logo
Google Play App Store
Log In subscribe and/or renew Eeditions
  • Home
  • E-Edition
    • This Week Newspaper
    • Archives
    • Local Shops
    • This is Westfield
    • Search the Archives
  • News
  • Opinions
  • Sports
  • Community
    • Life Events
    • Community Calendar
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Obituaries
    • Submit an Obituary
  • Classified
  • Legals
  • Advertise
    • Advertorial
    • Paid Political
    • Sponsored Content
  • subscribe and/or renew
  • Contact
    • Home
    • E-Edition
      • This Week Newspaper
      • Archives
      • Local Shops
      • This is Westfield
      • Search the Archives
    • News
    • Opinions
    • Sports
    • Community
      • Life Events
      • Community Calendar
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Obituaries
      • Submit an Obituary
    • Classified
    • Legals
    • Advertise
      • Advertorial
      • Paid Political
      • Sponsored Content
    • subscribe and/or renew
    • Contact
  • Home
  • E-Edition
    • This Week Newspaper
    • Archives
    • Local Shops
    • This is Westfield
    • Search the Archives
  • News
  • Opinions
  • Sports
  • Community
    • Life Events
    • Community Calendar
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Obituaries
    • Submit an Obituary
  • Classified
  • Legals
  • Advertise
    • Advertorial
    • Paid Political
    • Sponsored Content
  • subscribe and/or renew
  • Contact
    • Home
    • E-Edition
      • This Week Newspaper
      • Archives
      • Local Shops
      • This is Westfield
      • Search the Archives
    • News
    • Opinions
    • Sports
    • Community
      • Life Events
      • Community Calendar
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Obituaries
      • Submit an Obituary
    • Classified
    • Legals
    • Advertise
      • Advertorial
      • Paid Political
      • Sponsored Content
    • subscribe and/or renew
    • Contact
Letters to the Editor
October 31, 2024
No One Member is Responsible for Council, Board Decisions

I got a kick out of reading the recent flyer from the Piarulli-Fumero team running for the Garwood Board of Education. Here’s why: Governmental bodies – whether they are Borough Councils or Boards of Education (BOE) – act only with full votes. Thus, when one member spouts about he/she being responsible for a specific change, I know enough to recognize that, ‘no,’ a full board made that decision, not a single board member. Thus it is with Mr. Piarulli. He states that he ‘secured $150,000 in Pilot Funds trough collaboration with town officials before the new apartments made any impact’. Truthfully, he knows that thefullBOEandCouncilreachedagreement on how much and how PILOT money was distributed and spent by the BOE. Mr. Piarulli was just one of 12 votes. He did not obtain BOE PILOT funding by himself.

Most importantly, Mr. Piarulli failed to state that he filed a tort claim notice on the BOE as a sitting member because the BOE removed him from his position as its Sending District Representative to the Clark BOE. His notice cited the BOE for $10 million in damages. He further sought to be reimbursed $22,874.60 as well for interest and additional costs.These costs would have been paid by Garwood taxpayers and BOE insurance. The Administrative Law Judge determined that the ’petitioner’s tort claim advanced a cause of action for his own monetary benefit, which was in conflict with his duties as a board member,’ and that Mr. Piarulli was not entitled to be indemnified for his costs. The judge dismissed Mr. Piarulli’s suit.

Mr. Piarulli also does not say that in his current term of office, he left four BOE meetings before they adjourned, and did not attend three other meetings. He voted against numerous curriculum guides for the 2023-24 school year, and against the five-year cycle for revision of the curriculum guides. Breaking my heart,hevotedagainsttheUnionCounty Improvement Authority program for renewable energy projects. He voted against the negotiated agreement between theBOEandthe(GEA)Garwood Education Associations (Garwood’s teachers). He voted against the 202223, and 2024-25 school budgets. (He did not vote on the 2023-24 budget because he did not attend the BOE meeting.) He speaks about being financially prudent, yet voted against a measure which provided for a maximum dollar amount being paid for professional services. He voted against paying Clark for an increase in tuition payments due to our actual student population. (How long will Clark welcome Garwood high school students if we do not pay our bills?) He voted against hiring the NJ School Boards Association for a superintendent search, after the BOE could not find an acceptable one through its own search. During that time, he voted against a stipend for our principal to serve as Acting Superintendent. He even voted against the Clark Soccer Club’s once a week, threemonth use of the school gym! How many Clark facilities does Clark allow Garwood students to use?

In closing, Mr. Piarulli is far from providing the whole truth, and will not receive my vote in November.

Bill Nierstedt Garwood

ePaper
coogle_play
app_store
ePaper
coogle_play
app_store
Most Read
Fanwood Residents Plan Legal Action Against South Ave. Development
Main, News
Fanwood Residents Plan Legal Action Against South Ave. Development
By KATIE MOEN and FRED T.ROSSI 
Thursday, September 4, 2025
FANWOOD — A group of Fanwood residents concerned with overdevelopment are banding together in hopes of securing the necessary legal funds to challenge...
this is a test
Westfield’s Forgotten History: Remembering Columbus Elementary
News, Opinions
Westfield’s Forgotten History: Remembering Columbus Elementary
By Loganathan Hargreaves WHS Class of ?28 
Thursday, September 4, 2025
I am an upcoming 10th grader at Westfield High School, and I was fortunate to attend the Vanishing Westfield Neighborhoods: The African American Exper...
this is a test
Main
Westfield Gears Up For Busy Election Season
By KATIE MOEN 
Friday, September 5, 2025
WESTFIELD — Westfield residents will be faced with a full ballot when they head to the polls this November. Eight candidates - four Republicans and fo...
this is a test
Rosanne G. Potter
Obituaries
Rosanne G. Potter
Thursday, September 11, 2025
Rosanne G. Potter Died at Home On Friday, August 29 Rosanne was born in Elizabeth, NJ, on October 4, 1941, the only child of Harry Giuditta, a banker,...
this is a test
Main, News
1958 Cuban Cuisine Reopens Following Mandated Closure
By KATIE MOEN 
Thursday, September 11, 2025
WESTFIELD — 1958 Cuban Cuisine, a Westfield restaurant that was cited for unsanitary conditions last month, has reopened with a satisfactory rating af...
this is a test
This site complies with ADA requirements

© Copyright The The Westfield Leader

  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility Policy
This site complies with ADA requirements

© Copyright The The Westfield Leader