Persistent Lack of Transparency Plagues Fife Administration

The Harrison Redevelopment Agency's practices under Mayor James Fife, its longstanding chairman, continue to exhibit a troubling lack of transparency. On Monday, January 13, 2025, yet another instance emerged when the agency failed to post its meeting agenda in a timely manner on the Town of Harrison's official website. Typically, agendas appear only on the day of the meeting or the day before if luck prevails. Moreover, cancellations are frequently announced at the last minute, leading to public confusion about whether meetings will proceed as scheduled.

This past Monday's meeting only added to the pattern. The agenda was unavailable online until an inquiry was made via email, questioning if the meeting had been canceled due to the absence of posted information. Even then, the proposed resolutions and monthly bill list of payments were only uploaded after the meeting concluded. This practice makes it impractical for residents to determine whether to attend a 1 p.m. meeting at the start of their workweek.

Past Incidents of Lying

Past incidents further compromise Mayor Fife’s credibility. Over two years ago, in a recorded Harrison Redevelopment Agency Zoom meeting, Mayor Fife mentioned plans for an EPA-backed Toxic Sludge Plant at the PSE&G site—a project he later denied, along with Councilman and Harrison Public School Director of Personnel James Doran, while they accused the then Councilman Anselmo Millan and John M. Pinho an attorney of falsehoods for revealing the truth.

Fife Supports EPA Toxic Sludge Not Resident Health

When the EPA officially announced the plan, which Mayor Fife had known about for years, he openly supported it at a public meeting. This plan involves bringing on land in Harrison dioxin-laden cancer-causing sludge to be encapsulated in cement in the open air, to be then transported through the Town of Harrison and neighboring towns to be dumped in landfills certified to receive toxic sludge—a proposal fraught with public health risks and disturbing the progress made in Harrison’s Redevelopment Zone by hosting such a project in a residential zone and scrapping a Green Space, Community Center and a PATH Turn Around and Drop Off Zone.

Why Is Mayor Fife Supporting Bringing Toxic Waste On Land In Harrison?

Why then, does Mayor Fife back the transformation of a proposed green space, community center, and transit hub into a staging ground for construction materials for up to 20 years? This decision not only jeopardizes public health but also undermines the Harrison Redevelopment Agency's mission to convert former contaminated industrial sites into a vibrant residential community. These areas, previously non-productive, are now part of a PILOT program generating significant revenue—$14 million per year and growing yearly.

This Residential Community Is Threatened By EPA's Toxic Sludge Plant & Construction Staging

The recurring opacity of the Fife Administration aligns poorly with the interests of Harrison's residents, raising concerns over whose benefits are being prioritized. Transparency, it seems, remains an obstacle for an administration more committed to controversial cooperation than to the well-being of its community.

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