HILLSDALE—Departing Republican council members Anthony DeRosa and Zoltán Horváth offered parting words to residents at the Dec. 12 Borough Council meeting.
At the same meeting, Mayor John Ruocco, who was elected on Nov. 7 back to a seat on council after six-plus years as mayor, praised them for their service.
DeRosa was defeated by Democratic challenger for mayor Michael Sheinfield by 1,501 to 1,414, or 50% to 47%. Horváth ran unsuccessfully as a Republican write-in candidate for mayor, garnering about 3% of votes.
Ruocco and newcomer Clemente Osso grabbed 1,636 and 1,527 votes, respectively, fending off Democratic challengers Meredith Kates and Steven Segalas.
Staying on: incumbent councilmembers Abby Lundy, Justin Fox, John Escobar, and Janette Trochimiuk.
Ruocco said, “I would like to thank the residents of Hillsdale for their support over the past 6 1⁄2 years as mayor. It was truly an honor to serve in that capacity. Never did I think that when I moved here at the age of 29 with my expectant wife that I would ever become a councilman, let alone the mayor.”
He said, “Serving has given me much insight into how towns operate and why decisions are made, both good and bad. I have met hundreds of people I suppose I never would have met otherwise and was blessed with the opportunity to learn from them and help them in any way I could.”
Ruocco also praised his departing colleagues. Of DeRosa’s decade of service, he opined, “He served as council president this year. The council will miss his perspectives and input on an array of topics. I thank him for the time and effort he devoted to making the Borough a better place within which to live and particularly for his dedication to improving our athletic facilities, a challenge that occupied a great deal of his attention.”
He added, “The people of Hillsdale owe him a debt of gratitude for his service on the council and for his leadership.”
Of Horváth’s six-plus years on the dais, Ruocco said, “He put in many hours as the photographic chronicler of events involving councilmembers, borough employees, and many residents in town. If there was a photo opportunity where he could employ his skills to make others look good, he was there enjoying every minute of it—and doing it pro bono.”
Ruocco said moreover, of his stalwart council ally, “His passion for improving the train station and a desire for public referendums on big expenditures was always evident, as was his loathing of property tax increases.”
Horváth also served on council committees and as council president.
DeRosa noted that his decade on the council has “been some of the most frustrating, the most challenging, and the most rewarding of my life. I’ve been frustrated by how slowly the wheels of the municipal government can grind and been elated at the things we’ve been able to accomplish.”
He said, “Things like improved public safety—with police in schools and improved ambulance response times, trash collection two times a week, reliable leaf and snow removal, more robust town events, (and) we’re poised to make significant investments in our recreational fields and facilities, and reasonable redevelopment that will bring over $30 million for the borough to reinvest. We’ve resolved the parking issue with Demarest Farms, improved the relationship between the Borough and its volunteer organizations and navigated through the COVID crisis.”
DeRosa said he was proud to be part of what Ruocco took to calling the “Council 5,” or council majority. “A few sitting on this dais today still support that extremely conservative fiscal mentality. The ‘Council 5’—as they’ve referred to us in the papers and from this pulpit—have been vilified by them because we don’t completely support that thinking. Accusing us of being reckless and non-transparent.”
He said, “I just want the residents to know that the majority of this council has the very best intentions. We’re not cavalier on spending and we’re not hiding anything from you. We simply believe that you deserve tangible, substantive results for the hard-earned taxes we all pay. I have worked towards that and I’m proud of the work that we’ve done.”
DeRosa said, “To my colleagues on the dais, the borough employees, all borough volunteers and borough professionals—past and present—who I’ve had the opportunity to work and consult with, I thank you for your time, your knowledge, your dedication and your friendship.”
DeRosa singled out several borough professionals for praise, including clerk Denise Kohan, attorney Mark Madaio, and administrator Mike Ghassali. He also wished incoming mayor Michael Sheinfield and councilman-elect Osso “best of luck” as they enter office. He thanked residents “for your faith and trust in me.”
He added, “Someone once described the role of a councilmember to me as custodial— meaning you are entrusted with the responsibility for the safety and well-being of the residents for a period of time and then you pass that responsibility onto others to continue. That time has come for me. I took on this responsibility in the hope of leaving Hillsdale a little better than I found it. And I believe I’ve done that. I’ve taken my role very seriously and done the work. I believe Hillsdale is now poised for significant future growth: growth that I’d like to believe I’ve helped initiate.”
Horváth made a brief public statement at the council meeting but expanded on his remarks in an email to Pascack Press.
He said, “There are many great and honorable people in the service of Hillsdale who will always try to do what is in the best interest of our cherished town; I am gratified to have served with them.”
Horváth told us he spent more than 33 years as a local volunteer, and over those years has gained “unique and singular insight into what constitutes good governance” and keeps Hillsdale viable and affordable.
“Now, upon temporarily leaving Hillsdale politics, I would like to impart to you some advice that has been my often-repeated mantra: This is your town and, more importantly, your home and foundation; it behooves you to get involved, volunteer, go to meetings, ask questions, make suggestions, and know who represents you, your family, and your treasure,” Horváth said.
[Editor’s note: This Pascack Press headline writer coined the phrase Council 5 in an attempt to meet particularly tight headline space with energy and accuracy. We used it once, in “Council 5 snub critics on docs policy, stipend veto,” July 16, 2023—nothing to do with fiscal policy—and were dismayed that it was seized on for political purposes.]