Your Tax Dollars at Work: Township Workers Take Day Off to Campaign

On June 3rd, public works employees and township administrators were as much a sight at the polls as the residents trickling out to vote in the primary.

All the employees were on "marching orders" to pass out leaflets for the regular Democratic organization line, confidential sources tell the DISPATCH.

The victorious line was headed by Sen. Sharpe James and included the incumbent Union County freeholder candidates as well as several former and current Hillside politicians running for committee seats.

Spotted working at the polls were Urban Enterprise Zone Coordinator Sal Antonelli and Township CFO/Treasurer Gene Leporier.

Leporier gave an unsolicited remark to a DISPATCH spy: "For the record, I took a half day off."

Leporier also worked for the Democratic committee's failed school board slate in April as a poll watcher. [Records from the Board of Elections later revealed that Leporier had no credentials to be a watcher, which is illegal.]

Leporier earns an annual salary of about $78,000. Antonelli earns nearly $77,000 per year.


DPW - DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL WORKS

Why were all those public works trucks rolling past election polls?

And why were the township-employed drivers shouting out "Vote Sharpe James!" from those public vehicles?

Not only did Hillside residents who are DPW employees have to display a Column A sign on their lawns, but some also had to illegally tack them onto light pols and trees along North Broad, Hillside, Liberty, and Maple Avenues, observers noted.

It is unknown whether township equipment was used for politicking, but if it was it would be in violation of the law.

One resident, in disgust, told the DISPATCH that "if these employees did as much work for the town as they do on campaigning things would really be great!"