Teaneck Mayor Mike Pagan Issues Statement on Recent Leadership Election

Teaneck, N.J. – Teaneck Mayor Michael Santiago Pagan today issued the following statement on the leadership election that took place at the Council reorganization meeting on January 3:

“For far too long, marginalized communities and women in politics have been told to wait their turn, to stay in the back and be a good loyal soldier and their time will come. On Tuesday January 3rd, I couldn’t just stand by when my name was put into nomination for Mayor. While people have taken to Facebook and even changed Wikipedia and google search results to slander my character and paint what happened as a stab in the back versus what it was, politics. 

In preparation for the meeting I drafted three statements, one for no leadership position, one for a deputy appointment and another for Mayor, and for those closest to me, this isn’t abnormal as I tend to overplan and be prepared for whatever comes my way.  I had to do this because leading up to the reorganization meeting my fellow three incumbents were meeting regularly with each other and then with the three newly elected officials. Out of countless meetings deciding the political fate of the township, I was invited to one — I wasn’t even given the dignity of a real seat at the table or a voice in the conversation.  

While it was true that I was offered a promise that in 1 year’s time a sitting Mayor would resign from Mayor so I could have 1 full year as Mayor, this kind of promise is something I’ve heard far too many times in politics. It’s always, not your time, you’re not ready, or things have changed, and over the years I have learned that the offer you can rely on is the offer in front of you in the moment. That is again why, when my name was put into nomination, I had to vote for myself, not just to be Mayor but to stand up and rise for Teaneck. Our township has a growing Latino population which deserves a seat in leadership in the same way our African American and Orthodox communities do.”

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