ARTICLE: If You Want To Be Mayor, You Might Actually Need To Make Tough Decisions

By Ann Tarantino |  Published in The Clark-Garwood Patch,  October 14, 2022

I’d like to begin by congratulating Lou Petruzzelli on his appointment to the vacant Garwood Council seat by a 5-0 vote. Mr. Petruzzelli served three terms as a Democrat from 2009 to 2017 and I served on the Council with him for a few years back then. The reason for the vacancy is Republican Councilwoman Heather Loffredo, who ran with Councilwoman Salmon just last November, resigned after just shy of 9 months on Council. I watched this past Council meeting on YouTube and believe Garwood residents should know what really happened.

The lone Republican (and current Mayoral candidate) Kim Salmon refused to nominate any of the three Republicans put forward by the Garwood Republican Committee, of which she is a member. Instead, she said she was good with any of the three. The three included Lou Petruzzelli, Board of Education member Sal Piarulli, and current Council candidate Steve Napolitano.

We should be asking ourselves why wouldn’t Mrs. Salmon nominate her running mate, Steve Napolitano? If I was her running mate, that’s what I’d expect, at least.

Mrs. Salmon said her choice “wouldn’t matter” because the Democrats have the majority anyway and the decision would be theirs. Isn’t that true of all Council votes this year? Yet she speaks her mind and votes for other decisions. Why did Mrs. Salmon shy away from her responsibility? This seems to be a pattern (like with the budget), throwing her hands up and leaving the rest of her colleagues to do the job.

Also, why was one of her running mates an option, but not the other? Brenda Caffrey was in the audience. After Heather Loffredo resigned from Council; the Republican Committee did not even give the Council the option of choosing another female. So why was Mr. Napolitano put forward, but not Mrs. Caffrey? It doesn’t make sense to me.

Is Mrs. Salmon prepared to be Mayor? She wants a promotion after just 10 months on the Council, in fact filing to run for Mayor only three months after being sworn in! Is she really prepared to lead our town and represent us to other communities and levels of government? Mrs. Salmon claimed she was being “cornered” into making a decision even after other Council Members stated they just wanted her input. As Mayor, she is often going to be put on the spot, as well as have to make many tough decisions; this doesn’t seem possible given the lack of professionalism and leadership she showed during this process.

Jen Blumenstock has 6 years of experience on the Council and the right temperament to be our next Mayor. She did not criticize any of the three options put forward by the Republicans, nor Mrs. Salmon’s handling of the nomination. She listened and then voted yes to ensure the vacant seat was filled. Jen works with members of both parties and spends countless hours for the betterment of Garwood. I hope you will support her on Column B on November 8th!

Ann Tarantino
Garwood Democratic Chair