Silverio Vega

Silverio "Sal" A. Vega (4 September 1956 in Cardenas, Matanzas, Cuba) is an Cuban American Democratic Party politician, who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2006-2008, where he represented the 33rd legislative district and served on the Law and Public Safety Committee. [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/Vega.asp Assemblyman Vega's Legislative Website] , New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 12, 2008.] He also serves as Mayor of West New York.

Before being named to the Assembly, Vega represented [http://www.hudsoncountynj.org/downloads/freeholders/HC%20Freeholder%20District%207.pdf District 7] on the Hudson County, New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders. District 7 includes the Town of Guttenberg, the Township of Weehawken and the Town of West New York. Vega served his eighth year as Chairman of the Board of Freeholders, the longest serving chairman in county history. Vega resigned from his position as Freeholder as of 5:00 p.m. on November 21, 2006, and West New York Commissioner Gerald Lange, Jr. replaced Vega as Freeholder.

After Albio Sires was elected to fill the seat in New Jersey's 13th congressional district that had been vacated by Bob Menendez, Sires stepped down from his positions as Mayor of West New York and in the General Assembly, where he represented the 33rd legislative district. Vega was chosen to replace Sires as mayor of West New York. The Democratic district committee voted on November 21, 2006 to choose Vega to replace Sires in the Assembly, with Vega taking office on December 11, 2006. [ [http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1164697053196930.xml&coll=3 "Vega is eager for challenge in WNY, Trenton"] , "Jersey Journal", November 28, 2006]

Sires was the Mayor of West New York from 1995 to 2006. Sires was succeeded by Vega, who will retain the mayoral seat while he simultaneously serves in the Assembly, joining three other Hudson County mayors — Brian Stack of Union City in the Assembly and both Nicholas Sacco of North Bergen and Joseph Doria of Bayonne in the New Jersey Senate — who serve as both mayors and in the New Jersey Legislature.

Career

Vega has been a resident of the Town of West New York since 1967, when he emigrated from Cuba with his family. He received a Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Tennessee in Physical Education. Vega has served a school administrator for the West New York School District. Since 1987, he has been Athletic Director for his alma mater, Memorial High School. [ [http://www.hudsoncountynj.org/gov/bio-vega.asp Hudson County Freeholder - District 7: Silverio A. Vega] , Hudson County, New Jersey. Accessed January 12, 2008.]

Vega had served as a Legislative Aide to New Jersey State Senator Bernard Kenny. Previously, Vega had been appointed to the Board of Adjustments and the Rent Control Board by the Town of West New York, and to the Board of Trustees of the Hudson County Schools of Technology (formerly Hudson County Vocational-Technical). Vega was a Commissioner for the Town of West New York, serving as Public Safety Director from 1995 until 2006. Previously, Vega was the director of the Department of Revenue & Finance, from 1991 to 1995.

Freeholder

Chairman Vega represented the freeholder interests for the Hudson County Schools of Technology as a Member of the Hudson County Board of School Estimate, and for the Community College as a Member of the Hudson County Community College Board of School Estimate. He also serves as Chairman of the following committees: Finance, Budget and Administration; Insurance Commission; Public Safety and Department of Corrections; and as Alternate on the New Jersey Association of Counties (NJAC). He serves as a Member on the Economic Development and Housing Committee.

District 33

Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The other representatives from the 33rd Legislative District for the 2006-2008 legislative session were:
*Senator Bernard Kenny
*Assemblyman Brian P. Stack

References

External links

* [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/Vega.asp Assemblyman Vega's Legislative Website] , New Jersey Legislature
* [http://www.hudsoncountynj.org/freeholders/hudsoncountyfreeholders/Vega.htm Hudson County Freeholder biography]
* [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/VegaS2006.pdf New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure form for 2006 (PDF)]
* [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/VegaS2005.pdf New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure form for 2005 (PDF)]