Hudson County, N.J. sends parks no-show case to inspector general

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — The case of a former Hudson County Parks Department seasonal worker charged with holding a “no-show” job has been turned over to the county’s inspector general, an official told the Board of County Commissioners on Thursday, Oct. 22, a day after federal prosecutors announced the charges.

“Her and myself already today started working on that with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and everybody that’s involved,” the official said, answering questions from Commissioner Bill O’Dea at the start of the board’s regular meeting (about 0:04:05 in the county’s recording). The official referred to the inspector general as “Ms. Grace.” The board unanimously approved Desiree Grace as the county’s inspector general in August, Hudson County View reported.

O’Dea’s questions

O’Dea said he saw the story about the arrest the night before and that it “just raises some general concerns to me.” He asked for the exact periods the worker was on the county’s books, where he was assigned, who supervised him, and whether park supervisors must sign the timesheets of the people who work for them.

County Counsel Alberico De Pierro said, “I can definitely get the board that information as to the internal protocols of the department.” The official who answered next said the matter “was immediately turned over to our inspector general.”

O’Dea said his worry was that residents would “wonder whether or not it’s some kind of a pattern,” even when one person is charged. “Quite frankly, we need to improve the process,” he said, pointing to clock-in systems that use a thumbprint. “You can’t cheat that one.”

As Hudson TV reported Wednesday, Alfonso A. Zamarra, 58, of Rutherford, N.J., is charged by criminal complaint with 28 counts of wire fraud. The complaint says the county paid him about $45,327 in wages over three seasonal stints from 2019 to 2023 for work he did not do, and that he collected about $57,021 in unemployment benefits for the same job. A criminal complaint is an accusation, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Raises for fire marshal and elections clerk introduced

The board introduced the ordinance that would raise the county fire marshal’s salary from $84,618 to $111,272 and the Board of Elections clerk’s from $117,964 to $141,118, retroactive to July 1, as Hudson TV first reported Thursday afternoon. The ordinance needs a public hearing and a second vote at a later meeting.

O’Dea voted no. He said his vote “in no way, shape or form is a reflection of the individuals involved,” but that he has “got to justify my votes to my constituents.” He said raises like these “should happen during the budget process, not after the budget process is already over,” as the board did for years when it voted on cost-of-living increases for non-union employees after adopting each budget (about 0:20:50).

Commissioner Albert Cifelli said commissioners received a memo from the administrator’s office that day “which provided more details with respect to the fire marshal’s duties and his services. So that’s why I voted aye on that.”

Before the meeting, County Executive Craig Guy’s office told Hudson TV the salaries are in line with other New Jersey counties.

Groundskeeping contract questioned

O’Dea also objected to a one-year groundskeeping contract of up to $240,000 for Clarke Moynihan Landscaping & Construction, LLC of Andover, N.J., the only company that responded. He said the work runs from April 1 to Oct. 31, “so I don’t see any need to rush it through,” and asked why existing parks staff, with training if needed, couldn’t do the work in-house. “When you do something in-house, you control it,” he said. He said he wanted the item carried (about 0:08:45). Hudson TV will update this story with the item’s final status from the board’s official record.

Also at the meeting

• The board introduced an ordinance setting rules for overnight public parking at county-owned facilities. County officials said towing under the county’s 2013 towing ordinance runs through the Sheriff’s Office, which keeps a tow log. One commissioner suggested letting drivers look up online, by license plate, where their car was towed.
• During public comment, a speaker asked how often voting machines break down. An elections official said that on Election Day and during early voting, “if we get a call about any problem with any machine, it is handled within the hour by either a roving investigator or one of our machine technicians.” Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election begins Saturday, Oct. 24.

Hudson TV asks: Should Hudson County require thumbprint or other biometric clock-ins for county workers? Reply A: Yes. Reply B: No.
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