Since The news came Republican gubernatorial candidate Phil Rizzo lives tax-free in a mansion valued at $ 1.84 million. Once listed for $ 2.65 million, people talked and wrote about it.
Most recently, Fred Snowflack was with InsiderNJ wrote a piece about Rizzo, and the question of the villa came up. Snowflack wrote in part:
Ciattarelli took notice of Rizzo last week via a campaign email essentially labeling him a tax evader.
The house in question is in the New Vernon division of upscale Harding Township in Morris County.
“The church didn’t buy me a house,” said Rizzo, who is married and has four children. “As with any job, there is compensation.”
He said he originally bought and improved the house. Then the church, the City Baptist Church of North Bergen and Hoboken, took them over. He said it was common practice for a church to own the pastor’s house.
He said that is because pastoring a church is a 24-hour calling and that parishioners often need help at all times.
“Jack and Hirsh who beat me are just political mud fights,” he said.
A church that provides a pastor, priest, or clergyman is indeed a common practice; it is called a parsonage.
Since it is customary to provide a member of the clergy, I leave it up to the reader to decide whether the City Baptist Church’s purchase of Rizzo’s house is a tax evasion.
Now I will say that a rectory is almost always near the church. Since Rizzo’s church is a Baptist church, I looked for parish standards for Baptist churches. I couldn’t find any.
Fortunately, the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church “Rectory family housing standards“which include:
1. Convenient and conducive to happy family life;
2. safe for those who live in the rectory and visit the rectory;
3. saves energy and is economical to operate; and
4. Is in or in the closest neighborhood to the church that is suitable for a safe family life and is far enough from the church to allow the parish family’s privacy.
Harding, in Morris County, is not even close to the Rizzo neighborhood, and I very much doubt that it is “the closest neighborhood to Church that is suitable for a safe family life.” Weehawken is nice and right next to Hoboken.
In addition, the Parsonage for clergy, published by the United Methodist Church General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, clearly states that one historically perceived benefit of a rectory is: “Proximity to work, time for family, and a business lunch at home made possible as a short, efficient way to work and not as a time-consuming way to work … “
Once again, Harding Township in Morris County is not even near Rizzo’s Church. I’m pretty sure Harding Township after Hoboken would be a less efficient way to get to work.
Rizzo told Snowflack that the church hadn’t bought him a home.
Then who bought it?
On the City Baptist Church website, only two people are listed under “our staff”, Rizzo and the Church Treasurer.
This is only a guess, but it would make sense if there were only two people making the church decisions and Rizzo was one of those two people, he would likely have something to do with the church’s decision to buy the house he lives in .
In one Political article Rizzo is quoted as saying:
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, Rizzo said his church couldn’t pay a salary when he decided to move away from his house building and renovation business.
“Instead, the Church decided to buy my home as an asset and allow my family and I to continue living there,” he said. “Additionally, the house provided a peaceful and beautiful space in Harding outside of town where we could bring our church and ward for family dinners, picnics, games, Bible studies, and children’s events. You can blame me for many things – just ask my kids! But I don’t think this is one of them. “
The Politico story goes on to say: “Rizzo’s campaign declined to answer follow-up questions about how the church raised the money to buy his house, why it paid him more for the house than he paid for it, whether he or she The church paid for the renovations and samples of the recent church events he held at home. “
All good questions! What caught my eye, however, was the fact that Rizzo said he had decided to get away from his business and that his church was unable to pay a salary.
I checked out Rizzo’s personal finance statement on the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) website.
Well, I think Rizzo’s church is doing a little better now because he now says he’s making income with the church and with Edgewater Associates:
