Snafu Leaves Council Vacancy Unfilled

Charles Eke

The City Council's failure Monday to choose a temporary successor to Councilwoman Annie McWilliams means selection will revert to the Democratic City Committee that had offered three names.

McWilliams, a daughter of the late Mayor Albert T. McWilliams, resigned as of Nov.1. Her term, including two stints as council president, ends Dec. 31. As required, the party committee gave the governing body three names - Hattie Williams, Dottie Gutenkauf and Charles Eke - and separate resolutions for each one were on Monday's agenda as new items.

Williams and Gutenkauf are both longtime party stalwarts. Willliams served as a City Hall greeter in the early days of Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs' tenure. Gutenkauf was a leader in the campaign to save Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center from closing and continues to fight for the hospital's restoration. Eke campaigned early for Barack Obama in 2008 and later sought a seat on the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority. In interviews last week, Councilwoman Rebecca Williams reminded Eke of his verbal attacks on council members who voted against him in 2011 for the PMUA seat and asked how he now expected to serve on the council.

When it came time to vote Monday to fill the vacancy, Hattie Williams was the first name up and won in a 4-2 vote, with Rebecca Williams (no relation), Cory Storch, Adrian Mapp and Wliiam Reid voting "yes" and Bridget Rivers and Vera Greaves voting "no." The other two resolutions were then removed from the agenda, as the matter appeared to be settled. But during the public comment portion of the meeting, Reid, who was participating by phone, interrupted to say he wanted to change his vote to Eke.

Mapp, as council president, allowed public comment to continue until all who wished to speak had done so. Storch then moved to adjourn the meeting, but Rivers reminded her colleagues that Reid had a question.

Over the phone, Reid said, "I did not hear the vote on the next council person. My vote would be for Mr. Eke."

"That resolution was withdrawn," Mapp said.

Rivers asked for a legal opinion and City Solicitor David Minchello said Mapp as council president would have to allow Reid to change his vote. The subsequent 3-3 tie meant the vote for Hattie Williams failed.
A vote to put the other two resolutions back on the agenda also failed, 3-3, and Mapp said the decision would revert to Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Green. City Clerk Abubakar Jalloh said technically the vote goes to the committee.

Reid asked whether Eke could be sworn in for the Dec. 3 agenda-fixing session. Minchello said depends when the committee. which has 15 days, makes its choice.

The possibility of a split vote was foreshadowed at the start of the meeting, when council members had to select a chairman of the whole to replace Reid, as he was not physically present. The all-Democratic council split between two factions and after a round of failed votes, Mapp said, "We are at an impasse for no good reason."

Finally members voted unanimously for Storch, who quipped, "That was really validation."

The council has an agenda-fixing session at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 in City Hall Library and a regular meeting at 8 p.m. Dec. 10 in Municipal Court. An agenda-fixing session for the January reorganization is 7:30 p.m.Dec. 17 in City Hall Library.
Note: I am posting some of the comments below just to point up the abrasiveness in city politics. I am not endorsing the negativity.