A judge's ruling that the governing body can reprimand but not fine Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs over handling of a 2010 town meeting set off a lengthy rehashing of the controversy Monday.
The mayor insists the meeting, broadcast over WBLS on Aug. 1, 2010, saved lives by deflecting gang violence. The meeting featured an appearance by the Rev. Al Sharpton and cost $20,000 for the two-hour radio show. Questions on the financing arose immediately afterward and continued through a 2011 City Council investigation launched after the mayor declined to discuss the matter. City records indicate the $20,000 payment came from a budget line for "hardware and software maintenance," but the mayor said a $15,000 donation from Investors Savings Bank for the 2010 July 4th celebration was used to offset the cost.
The investigation in 2011 drew former City Administrator Bibi Taylor, Corporation Counsel Dan Williamson and Purchasing Agent David Spaulding into the controversy. At its conclusion, the governing body assessed a $200 fine, reprimanded the mayor and sent the findings on to the Attorney General, the Department of Community Affairs and the Union County Prosecutors Office. Robinson-Briggs then launched a lawsuit in protest.
Based on the unnamed judge's ruling, the City Council moved Monday to rescind the fine, but to retain the reprimand and forwarding the matter to other authorities. Before and after the vote, Councilman William Reid spoke at length on the matter, including the cost of the investigation and the mayor's lawsuit, the negative publicity arising from the controversy and how an apology early on from the mayor could have avoided the whole issue.
The vote to rescind the January resolution was initially 6-1, with Vera Greaves voting "no," but then she changed her vote to "yes." The council then voted 4-3 to replace it with one deleting the fine. Council members Cory Storch, Annie McWilliams, Rebecca Williams and Council President Adrian Mapp voted "yes" and Reid and Councilwomen Vera Greaves and Bridget Rivers voted "no."
Mapp was adamant that the governing body would prevail against the mayor's lawsuit.
"The council will never roll over," he said, later stating, "At the end of the day, the lawsuit brought against the governing body will be thrown out of court."
Robinson-Briggs said the Union County Prosecutors Office found "nothing criminal or indictable" in her action and repeated her claim that the town meeting led to a gang truce that saved lives.
--Bernice
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Sending it to the Union County Prosecutor's Office is like brushing it under the carpet yourself. Don't you remember how they handled the Police Director's crime?
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I was glad to see the council stand up to the mayor and ignore the long winded Reid. The man in back of me at last night's council meeting remarked that Mr. Reid had his nose deep in a part of the mayor's anatomy I'd rather not think about. Vera Greaves was clueless as usual the the split for good governance was often between the mayor's stooges, Reid, Rivers, and Greaves, and the other four members of the council. I'm glad I was there and I'm glad Adrian Mapp did not let your mayor go on with her diatribe defending herself and her selfish and improper actions. Overall it was in interesting evening.
ReplyDeleteWINNING !!!
ReplyDeleteThe Mayor is totally counting the days until the new City Council .. She is going to school some people big time
Bernice,
ReplyDeleteThe mayor said her lawsuit was an "appeal" of the council's action--never heard of a plaintiff's lawsuit being called an appeal. I guess "paralegal" training isn't what it used to be. What makes Councilor Reid's repetitious rehashing of this entire incident (every time he has a microphone) so tiresome and pointless, in my opinion, is that the mayor refuses to even acknowledge that she violated the law--which is clear. She willfully refuses to apologize to the people of this city for using their funds in an unlawful way. This clearly demonstrates that she puts herself above the public good. In addition, the fact that she was fighting against the city council's PMUA study while owing over $1,500 in sewer charges and still giving money to her pastor's election campaign shows that she doesn't care how much the people of this city are suffering. I suppose she feels she has better uses for her money (such as making campaign contributions) than paying the PMUA. I hope the people of this city who cannot afford to pay their bills are seeing how blithely this mayor disregards them.
Rebecca
Vera Greaves voted yes after her no vote when a council member told her she had voted incorrectly. People of the 1/4 - here is your representative - you voted for her-you get nothing. Great.
ReplyDeleteThe mayor seemed to have poster boards to go through a presentation about why she is not guilty. Mayor, first get some manners - she walked across the room (to talk to you Bernice) in the middle of Reid reading a resolution. Arrogant and disrespectful.
Make sure all you who think the mayor is great understands that the mayor presented a budget (and has for her whole time) that would significantly raise taxes for you.
The reason your taxes did not double in 6 years is because of this council. THEY helped keep your taxes and rents LOWER, NOT THE MAYOR.
And for those of you who believe that people who live in a certain section of Plainfield can afford the additional taxes, ask Jerry Green about that. He lives smack in the middle of that section.
@Renee: I don't know the answer to your question. Will try to make contact this week.
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