Will Parsippany council OK audit that critics call a ‘political hack job'?

Parsippany Mayor James Barberio vowed this week to go ahead with a controversial plan to audit the local school district, though whether he can win the support of the township council remains to be seen.

Barberio stood his ground at Tuesday's council meeting, despite a withering series of criticisms from four board of education members during a public comment session. They said Barberio's audit was payback for their support of Councilman Justin Musella , who in June announced he'd try to unseat Barberio in the 2025 Republican primary.

"Let's call it what it is, a taxpayer-funded political hack job" by "an unhinged mayor," board president Andrew Choffo said.

"You're seeing politics at its best," Barberio said of the board members in attendance.

Will Parsippany council back audit?

The municipal government in Parsippany, Morris County's most populous town, is run by Barberio and the five-person council. The school district, also the county's largest, is overseen by a separate nine-member board .

What remains unclear is how much the audit would cost and the approval process needed to authorize that expenditure.

Barberio did not respond to inquiries at the meeting about the expense. Councilwoman Judy Hernandez , the council's lone Democrat, questioned the scrutiny of the board and asked if the council would get to vote on the audit. She was told a vote could take place at the next council meeting.

Musella backed the board members who appeared at his campaign announcement, saying the proposed audit "mirrors the definition of abuse of power." Hernandez asked why there was so much focus on the school board budget "when we have so many things on the horizon ... that we're not even talking about."

Councilmen Paul Carifi Jr. and Frank Neglia, who typically side with Barberio on votes, did not comment on the audit. Councilman Matt McGrath did not attend the meeting

School board critics blast the mayor

During the meeting, Barberio sat silently as school board members Jack Raia, Suzy Golderer, Tim Berrios and Choffo accused him of political hypocrisy.

"You have in the past welcomed any person to support you, regardless of position," Golderer said. "Board members have attended your fundraisers in the past and there was no pushback."

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Raia described the Barberio audit as "redundant," noting the board already conducts annual audits that have been reviewed by the state and that its budgets are posted on the district website .

Nevertheless, the mayor said he would proceed with the audit, referring to a report he received from Councilman McGrath. That report, he said, indicated the board's financial records showed "numbers all over the place." The audit would be nothing more than "due diligence," Barberio added.

Inglesino denies involvement

Choffo also presented documentation that Barberio's chosen auditor, Frank DeMaria, had done work for several New Jersey towns that have also employed former Parsippany town attorney John Inglesino. A prominent land-use attorney, Inglesino now represents several developers who have obtained so-called "PILOT" tax breaks from the Barberio administration.

"Very chummy, indeed," Choffo said on Tuesday.

The PILOT programs - or "payments in lieu of taxes" - cut the school district out of the usual tax revenue stream. PILOT deals call for direct payments to the municipal government, usually discounted from standard property tax rates, instead of conventional tax bills that are shared with the township, school district, local fire departments and county.

Barberio and the council majority have repeatedly stated they need to offer such deals to encourage the redevelopment of vacant properties and meet state affordable housing mandates. Critics on the school board worry that they won't receive the necessary funding from the township, but Barberio has promised Parsippany would continue to fund the BOE budget in full.

Nevertheless, the PILOTS rest at the core of the conflict between the mayor and school board.

Is school board waging 'campaign of lies?'

Reached by telephone Thursday, Inglesino said he does not know DeMaria "personally, but I hear he has impeccable credentials."

"The fact that this board has run a campaign of lies regarding PILOTS makes me suspect that they are good stewards of our taxpayer dollars," he said.

Inglesino, a former Rockaway Township mayor and Morris County freeholder, was Parsippany's town attorney during Barberio's first two terms as mayor from 2010 to 2017. His perceived influence in town became a campaign issue in 2017, when Barberio lost to Democrat Michael Soriano.

Soriano let Inglesino go. After Barberio won the office back in 2021, he appointed Michael Lavery as town attorney.

Saying he was speaking as a Parsippany resident and business owner, Inglesino added that "an audit of Board of Education budgets should be conducted before an agreement to give them millions of dollars of additional taxpayer money.

"In fact, it would be irresponsible not to conduct that audit. The Board of Education should welcome such scrutiny."

William Westhoven is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today .

Email: wwesthoven@ dailyrecord.com

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This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Will Parsippany council OK audit that critics call a ‘political hack job'?