Resident Questions Role

Played By Backyard Party

(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Dec. 15, 2010)

PERTH AMBOY — Whether a backyard barbecue was a Cinco de Mayo celebration

or a 2010 political campaign event may determine the future of the Perth

Amboy Animal Shelter, Fayette Street.

Resident Alan Silber told the City Council last week he has evidence that

the party was identified as a “campaign rally” on the website of Moving

Forward Together, a campaign ticket in the May election consisting of Council

candidates Maria Garcia, Kenneth Gonzalez and William Petrick.

A potential problem may arise because of the city’s strict “pay-to-play”

regulations which are applicable to Gonzalez and Petrick, who are now Council

members.

The two Councilmen may have to decide whether they can vote on a contract

with the Perth Amboy Happy Home Shelter, whose Acting Director is local

businesswoman Wilma Matey, owner of the Water Street home where the party was

held.

Matey has been seeking to take-over operation of the city’s Shelter from

retired police officer Richard Cielesz and his wife, Michal, both certified

Animal Control Officers (ACOs), for almost a year, but the Council has taken

no action.

“There were people drinking, signs with candidates’ names, and people

walking-around with clipboards and pens,” Silber said. “It was more than just a

pig-roast for sharing with friends.”

As for Matey’s reported contention that the event cost only $150, Silber

said that if others brought food to the event, those donations should be

counted as “in-kind contributions” to the Moving Forward Together campaign.

“You can’t just bring things,” he said.

Matey, who spoke before Silber, read a prepared statement responding to

charges about the event which have been raised by others.

In her statement, Matey contended that “there are a few chosen city

officials who seem to feel that things should stay the way they are.

“These officials have stopped at nothing to prevent me from taking-over,

even-though it would benefit our city and the animals in many ways,” she said.

“I’ve complied with their entire request; now, they’re even pressuring

several Council members by telling them they can’t vote due to it being a

‘conflict-of-interest.’ ”

Matey also charged that Council President Kenneth Balut, a retired Perth

Amboy police officer and a friend of Cielesz, and Councilman Fernando

Gonzalez, who ran with Balut in 2008, should abstain from voting on “the licensing

for police-towing, taxicabs and bars that come in front of them” because

those interest-groups “gave contributions — and pig roasts — for their

campaigns.”

She went-on to say that “it’s sad that the same mentality of vengence and

protection-of-friends has poisoned the Council Chamber again, and that

instead of getting what’s good for all the citizens of Perth Amboy, we’re back

to what’s good for a few.”