Tempers Flare at Packed Council Chambers in Parsippany
The meeting had to be adjourned due to attendee overflow
PARSIPPANY, NJ—Chaos ensued the other night at the Parsippany Town Council meeting where the council planned to vote on a resolution to memorialize Councilman Justin Musella's censure. Musella, who is a rising star in the Republican Party and never afraid to shy away from a controversial position, was censured earlier this month stemming from an incident in August 2023 where he handed a police officer his official council business card at a traffic stop. Musella was the passenger at the incident in question. Parsippany Mayor Jamie Barberio claims Justin used his authority as a public servant to get out of a speeding ticket.
In a town where Republican infighting has been at large for decades, this heated primary may as well have reached its boiling point as obscenities and shouting filled the council chambers. Barberio and Musella have been fiercely divided for quite some time. The tension grew between the two after Musella in late 2023 packed the Parsippany Police Athletic League (PAL) gymnasium in an attempt to stop proposed PILOT programs that were being voted on by the Council and when he announced his bid to oust Barberio in the summer of 2024.
One resident, Kevin Jarvis, verbally attacked Council President Paul Carifi and was escorted out of the meeting by police. Carifi expressed his disappointment with how residents were behaving, "The people that came out to support Mr. Musella should be ashamed of themselves. Their behavior was unruly. Many were shouting out obscenities among other inappropriate comments. Not the way grown adults should behave."
Barberio also chimed in, condemning Musella’s supporters, "Meanwhile, his supporters in the back were not helping the situation, hurling profanities and even provoking violence, with one individual confronting Council President Paul Carifi. This kind of conduct is unacceptable in Parsippany, and it detracts from the respectful discourse our community deserves. Maybe where Justin comes from this behavior is acceptable but not here in Parsippany. Shame on you, Musella! We must uphold the values of civility and respect in our local governance."
Due to the chambers exceeding maximum capacity, Parsippany Fire Marshal Bob Schmitt forced the council to vote on a motion vote to adjourn the meeting.
Musella told NJO, “Parsippany residents see through Jamie Barberio’s political stunt— a desperate distraction from the real challenges caused by his failed policies. Tuesday’s strong turnout proves the people won’t tolerate this baseless lawfare. It’s time to end the games and focus on what truly matters.”
I have been following New Jersey politics for almost a decade. The last time I saw a local Republican primary this heated was in 2017 when Wayne Council President Lonni Miller Ryan challenged incumbent Mayor Chris Vergano. That primary was especially nasty, the most notable moment from the primary was when Councilman Richard Jastrzebski, who supported Miller Ryan, shouted sexual profanities at Republican State Committeewoman candidate Susan Enderly. Whoever is on the losing end of these battles will always take a massive hit on their political career.
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