EMERSON—Mayor for a Day has its privileges, and for Patrick M. Villano Elementary School sixth-grader Hunter Sapio that came in the form of a resolution he introduced and that the Borough Council unanimously approved during his brief reign in office. The resolution granted a homework pass for him and his fellow sixth-grade classmates at Villano School “for a day of their choosing.”
He was all smiles after the unanimous vote and told the council of his half-day of service as the borough mayor.
Villano’s principal’s secretary, Jackie Santalla, told Pascack Press on Nov. 9, the day after the midterm elections, that the passes were just given out, saying that they sparked cheers and applause (from very special interests).
“The work will still be due, but they don’t have do do it then,” Santalla said. “Of course they loved it.”
She said, “What happens is during our PTA Ladies’ Night Out, or in this case our scholarship dinner, raffles are open for principal for the day, police chief for the day, mayor for the day, lunch with the principal, lunch with a favorite teacher…”
In addition to spending a large portion of the day on Monday, Nov. 1, with Mayor Danielle DiPaola, Sapio got to find out what the mayor of Pascack Valley’s “Family Town” really does and visit the different departments that make up local government.
Picked up and chauffeured by DPW Superintendent Perry Solimando, Sapio met DiPaola when he was picked up at his school and whisked away for a tour of the DPW facility. There, he rode on one of the DPW salt trucks. Then he went to the fire department and got close-up with the large fire trucks.
Following that, he had lunch with the mayor and other officials, put in work at Borough Hall, and visited the finance department, borough clerk’s office, and administrative offices, meeting with chief finance officer Lauren Roehrer, clerk Jane Dietsche, and administrator Rob Hermansen.
“He was interested in learning about government procedures and especially enjoyed viewing the minute books including the first minutes’ book of 1903,” DiPaola told Pascack Press.
As one of his first acts as mayor at the Borough Council meeting Nov. 1, Sapio proposed council members adopt a resolution granting a homework pass to the sixth graders at Villano School. The measure passed unanimously, 6-0.
Hunter also toured the police department, visited with chief Michael Mazzeo, and was escorted around the borough at school dismissal time with Lt. Rocco Duardo in a police vehicle. He then visited the detective bureau, where he visited with Lt. Ryan Sokerka.
Sapio was sworn in as mayor for a day at the top of the Borough Council meeting Nov. 1, where he asked his parents to lead the pledge of allegiance.
The proclamation approved Nov. 2 as “Hunter Sapio Mayor For a Day 2022” and said the young man is “very generous and thoughtful and enjoys history, baseball, computer games and running.”
The mayor for a day program is supported by the mayor and council to engage youngsters “in the democratic process of local government providing them with the hands-on experience of enacting policy and conducting business on the behalf of and for the goodwill of the residents of Emerson.”
Sapio was invited back to spend more time with DiPaola to review borough artifacts as he has a special interest in Emerson history, said the mayor.