3L).

Although that may be accurate, Torrejon is including up to five ballots cast by each voter, and he does the same for the two other slates.

Losing slates

Former Councilman Jason Some was the top vote-getter on the Hackensack United for Progress slate, backed by the Zisa family political machine, with 1,365 ballots, including 111 mail-in and 5 provisional votes.

The head of the Zisa ticket, school board Vice President Lara L. Rodriguez, got a total of 1,313 votes, including 113 mail-in and 3 provisional ballots.

Their running mates' totals are:

Michael Williams, 1,267 (including 102 mail-in ballots and 4 provisional votes); Carlos Merino, 1,222 (101 and 4); and Rommy Buttafuoco, 1,195 (102 and 4).

With a total of 1,094 ballots (including 64 mail-in and 4 provisional votes), the top vote-getter on the third slate, Hackensack Strong, was Councilwoman Deborah Keeling-Geddis, whose term ends on June 30.

Here are the totals for her running mates:

Rich Cerbo, son of a former mayor, 879 (including 58 mail-in and 5 provisional ballots); Angelica Carfi-Mendes, 864 (58 and 5); David Dungey, 826 (53 and 4); Rafael Del Rosario, 802 (56 and 3).

The Record's Page 1 story today also refers to school elections in Cliffside Park, Fairview, Garfield, Oakland, Passaic and Totowa.

Comment on The Record

A reader of The Sasson Report who is a lawyer and a Democrat had this to say about The Record's story on the Hackensack election:

"Victor -- some comments on the Hackensack election: 

"1.  What were the people who wrote and laid out the article in today's paper smoking?  

"First of all, they say that there was split opposition and that is why the Labrosse ticket won.  There is always the argument that in a three-way field that the two losing sides cancelled each other out, but this is not the case here. 

"The Labrosse slate got 45% and the other two split 55%, with about 35% to Zisa and 20% to the others. If Labrosse had gotten 10% of the other slates, he would have won. One would have to assume that the third slate was to a degree anti-Zisa.

"2. Why and for what reason is there a map of the Hackensack election districts in the paper today -- it only fills space? You cannot read it and it means nothing.  The council members were not elected from districts. 

"3.  I read the Democrats' letter and two points are evident:  

"a.  It is in violation of state election law. I believe that any political mailing must have a line saying "paid for" along with the name of the treasurer of the pending entity. There is nothing here. There is also no return address and I believe that that is also required.

"b.  I note that 10 of the signers are lawyers and they have 'Esq.' after there name. Why is a lawyer better or more knowledgeable than anyone else?  When I am involved in a charitable organization or activity I do not put 'Esq.' after my name. 

"Further, having someone identified as a lawyer in this letter does more harm than good. One can only assume that the people are supporting this ticket with the hopes of a payback or a job.  Some of them were. This is clearly not clear thinking."

He ended his comment this way: "The only thing accurate about the letter is the jackass at the top."

Democrats are literally one day late in bid to sway non-partisan Hackensack election

At the Stony Hill Inn on Tuesday night, Hackensack Mayor John Labrosse boasted of a clean sweep by his team in the non-partisan City Council election.

-- HACKESNACK, N.J.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Desperate Democrats allied with the Zisa family political machine tried to influence the outcome of the non-partisan City Council election on Tuesday.

In a shameless partisan plea, a letter from the Hackensack Democratic Organization urged me and other registered Democrats to vote for members of the Zisa-backed slate, Hackensack United for Progress, because all of them are "active Democrats."

That plea came right after the letter noted, "Unlike other elections we are familiar with, ours is a non-partisan government."

Only problem is the letter arrived in many mailboxes on Wednesday -- the day after Mayor John Labrosse and his team swept to victory, defeating two other City Council slates.

Jack Zisa is a registered Republican and former four-term mayor of Hackensack; his brother, Ken, is the disgraced former police chief, who also was a Democratic member of the state Assembly; and another brother, Frank Jr., was deputy police chief under Ken.

Their cousin, Joseph C. Zisa Jr., was the city attorney for many years.

Their rule was so complete, as they ran Hackensack into the ground, the beleaguered city soon became a laughing stock called "Zisaville."

Hackensack voters didn't believe the lies

When the Zisas ruled Hackensack ...

This registered Democrat received the letter a day after the election.

More lies

The letter from the Hackensack Democratic Organization is filled with lies about what has happened to the city since Labrosse and a slate of City Council reformers won the 2013 municipal election.

The letter is signed by prominent Democrats, including Roy Cho, the Hackensack attorney who in 2014 challenged crackpot Republican Scott Garrett unsuccessfully for his New Jersey seat in the House of Representatives.

Former and current members of the Hackensack Board of Education -- the Zisas' power base -- also signed the letter.

So did two high school teachers, Caseen Gaines, campaign manager for the Hackensack United slate; and Anthony Zisa, son of the former police chief.

Anthony Zisa's grandfather, Frank, was the first member of the family to be elected mayor of Hackensack.

