New Jersey Gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli today slammed his opponent, Phil Rizzo over his affiliation with a small Jersey City church where he serves as pastor spending $1.6 million to buy his private estate and mansion.
First reported in April in Politico, Rizzo lives tax free in a $1.6 million luxury home that has been converted into a parsonage and is now living there tax free. Rizzo is a Republican candidate running for Governor in the June 8th GOP primary election against Hirsh Singh and Jack Ciattarelli.
Phil Rizzo — who leads the tiny City Baptist Church in Hudson County — and his wife, Jennifer, paid $1.55 million in 2015 for a five-bedroom, seven-bath home on six secluded acres in New Vernon, Morris County, about 45 minutes away from the church. Two years later, the Rizzos sold the house for $1.65 million to City Baptist Church. Rizzo has said his family still lives in the house — property-tax free. Public records list it as a property tax-exempt parsonage, saving more than $15,000 in taxes per year in the state that has among the highest property taxes in the country.
Politico Pastor running for New Jersey governor lives in luxury $1.6M home — tax free
In the oversized mailer sent out by Ciattarelli, the candidate who once said “President Trump is a charlatan unfit to be President of the United States”, slammed Rizzo saying the church where is the pastor paid the $1.6 million “So he could avoid paying property taxes”.
“Now, Rizzo lives for free with his family in this mansion with 5 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, 3 fireplaces and a heated pool,” Ciattarelli said.
Rizzo and the church tried to cash in on the home in September, listing it on the market for $2.65 million, but it never sold.
Since selling the house to the church, the home has undergone luxury improvements, according to the Zillow listing. In September 2020, it was put up for sale, but the listing was withdrawn in November, according to Zillow. The asking price was $2.65 million.
According to the listing, the house features three fireplaces, a six-burner Viking stove, two Sub-Zero freezers, a wet bar, a pond and a heated concrete swimming pool with attached hot tub. There’s also a detached two-car garage with some finished space inside.
Politico Pastor running for New Jersey governor lives in luxury $1.6M home — tax free
Rizzo fired back at criticism that his tiny church in Jersey City made such a lavish buy, saying he decided to walk away from his material life as a developer for the religious life and his church could not afford to pay him a salary. Instead, it dropped $1.65 million on the pastor’s home. A home Rizzo paid $1.55 million for in 2015.
“Instead, the church decided to purchase my home as an asset and allow my family and I to continue living there,” he said. “In addition, the home provided peaceful and beautiful acreage in Harding, out of the city, where we could bring our church and community for family dinners, picnics, games, Bible studies, and kids events. You can fault me for many things — just ask my kids! But I don’t believe this is one of them.“
According to its website, Rizzo is a pastor at City Baptist Church. He founded the church in 2009 after being “called by God” He was ordained as a minister on August 15, 2012.
Take a look inside City Baptist Church Pastor Phil Rizzo’s lavish $1.6 million estate.
