One on One with Mayoral Candidate Michael Vernotico

As a part of a three part series introducing the candidates for Mayor of Summit to Patch readers, Patch sat down with Michael Vernotico, a lifelong resident of Summit, Councilman, and the Independent candidate for Mayor who states that if he is elected, “it won’t be about politics.”

Vernotico noted that he would have supported Jordan Glatt if he had decided to run for reelection and was disappointed to learn that Councilman Steve Murphy would not be running for reelection. Vernotico spoke briefly about what he feels have been violations of the Sunshine Law within the Council noting that he felt penalized or censored for his attempts to make the public aware of these conflicts.

“I felt that Mayor Glatt, Councilman Murphy and I shared a common bond despite having different political persuasions. Everything we did we did because we believed it was in the best interest of Summit. I thought that if I wasn’t there for my Council seat and they weren’t there either, who knows what [the Council] would have done. I decided to run for Mayor as an Independent.  I think that people are getting tired of politics… partisan politics is accomplishing nothing.”

As he began to discuss his platform, Vernotico described how if elected, he would form what he calls “The Mayor’s Kitchen Cabinet;” a group of people who would attend council meetings and offer specific advice and a opinions on selected issues.

“I want to restore a sense of transparency and honesty to city government by reaching out to leaders who I believe have the best interest of Summit at heart. This would be a forum for advice and would allow a large number of people to weigh in on issues of critical importance to the community.”

Vernotico continued to elaborate on the importance of community involvement in city decisions.

“Sometimes, even with the best intentions, Council does the wrong thing because they are unaware of how the public feels.  I desperately try to seek out the public opinion… Council should be a reflection of the will of the community, not themselves.”

The Councilman went on to express his contempt for what he believes to be “irresponsible cuts to safety,” including Police and Fire Departments. In August, The Policeman’s Benevolent Association made the decision to Vernotico’s candidacy for Mayor; this is the first time the PBA has endorsed a candidate.

“I think that the number one job of the Mayor is to keep this community safe. Because of the cuts that this Council has made to Police and Fire, we have shifts where only one or two officers are out on patrol. That is extremely dangerous. I don’t care what the call is, every officer needs back up. Last year, we had a number of fire department shifts where there weren’t enough people in the building to respond to a fire. This is completely irresponsible.”

Vernotico expressed his support of shared services programs as a way to mitigate rising property taxes and offered a number of ways to continue to use shared services to cut cost and raise efficiency. He made note of a joint emergency dispatch center that will most likely be located in New Providence, serving three to four towns. Vernotico estimated that this effort alone would mean savings would amount to 150,000 dollars a year.

The Councilman, who is a former mayor of Millburn, went on to describe his plan to utilize the working relationship that has developed between the Millburn and Summit fire departments to orchestrate a potential merger.

“The potential to expand shared services all the way up to a complete merger could save each town about 800,000 dollars. I think that whether we achieve a complete merger or not, this is something that is definitely worth pursuing and I am the guy to make that happen.”

In his discussion of downtown Summit, Vernotico referenced his experience as real-estate developer, noting that he sees numerous opportunities to increase revenue through the redevelopment of parts of Summit. He also explained that the city’s transfer station (disposable facility) could be instated as part of shared service if the town were to develop additional exit points. He explained that doing so would make money for Summit and save money for neighboring towns at the same time.

As he continued to emphasize the importance of shared service, Vernotico noted he “respects the county for what it is” but that he feels that suburban communities working together usually “works better than when the county handles it.” In closing, Vernotico explained exactly why he wants to run for Mayor.

“I want to serve this community. I work harder than anybody else; I am all about outreach, openness, and participation. Both my opponents are all about politics and I think that people have had it with politics. People need straightforward, honest leadership,” he stated.