Parsippany's new mayor plans for '10

As the fog of election night cleared yesterday, Parsippany's newly elected mayor, Jamie Barberio, started patching together a transition team and sharpening his focus for the next four years.

He said a team could be in place by the end of next week. Until then, he declined to reveal any details about his plans for next year.

Tuesday night, Barberio rode a wave of Republican support to unseat Democrat Mayor Michael Luther and help the GOP win full control of the government in this Morris County township.

The road to the $106,000 full-time mayoral post got tense, however.

Despite securing a 608-vote lead from polling places in the township's 39 districts, Barberio hesitated to announce his victory until he was certain absentee ballots wouldn't pose any last-minute surprises.

Barberio received 754 of those ballots, while Luther got 303, according to township clerk Judy Silver. Absentee ballots boosted Barberio's total to 7,958 votes, which Luther trailed with 6,899.

Parsippany's financial concerns will await Barberio when he takes office in January.

Commercial revenues have been dropping recently, and the township is feeling public pressure to cut spending next year.

Adding to the worries is a labor stalemate with Parsippany's blue-collar municipal workers, who have been fighting for a new contract for nearly three years. Township administrator Jasmine Lim said the issue had been in mediation, but now the township is seeking a fresh start with the 145-member unit.

Uniformed police officers and supervisors are also due for a new contract next year, with their three-year contract expiring at the end of December.

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