Passaic

PASSAIC - The race to succeed Sammy Rivera consists of six Passaic residents, who turned in their petitions by the 4 p.m. deadline today.

They are city supervisor Vincent Capuana, bailbondsman Carl Ellen, Councilwoman Maritza Colon-Montanez, Councilman Joe Garcia, physician Alex Blanco, and real estate developer Jose Sandoval.

"They have all qualified to run," said City Clerk Amada D. Curling.

Ritzy Morales, who handles constituent services for U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson), did not make the deadline this afternoon and announced that she had pulled the plug on her mayoral bid.

"It's not the right time," said Morales. "We want to unify the city and as it is there are too many Hispanics in the race."

Five days into his service as acting mayor of Passaic, Gary SchaerPassaic Acting Mayor Gary Schaer pledged to remove the taint of corruption from a city whose former mayor pleaded guilty to extortion last Friday and resigned hours before Schaer assumed office.

"Throughout my over 18 years of service to Passaic, I have sought to serve with distinction and honor, always taking into account what is best for all of Passaic," said Schaer, 57, an investment analyst broker who served as commissioner of the Passaic Housing Authority for five years prior to his election to the council.

As the successor of Sammy Rivera, Schaer continues in his role as council president, and as the legislature’s first Orthodox Jewish assemblyman, now serving his second term in the 36th district.

Passaic City Council President/Acting Mayor Gary S. Schaer released a statement today in the aftermath of Mayor Samuel Rivera's departure from office. 

Rivera resigned at 5 p.m. after earlier in the day pleading guilty to extortion in federal court.

"This is a difficult time for Passaic," said Schaer. "I am committed, along with my city council colleagues, to restoring confidence to the residents of Passaic and assuring them that the services provided by our municipal government will continue as normal.

The Star-Ledger is reporting that Passaic Mayor Samuel Rivera today in federal court pleaded guilty to corruption charges and faces up to 18-24 months in prison.

Caught in an FBI sting last year, Rivera, 61, pleaded guilty to one count of extortion after being accused of accepting $5,000 in cash from a dummy insurance brokerage firm.

Rivera resigned as mayor of Passaic, effective at 5 p.m. today, according to the Star-Ledger.

EVANS TAKES OATH AS ASSEMBLYWOMAN FOR 35TH LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 

Lawmaker Brings Expertise in Social Services, Local Government, Civil Rights 
 
(TRENTON) - Elease Evans, a well-known community activist and government official from Paterson, was sworn in today as an Assemblywoman representing the 35th Legislative District in Passaic and Bergen counties.

The legislature needs to be put on a leash to curtail spending, and real solutions need to implemented to create a new school funding formula.

It's time the people of Passaic got "honest government."

Carmen Pio Costa and Don Diorio, candidates for Assembly in the 36th district, reacted to today's arrests by drawing attention to the source of the bribe-takers' temptations: their control over massive amounts of state income-tax money given to a handful of cities and urban school districts. 

A Much Needed Victory In Passaic For Taxpayers

PASSAIC'S DOUBLE DIPPING DUO

Schaer and Colon-Montanez Grab Benefits

With Both Hands, But Can’t Be Bothered

To Vote For The Taxpayers

“Gary Schaer failed to deliver the vote this week and was about to throw up his hands and walk away, but the good citizens of Passaic wouldn’t let him,” said Pio Costa, a Nutley businessman. “But why did the first resolution to rescind fail at all? Because Schaer’s hand-picked protégé, Maritza Colon-Montanez, abstained saying she ‘didn’t understand’ the resolution! Couldn’t Schaer explain it to her, his own legislative aide?”