Northvale mayor on trial for official misconduct, other charges

PATERSON - As the trial of Northvale Mayor Paul Bazela and Anthony Ardis enters its second week in state Superior Court, attorneys for Bazela and his co-defendant found themselves dueling with one another as much as the prosecution.

VIOREL FLORESCU/THE RECORD

Northvale Mayor Paul Bazela at state Superior Court in Paterson on Feb. 19. The mayor is charged with official misconduct for allegedly using company workers and resources to perform odd jobs for Anthony Ardis's family and friends.

VIOREL FLORESCU/THE RECORD

Paterson resident Anthony Ardis, a former supervisor with the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, in state Superior Court on Feb. 19.

The two allegedly used carpenters and electricians of the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission for personal projects at Ardis' mother's and girlfriend's homes while both were employed by the commission between January 2007 and December 2009. At the time, Bazela served as foreman of the carpentry shop, while Ardis was second in command of the agency as well as its ethics violations officer.

Bazela faces two counts each of second-degree conspiracy, second-degree official misconduct, second-degree pattern of official misconduct, and third-degree theft by unlawful taking or disposition. If convicted, he will have to resign as mayor of Northvale.

Bazela's defense strategy focused on establishing him as following Ardis' orders.

In his opening statement, Bazela's attorney, Peter Willis, alleged that Ardis "ordered, told, commanded" Bazela to perform the work because he was "too cheap."

Gregory Aprile, representing Ardis, has meanwhile focused his defense strategy on two fronts: alleging that Bazela, not Ardis, was the direct individual who gave the orders to the carpenters and electrician who allegedly did the work; and undermining the credibility of the witnesses by pointing out vagueness or contradictions in their previous testimony to the attorney general, the Grand Jury, and in interviews with Wayne Forest, executive director of the sewerage commission.

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Northvale mayor on trial for official misconduct, other charges