Vote totals

The Hackensack City Clerk's Office today released vote totals in Tuesday's election, including mail-in and provisional ballots:

Team Labrosse in Column 2: 

Mayor John Labrosse, 1,944; Deputy Mayor Kathleen Canestrino, 1,852; Councilman David Sims, 1,933; Councilman Leo Battaglia, 1,757; and Stephanie Von Rudenborg, 1,779.

Hackensack United (Zisa slate) in Column 1:

Lara L. Rodriguez, school board vice president, 1,313; Jason Some, 1,365; Michael Williams, 1,267; Carlos Merino, 1,212; and Rommy Buttafuoco, 1,195.

Hackensack Strong in Column 3:

Councilwoman Deborah Keeling-Geddis, 1,094; Anglica Carfi-Meneses, 864; David Dungey, 826; Rafael Rosario, 802; and Rich Cerbo, son of a former mayor, 879.

When the Zisas ruled Hackensack, greed, nepotism and partisan politics were king

In 2000, then-Hackensack Mayor Jack Zisa bought this Main Street building from Bergen Community College and, a month or so later, rented the property to the Bergen County Special Services School District. The initial six-year lease more than doubled his purchase price. The district now pays more than $380,000 per year to lease the property from Zisa's company.

The L-shaped building is much larger than it appears on Main Street. A portion of the building, painted white, is visible on Camden Street, above.

-- HACKENSACK, N.J.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

More than a decade after he stepped down as Hackensack mayor, Jack Zisa collects nearly $400,000 a year from leasing a Main Street building he acquired in a sweetheart deal made possible by friendly Bergen County officials.

Now, the former four-term mayor (1989-2005) and other members of the Zisa family political dynasty are seeking to return to power in Tuesday's non-partisan municipal election.

Jack Zisa; his brother, disgraced former Police Chief Ken Zisa; and their cousin, former City Attorney Joseph C. Zisa Jr., are backing a five-member slate they hope will defeat Mayor John Labrosse and his running mates.

All three Zisas appeared at the kickoff of the Hackensack United for Progress' campaign in March.

If the past is any guide, a Zisa victory on Tuesday would raise the potential of a return to the greed, nepotism and nasty partisan politics that marked the family's long reign.

If their slate wins, what would stop Ken Zisa from seeking the civilian job of police director (now vacant), and Joe Zisa from returning as city attorney?

On a Facebook page, members of the Hackensack United for Progress slate are portrayed as puppets of the Zisa family.

'My business'

On Saturday, The Record of Woodland Park quoted Jack Zisa as saying the slate he supports in Tuesday's election "is my business." 

But he didn't deny his family, supporters and friends are backing the so-called Progress slate, led by school board Vice President Lara Rodriguez.

Under the banner of Citizens for Change, Labrosse led a slate of City Council reformers to victory over other Zisa loyalists in the May 2013 election, breaking the family's decades-long grip on a city that had become a laughing stock called "Zisaville."

The mayor and other council members, now called Team Labrosse, are backing an ambitious downtown rehabilitation plan to boost ratables, reduce property taxes and pay for a major expansion of recreation.

The Zisas retained their power base on the Board of Education, where longtime ally Richard Salkin serves as legal counsel to the current Zisa-backed slate.

The original entrance to 293-295 Main St. in Hackensack, a building owned by Underwood Properties LLC -- a company Jack Zisa and his wife established in March 2000, when he was mayor. A previous owner of the building was the Evening Record Publishing Co., a precursor to North Jersey Media Group, publisher of The Record. 

295 Main St.

Jack Zisa pounced in 2000 after Bergen County College announced it was moving out of 295 Main St., which it owned.

Meanwhile, another county agency, the Special Services School District, was looking for more space, and it would have made sense for it to move into 295 Main.

But with a Republican county executive and a Republican Board of Freeholders in power, Zisa, as a registered Republican, managed to buy the building from the college for $725,000 in August 2000.

A month or so later, he rented the building to the Special Services School District for $266,666.66 a year, taking in $1.6 million on a six-year lease.

The county school district's attorney was a Hackensack resident who was very active in Republican politics, and a friend of Jack Zisa's.

But the lease wouldn't have been possible unless Jack Zisa was able to add 45 parking spaces to the 20 that existed at 295 Main.

So, in March of 2000, the City Council, including Mayor Zisa, approved an $850,000 bond to buy 295 State St., which was torn down to provide a total of 65 parking spaces for the building.

To this day, Jack Zisa's company leases 45 parking spaces from the city.

The Record reported:

"If Underwood Properties LLC -- the company Zisa and his wife established -- extends the [building] lease through 2011, they stand to collect more than $3.5 million in rent."

The lease has been renewed twice, and the Zisas are collecting more than $380,000 a year in lease payments from the county school district.

So far, by one estimate, they've collected more than $6 million in lease payments for the building.

More politics

Although Jack Zisa calls himself a Republican, brother Ken Zisa worked the other side of the aisle, serving as a Democratic state assemblyman from 1993 to 2001.

Lynn Hurwitz, head of the city's Democratic Party and a longtime supporter of the Zisa family, was reimbursed $925 for printed materials for the Hackensack United campaign, The Record reported on Saturday.

