PARK RIDGE—An attorney for the Bergen County Clerk’s Office has determined that a recall petition signed by more than 2,100 residents to remove school trustee Robert Fisher is invalid because the signature sheets were not notarized, as required by state law.
Organizers of the recall petition — led by residents Laura Clark, Mary McNamara, and Rebecca Anastos — said they would challenge the ruling, with some alleging they were misled by directions from the clerk’s office about what was required when collecting signatures. The committee launched the effort in May, charging that Fisher misses frequent committee meetings, lives mostly out of state, rarely attends community events, and fails to represent his constituents.
Fisher’s allies, including state Sen. Holly Schepisi and Assemblyman John Azzariti, had publicly backed him throughout the recall fight, calling the effort politically motivated and rooted in age discrimination. Fisher’s attorney, Michael Collins, also filed a challenge arguing the petitions did not follow the state’s Uniform Recall Election Law, which requires an “affidavit” witnessed by a notary on each petition page.
Petitioners cite Clerk’s email
Adding weight to the organizers’ complaint, Pascack Press obtained a June 24 email from Elections Division Supervisor Sabrina Taranto to organizer Laura Clark. In it, Clark specifically asked if notarization of the circulators’ signature pages was required. Taranto replied: “There is no requirement for notarization when it comes to the circulators’ statements and signatures.”
The email, forwarded to Pascack Press by a supporter, directly contradicts the county counsel’s Aug. 26 determination that lack of notarization rendered the recall petition invalid. Petition leaders say they relied on this written guidance while gathering signatures.
County counsel: no fix possible
Sabrina Taranto, in a later statement, told Pascack Press on Aug. 26, “Per statute, 19:27A-12, the decision of the recall election official may be contested, within 10 business days, by filing an action in the Superior Court, which shall hear the matter on an expedited basis and issue an order or determination as soon as possible after filing of the action.”
The determination by county counsel Paul Kaufman, released Aug. 26, came as a shock to petition organizers and supporters, who had collected 2,141 signatures. A minimum of 1,864 were required.
Kaufman’s two-page letter, addressed to Clark and Collins, outlines where the petitions fell short under the Uniform Recall Election Law.
He concluded, “As the sheets comprising the Recall Petition were not notarized, the Recall Petition failed to comply with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 19:27A-3 et seq. and the Clerk has no alternative but to reject the Petition.”
Said Clark, responding to the county counsel’s letter, “We have already notified all parties involved that we are contesting the decision, the main reason being that we were advised by the clerk’s office on June 24 via email that a notary was not required. All pages included an affidavit that was signed appropriately by the circulator responsible for their specific pages as advised by the clerk.”
Fisher declares victory
Fisher issued a press release soon after the decision.
“Today, the Bergen County Clerk agreed with Robert Fisher’s objection and rejected a recall petition seeking his removal from the Park Ridge Board of Education. The County Clerk agreed with Fisher that the recall petition is fatally flawed and invalid because none of the petitions were signed under notarization as required by state law,” it read.
“I am delighted that the Clerk’s Office followed the law and rejected this ridiculous attempt to subvert the will of Park Ridge’s voters,” Fisher said. “Now I can get back to doing the will of the people with this distraction out of the way. The biggest priorities for the second phase of my first term will be passing my policies on opioid overdose and suicide prevention, so our town doesn’t see another life cut short by these plagues. I’ll also be working to champion the taxpayer, so you (Park Ridge residents) have your money spent effectively.”
Sources told Pascack Press Fisher was absent from the prior two school board meetings.
His press release continued, “This decision vindicated New Jersey’s requirement that recall petitions be submitted under oath, which is the only way to ensure election integrity,” explained Fisher’s attorney, Michael L. Collins, who, like Fisher, was also elected at age 18 to his local board of education.
He added, “I’d like to acknowledge two great advocates of mine in Senator Holly Schepisi and Assemblyman John Azzariti. They saw that this effort reeked of lies and age discrimination from the start, standing by me through every step of this process. I’d also like to extend my warmest thanks to the people of Park Ridge, who elected me two years ago and continue to place their faith in me to serve our community. God has blessed me immensely, and continues to provide for our wonderful borough.”