Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Taylor Keeps Job, But Leave Raises Concerns

By a unanimous vote late Monday night, the City Council overturned Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs' firing last week of City Administrator Bibi Taylor.

An audience including many who praised Taylor’s performance in the role broke into applause after the roll call vote. Taylor was hired as finance director in July 2009 and only served since January as city administrator, but speakers said she shone on the job from the start. Resident Frank D’Aversa said it only took one meeting to realize her talent and said he told the person next to him, “You got a winner.”

But winning her job back Monday still did not answer the question of who will carry out day-to-day operations in her absence while on maternity leave. Taylor is due to deliver her third child at any moment. No sooner had the applause died down than officials began dickering over the leave issue.

Robinson-Briggs began by pointing out that Taylor’s leave starts Jan. 3 and that she was not going to be let go on Christmas Day, as has been reported. She said she was looking forward to working closer with Taylor. However, she said Monday she has named Corporation Counsel Dan Williamson acting city administrator and is considering former Finance Director Ron West to serve in that role, “short term or long term.”

The mayor had named West as a possible successor to Taylor after last week’s firing and said Monday, “He may still need to be part of the plan.”

Two unanswered questions were how long Taylor might be out on leave and whether she could work from home. Taylor had attended the closed session and was in the audience, but did not take part in the discussion. City Council President Annie McWilliams said Taylor had indicated she was willing to work from home, but Robinson-Briggs said flatly, “If someone is on maternity leave, they are on maternity leave.”

Councilwoman Bridget Rivers had another concern, grilling Williamson on his powers as acting city administrator and asking how a future acting city administrator would be able to handle decisions, including possible layoffs, arising from budget passage that is expected next week.

The discussion ended with the council requesting the mayor to come up with a temporary plan of action. But then the talk turned to two controversial budget items, a reduction of Recreation Division funds that would leave the fulltime superintendent working part-time and the proposed elimination of the Purchasing Division in favor of putting its functions under a new chief finance officer.

In public comment before council action, many residents praised Recreation Superintendent Dave Wynn and asked the council to keep him working fulltime. When the council began discussing the budget amendments up for a vote Monday, the mayor voiced support for Wynn and backed it up by reading out a long list of towns that have fulltime recreation directors.

“If there is a personality clash, I ask you to look past that. We need a fulltime recreation director,” she said.

Robinson-Briggs also spoke against eliminating the Purchasing Division, saying the only thing that kept the city on “the straight and narrow” during the prolonged lack of a chief finance officer was Purchasing and Audit & Control.

The mayor also read from the Municipal Code a portion on duties of the City Council, saying the governing body may appoint all committees except for administrative purposes. She alleged that the Finance Committee, which drafted the budget amendments that affected the two divisions, overstepped its role.

But McWilliams said once the council made cuts, “How you execute them is up to you.”

Rather than attempting to make further budget changes at this point, the council passed the amendments Monday. A public hearing on the amendments will be held on Dec. 27, after which the council hopes to pass the budget.

--Bernice Paglia


11 comments:

  1. Eliminating the purchasing division, 9 Poice officers, 6 fire fighters is a tradgedy for Plainfield.

    I can't belive the Council is so happy about this.

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  2. is it safe to say that Bibi wont be naming her baby "Sharon"?

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  3. Dave Wynn is always sending people to the microphone to speak in favor of him keeping his job. That is a cowardly way of doing things. He has no value added for the city and given the poor job he does to attract people to his programs they are way too expensive. Look at how much the programs cost given the number of kids they serve.

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  4. Robinson-Briggs also spoke against eliminating the Purchasing Division, saying the only thing that kept the city on “the straight and narrow” during the prolonged lack of a chief finance officer was Purchasing and Audit & Control.

    If Purchasing and Audit & Control were so on the straight and narrow, then why would the Purchasing Office issue a Purchase Order and why would the Acting Comptroller sign a check to WBLS?

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  5. So is Dave Wynn going to part-time? If so, see another law suit in the making since it looks like he has been in the target hairs of City Council.

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  6. The Council didnt layoff anyone last night! Maybe you should have been there anonymous!

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  7. I didn;t say anything about a layoff. If Coucil reduces funding for a position, then the Administration has to act to operate within the funding.

    I simply asked if that meant his position would have to be reduced to part time and that would require the Administration to then submit a layoff plan.

    Some of us have to work evenings - even on the Holiday so enjoy yours.

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  8. Is that the same Ron West who is on the Solaris Board and represents Solaris on the Muhlenberg Community Advisory Group? If so, wouldn't appointing him be a conflict of interest?

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  9. Everything spoken on these blogs are about negativity. No wonder crime can't be fixed in this town. The fights with the Mayor and Council seems gang related as well. STOP!!!!!!!!! Save this City, campaign during campaign season.

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  10. To 3:13pm perhaps there seems to be so much negativity because there is something to raise a fuss about just like in the case of Superintendent Gallon. Recreation is chock full of negativity solely because of the dictator I mean superintendent dave wynn. He has brought it on himself and he has lied to his seasonal workers who desperately need their jobs to get them to come out and speak for him. It's almost funny when Council President McWilliams clarifies that the rec. programs are not being affected and the speakers choke or don't know why they are there. The mayor supports him regardless of how many times he has made her look bad. That's probably a tie that should be looked at. And don't worry 11:11am, the mayor won't let him get reduced to part time even if he has to be there in his office by himself. His seasonal workers and gullible volunteer minions will make sure the work gets done.

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  11. That's because DW is her fly on the wall. Tell DW something and it gets right back to the Mayor. He does her bidding for her. That's why he thinks he is untouchable.

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