Influence, Transparency, and Budget Priorities: The CMS Lease Hard Court Press and BHPSNJ Budget

Last year former elected representatives from local political machines and representatives from political organizations came out of the woodwork in creating chaos on the transportation issue.  The year it appears they plan to do the same with the CMS lease agreement.

Following a previous request, we submitted an OPRA request seeking correspondence between the Superintendent and the Mayor regarding the CMS Lease Agreement.

The letter below from the Board of Education (BOE) clarifies key points and raises concerns about the timeline of events presented by the Mayor, which also referenced limiting student access to tennis courts.

Clarifications from the BOE Letter:

• A decision regarding the lease agreement had already been made and communicated to the Township prior to this exchange.
• The BOE attorney did not formally recommend a joint meeting but agreed to discuss the idea further. Conversations between the BOE Attorney and Township Attorney were ongoing.
• A Board member expressed concerns that the non-binding referendum contained biased language and that the BOE was not consulted, despite the vote involving school property.
  • Proper consultation would have ensured transparency, much like how property owners expect to be informed before decisions impacting them are put to a vote.

From the Superintendent’s Letter:

“Upon sharing your letter with the Board, several Board members cited inaccuracies in the chronology of events, stating that the Board had previously made a decision and communicated it last year. The claim is that the current list of events leading to the present state is inaccurate. There is also a sentiment from at least one Board member that the non-binding referendum question contained biased language, and the Board was not afforded the opportunity to review or provide feedback.

In reference to the June 20, 2024 bullet and the statement “It was suggested by the BoE attorney that a joint meeting …” Mr. Disler acknowledged that a joint meeting was discussed with the Township attorney on August 21, 2024, but neither attorney made a recommendation for a meeting. Mr. Disler said the two attorneys agreed to bring the idea back to their clients to decide if such a meeting was worthwhile. After that, conversations were had between the Board and Township officials.”

This follows a statement made by BOE Representative Sai Akiri we published earlier this week:

“Unfortunately, this decision to restrict access to tennis courts rests entirely with the Mayor, Council, and Recreation Department.

I have requested all email communications from the Township regarding the restriction of access to our public tennis courts in town. I am yet to see a formal communication restricting access to our public tennis
courts.

Speaking for myself, I find it unthinkable to use our community’s young people as leverage in a contract negotiation. I share your frustration and, given this debacle, I struggle to trust the Township to uphold its commitment to prioritizing field access for our students. I sincerely hope the Township reconsiders and makes the right decision.

Furthermore, I’m unsure if the Township has passed an ordinance enforcing this restriction, specifically one effective March 13, 2025, limiting access for BHPS students. Wouldn’t a formal ordinance be required to implement such a restriction to public tennis courts? Since this decision is being made solely by the Township of Berkeley Heights regarding restricting access to students to public tennis courts funded by taxpayers.”

Another significant concern is the sudden appearance of Mr. Gagliardi as the Board of Education (BOE) attorney during this critical period. I have formally communicated my concerns to the BOE, particularly regarding his approach in the most recent meeting, his history of involvement with prior Boards, and his track record of political contributions that raise questions about potential conflicts of interest.

Notably, Mr. Gagliardi has made significant political contributions, including over $4,000 in donations to Jon Bramnick (2017, 2021, and 2023), according to NJ ELEC records. Bramnick has well-documented ties to local political figures who are actively pressuring the BOE to sign the problematic lease agreement. Bramnick was featured in advertisements alongside the Chair of the Recreation Department’s Husband during his unsuccessful mayoral campaign.

You will also notice DiFrancesco whose firm is a Township vendor ….

and Kean who was publicly endorsed by the former Mayoral Candidate…..

and Bollwage who donated to the Mayors Husband’s failed BOE Campaign last year.

This Budget Meeting is one of the most critical meetings of the year for the district. Any disruptions (especially from Machine Connected BOE Members or the politically appointed BOE President) could impact the Board’s ability to effectively manage resources for students.

If our information is accurate, we urge the Mayor, Recreation Department and machine-connected BOE Members to reconsider, avoid introducing unnecessary conflicts during this critical meeting and instead focus on productive collaboration. The March 18, 2025, BOE meeting should remain centered on the Budget.

In fact, all meetings should focus on the Budget until it is approved, for the good of our Students.

It should concern residents that the Mayor and Recreation Department are attempting to make this project with no identified funding resources or clarity on purpose  that is currently under negotiation such a priority that they are willing to go to these lengths to see it through.  Even if the lease agreement were approved tomorrow how long before the turf field even gets started on?  Laura used the term “political tantrum” to describe how the township is conducting itself and unfortunately we have a local media outlet that appears intent in protecting the Mayor’s image as she engages in this behavior and a BOE President who has remained completely silent.

With the upcoming budget, this entire scene is absurd and even more absurd is the implication that it’s the BOE’s fault for not simply signing an agreement with big unanswered questions, that is unclear and offers the District nothing in return.

If that’s the kind of Board of Education you want—one that caves to pressure, folds under political maneuvering, and allows children to be used as pawns in a spectacle of misinformation during two of the most crucial meetings of the year—then your opportunity is coming up again. Another election is on the horizon.

Join the Pile-ons on TapInto as they make the Mayor’s Factually Inaccurate Opinion Piece front page news while relegating all other viewpoints to a dead zone or you can simply just remain silent and do nothing hoping someone else says something.

Vote for whomever the Mayor and her operatives and special interests endorse, so they can continue getting exactly what they want with nothing more than a rubber stamp, because quite frankly, if I were a BOE Member in this context it would just not be worth it to fight the same inane tactic under the guise of a different issue every. single. year. with the same cast of characters that can’t even figure out how to fix a leaky roof on a 30 Million Dollar Municipal Building.

If you want leadership that simply gives away school resources or makes terrible decisions out of cowardice or political self-interest, that folds instead of fighting back when kids are deliberately put in the middle of what should be a long and deliberative process – then have at it.  Make sure to give Gale Bradford your full support so she can simply remain quiet and respond to your concerns with irrelevant responses while the her political allies within the Township treats our schools however they want and their operatives cheer them on.

Because that is exactly the tactic at play – create manufactured chaos and crisis every year until the folks who are trying to do the right thing become exhausted and give up.

02/28/2025 OPRA Request to the Township Citing Concerns About Disruption to 03/18/2025 BOE Meeting

01/27/2025 Letter from Dr. Feltre to Mayor Devanney

Email Response from Sai Akiri on CMS Lease Agreement