Published: Wednesday, June 22, 2011, 3:01 AM
By Ken Thorbourne/The Jersey Journal

What does a big-city deputy mayor keep in storage?
Well, you may be able to find out on July 8 when ?miscellaneous items? belonging to Jersey City Deputy Mayor Kabili Tayari are to be put up for auction, according to a public notice that ran in yesterday?s Jersey Journal.

The office manager at A-1 Self Storage in Jersey City said yesterday that items are typically put up for auction only after the renter of the storage unit has failed to pay the storage fee for several months.

Reached yesterday, Tayari said it?s all a big mistake, and that he?s all paid up. In fact, he said, last Thursday he paid his monthly storage fee for July.

The storage company couldn?t be reached yesterday afternoon to verify that claim. According to the company?s website, the minimum monthly storage fee is $66.

Tayari apparently listed his address with the storage company as 280 Grove St., the address for City Hall. He was reluctant to say what he has been keeping in storage.
?That is my goddamn personal business,? he said.

Tayari, who earns roughly $105,000 a year as deputy mayor, made news in April when he was prevented from running for re-election as president of the Jersey City NAACP chapter because of financial issues involving membership fees, according to the state president of the organization.

In 2008, he was charged with theft after allegedly not paying a rental car bill. The charge was later downgraded to a disorderly persons offense, and in 2009 it was dismissed at the request of the Essex County Prosecutor?s Office.