Urquhart, Mitchell Give Charter Views

The Charter Study Commission launched its interviews of past officials Thursday with former 16-year First Ward Councilwoman Elizabeth Urquhart and former Mayor Harold Mitchell, who also served terms on the City Council.

Urquhart introduced herself as a native Plainfielder who came through the school district and married a Plainfielder. She now serves on the Union County Board of Taxation. She served on a 1990 charter study committee whose report was accepted by the governing body, but not acted upon. One of the disadvantages of the 1968 special charter, she said, is that any changes would have to be enacted by a two-thirds vote of the state legislature.

She was largely satisfied with the city's present system of four wards and approved the current strong mayor/weak council form of government. One change she supports is separate legal counsel for the governing body instead of having the corporation counsel represent both mayor and council, she said.

A summary of the 18 questions and answers will be posted on the commission's blog at www.plainfieldcsc.blogspot.com

Mitchell, now a commissioner and former chairman of the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority, spoke from  his experience of service in both the administrative and legislative branches of city government. One advantage of the charter, he said, was that it specifies a director of Public Safety instead of a police chief. He said municipalities have problems with police chiefs because they "don't listen" to mayors and "do what they want to do."

He said he favors having three at-large council members in addition to one for each of the four wards. Currently there is one citywide at-large member, one representing Wards 1&4, one for Wards 2&3 and one for each ward.

He did not see any reason to change to non-partisan elections.

"I believe in a two-party system," he said.

While he approves of an in-house corporation counsel, he concurred with Urquhart that the governing body should have its own legal counsel.

On mayor-council relations, Mitchell cited "personalities" as the cause of possible friction.

"When you're dealing with human beings, you have to have a cooperative spirit," he said.

The commission had hoped to interview former Mayor Mark Fury as well Thursday, but as an attorney Fury had a conflict with a trial that prevented him from appearing.

The next meeting is 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 28 in City Hall Library. Former City Administrator Larry Bashe and former Councilman Don Davis are expected to attend. Commission members agreed to offer former officials who do not live nearby the option of responding by e-mail.

All meetings of the commission are open to the public and include a portion for comment. Click here for the meeting schedule and links to background documents.

Note to Rob: I did not attempt to document each one's answers to all 18 questions, so don't take this report as the absolute bottom line. Look for minutes later on the CSC blog.

--Bernice