Ken Zisa became acting police chief in Hackensack on June 1, 1995, and took the oath as police chief that December, serving until 2010.

He was the target of more than 20 lawsuits, which the city was obligated to defend, paying more than $8 million in legal fees to his attorneys.

In January 2014, The Record reported four current and former Hackensack police officers won a $2 million settlement from the Police Department.

Their lawsuit accused former Police Chief Ken Zisa "of extorting money to support his candidacy in legislative races and to back his favored candidates in public and union elections," NJ.com reported.

Frank Zisa Jr.

In 2012, Hackensack agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by Alessandra Viola, a police officer and the ex-girlfriend of Frank Zisa Jr., then-deputy police chief and Ken Zisa's brother.

Viola alleged Ken Zisa filed criminal and disciplinary charges against her when she refused sexual advances from him and his brother Frank after she ended her relationship with Frank.

The charges were dismissed, but the city suspended her without pay for 75 days in February 2011.

Viola was to receive $2.48 million in the settlement.

City to pay $3M

After a Superior Court jury convicted Ken Zisa of official misconduct and insurance fraud, an appeals court threw out the verdicts, citing misconduct by the prosecutor and missteps by the trial judge.

Hackensack official were ordered to pay the former police chief nearly $1,755,000 in back pay, vacation days, sick pay and other compensation.

And the city also was ordered to pay nearly $1,203,000 to cover Ken Zisa's legal fees through last Sept. 30.

Jack and Ken Zisa kick off their campaign to defeat Hackensack Council reformers

Former Hackensack Police Chief and state Assemblyman Ken Zisa and former City Attorney Joseph Zisa, back to camera, greeted supporters on Thursday night at a campaign kickoff for a slate of candidates who will challenge City Council incumbents in the May election. Ken Zisa handed out bottles of water.

Former four-term Hackensack Mayor Jack Zisa, standing at right rear, also worked the room at Mount Olive Baptist Church. The heavyset man in the foreground is Board of Education President Jason Nunnermacker, a Zisa ally who was defeated in the bitter 2013 council election.

-- HACKENSACK, N.J.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

The Zisa Puppet Company is hoping for a comeback.

On Tuesday night, the family political machine that dominated Hackensack for decades introduced their slate of City Council candidates in the non-partisan May election.

Some would call them puppets, but no strings were visible as the head of the slate, school board Vice President Lara Rodriguez, walked onto the stage at Mount Olive Baptist Church to address supporters.

Another member of the slate, Rommy Buttafuocco, was identified in a campaign brochure as a 16-year employee of the Board of Education, which Zisa allies controlled even after their council candidates were defeated in 2013.

Hackensack taxpayers should be concerned about the candidacy of Rodriguez and Buttafuocco, because the school board budget soared over $100 million in the past two years, surpassing the city's own budget.

More than 44% of each resident's property taxes go to support the schools.

In last April's school election, the Zisas backed three candidates under the "Team Hackensack" banner, and all three were either elected or appointed to the board.

The Record of Woodland Park didn't cover the election -- which included six opposing candidates -- or report that the family that stuck Hackensack with the moniker "Zisaville" were attempting a political comeback.

Now, the Zisas' five council candidates are running under a different banner, "Hackensack United for Progress."

In addition to Rodriguez and Buttafuocco, candidates are businessman Jason Some, former cop Michael Williams and former legislative aide Carlos Merino.

See The Zisas and the Borgs, a post I wrote in 2010, based on recollections of a self-described Hackenack old timer.

Lynne Hurwitz, a Zisa ally who heads the city's Democratic Party machine, also was at the kickoff.

Board of Education Attorney and Zisa ally Richard Salkin lost a second job as municipal prosecutor after the City Council headed by Mayor John P. Labrosse took office in 2013.

Lara Rodriguez, the head of the ticket, addressing supporters.

Today's Record

Today's front page is dominated by the recusal of Attorney General Jeff Sessions from the Russia probe, suggesting that lying is a way of life in the Trump administration (1A).

The court of public opinion convicted Governor Christie in the Bridgegate scandal, and as a result, his White House dream fizzled and he was denied a top position by President Trump. 

But it doesn't look like he will ever face a judge or jury for inspiring the lane closures on the George Washington Bridge that caused five mornings of gridlock in September 2013 (1A).

Meanwhile, a federal judge denied motions by lawyers for two of his former aides, Bill Baroni and Bridget Anne Kelly, who were convicted in the political conspiracy, and they will be sentenced on March 15 (4A).

Jersey foods

The Garden State has a well-earned reputation for great beefsteak tomatoes, blueberries, corn and other produce, as well as incredible seafood -- from lobsters to clams to monkfish.

But they're not good enough for Food Editor Esther Davidowitz, who would rather promote unhealthy Taylor ham, fries, hot dogs and mystery ground beef as the state's "iconic foods" (1BL, 10BL and 11BL).

Davidowitz and food writer Sophia F. Gottfried continue to scramble in an effort to distract readers from Gannett's decision to end the weekly restaurant review in November.