Open Letter From Clark PBA
An Open Letter from Clark PBA Local #125:
We the members of Clark PBA Local #125 are disheartened and outraged by the recent events involving Clark Mayor Sal Bonaccorso of New Jersey. The recordings which have recently come to light reflect language utilized by Mayor Bonaccorso which is disgraceful. His words reflect an attitude which has no place in our society, and more importantly, no place in a position of leadership nor elected office. We believe his disdain for people based on their gender or the color of their skin to be of the utmost concern and counterproductive to the very essence of the principles of our PBA and our profession. We have all taken an oath to protect and serve the residents of the Township of Clark and each day we endeavor to fulfill that oath. Today, in order to protect and serve the residents, we are speaking out against what we perceive to be outright injustice by Mayor Bonaccorso.
Recently, our Local, by unanimous vote of the members in attendance, issued a vote of “no confidence” in the continued leadership of Mayor Bonaccorso and called for his immediate resignation from office. The failure of his insight and judgment into his actions is so severe as to have irreparably compromised his ability to supervise our membership and our Township. We see no other course of conduct short of resignation of Mayor Bonaccorso which will allow our membership and our community to begin to heal from his disgraceful statements.
The culmination of his lack of judgment occurred on April 18, 2022 when Mayor Bonaccorso attended and participated as Mayor of the Township in said meeting. While under investigation, while the Township has been taken over by the Attorney General’s Office, Mayor Bonaccorso sat on the dias, after apparently violating numerous provisions of both the Township’s Anti-Harassment Policy and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. We call for Mayor Bonaccorso’s immediate suspension as is authorized by the Township’s Employee Policy and Procedures. The taxpayers of the Township of Clark should not condone Mayor Bonaccorso’s statements. Such a suspension is justified. We believe that Mayor Bonaccorso, by his statements, has conclusively demonstrated that his continued presence as Mayor is counter productive to the effective direction of public services.
New Jersey statutes already provide that the Business Administrator may be designated to serve whenever the Mayor is prevented from attending to the duties of his office. We are confident that our established relationship with the Township’s Business Administrator, Jim Ulrich, will continue to be principled, honorable and in the best interests of the Township, our PBA members and the residents of the Township of Clark.
Our PBA remains committed to honorably serve the residents of Clark. We look forward to the day when we can begin to heal as a community and unite behind true leadership.
Submitted by New Jersey State PBA
