Millville Insider

Santiago wants to dissolve the Industrial Commission. Why?   Santiago is a member, but has never attended an Industrial Commission meeting.   How can you dissolve something if you have no idea what they do? Santiago and Parent said the city should carry out economic development through the nonprofits in town. The Industrial Commission in no way prevents that approach, but rather supplements it and at no cost to the City. The Industrial Commission meetings are open to the public while the nonprofit meetings are behind closed doors. Is this the motivation - to once again keep the citizens of Millville in the dark? Luckily the Industrial Commission was saved for the time being when Udalovas moved to table the ordinance. Pepitone agreed. The third vote came from Parent who at first sided with Santiago to dissolve the Industrial Commission. Udalovas said a study was needed to learn what the Industrial Commission does, who the members should be, and what are the other option...

Commissioner Parent introduced the 2018 budget stating there would be no tax increase.   Great news!   However, one commissioner does not agree. Commissioner Pepitone wants to increase your taxes. In past years each commissioner met with the chief financial officer and the commissioner of revenue and finance to discuss the budget prior to its presentation. Apparently this commission does not have time for those helpful discussions due to their full-time jobs. Pepitone insisted taxes would have to be raised due to the lawsuits Team Santiago just settled.   Those cases should not have been settled. Some of the employees involved are the subject of an ongoing federal investigation. Two of the cases had been upheld by the courts in favor of the city so there was no need or reason to “settle”. The City had already won. If Santiago’s Team needs money why not   ask the Levoy to pay the $200,000 it owes the City.   Santiago’s Team could also as...

The Santiago Team has renegotiated the police chief’s contract which was just signed in 2017. It was good until 2020. There are several other employee contracts that are expired and need to be renegotiated but instead Santiago’s team chose to redo a contract that had 3 years to go. Why? The police chief had already signed off on a generous contract and yet Santiago’s team chose to give the Chief more – more holidays in addition to more back pay. Only Commissioner Udalavos voted no to the renegotiated contract. She deserves thanks for looking out for the taxpayers. The Santiago team did not stop there. In a separate ordinance, they extended the police chief’s salary range, which will result in larger annual increases, in addition to the   added holidays and more back pay.  Santiago’s Team also passed an ordinance eliminating one Captain’s position from the police department. Just one year ago, in February 2017 the Chief and Santiago convinced the Commission ...

Team Santiago paid back another contributor at the March 6 th commission meeting. The Field of Dreams contributed $1000.00 to the campaign of Michael Santiago, James Parent, Ashleigh Udalovas, Joseph Pepitone, and Bruce Cooper. What did the $1000.00 contribution get the Field of Dreams? A reduction of over $10,000.00 in their past due sewer bill. Here is the background information. The Field of Dreams is a motocross track by the Millville Airport. The Field of Dreams purchased land from the Motorsports Park in the Sport and Entertainment District of the Airport. Why this is important will be brought up later. The Field of Dreams has been operating for over three years without a certificate of occupancy. Why? Because the Field of Dreams has never met the requirements for its operation ordered by the Millville Planning Board and the Judge in the lawsuit with Citizens United. The last commission concluded that the Field of Dreams would not be able to open for busin...