Council Considers Vacancy, Appointments Monday

Mayor-elect Adrian O. Mapp has resigned from his Third Ward City Council seat, the Democratic City Committee has selected three possible appointees to fill the vacancy and now it is the governing body's turn to take action.

The council will hold a special meeting at 7 p.m. Monday in City Hall Library to consider the candidates: former Councilman Don Davis, campaign activist Roni Taylor and retired school principal Gloria Taylor. The appointee to succeed Mapp will serve until the November 2014 general election and will then have to run for the balance of the term to Dec. 31, 2016.

Davis had served as Third Ward councilman from 2004 to 2008, but lost his chance at a second term when Mapp beat him in the June 2008 primary and won the general election. Davis also ran for the Second & Third Ward at-large seat in 2010, but Rebecca Williams ran off the line to beat both Davis and incumbent Rashid Burney in the June primary and also won in November.

Roni Taylor ran off the line for the citywide at-large seat in the 2012 June primary, but Rev. Tracey Brown won the primary and general election and gave up her PMUA seat to serve on the council.

Gloria Taylor has not sought public office previously, but was an ally to her late husband when he served as a councilman and later as mayor. She recently launched an inspirational radio show  along with another former first lady, Darlene McWilliams, who is the widow of former Mayor Albert T. McWilliams. 

Although the mayor and seven-member council have all been Democrats for many years now, factions within the party do not always agree. As Gloria Taylor's late husband, Mayor Richard L. Taylor, often said, a mayor has to be able to "count to four" to get council approval for initiatives. Council watchers will be paying close attention at the Jan. 6 reorganization to see whether collegiality or confrontation will prevail. 

The special meeting agenda also includes mayoral appointments to the African Caribbean Commission and the Plainfield Community Emergency Response Team. These appointments were offered previously by outgoing Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs, but had errors and were not moved to the agenda at past meetings. According to library staff, there was no packet for Monday's meeting  on hand for public review Saturday, so Plaintalker cannot confirm whether errors and discrepancies were cleared up. Click here to see more about the problems.

There is also a closed session at 6 p.m. Monday for the council to deal with personnel matters.

--Bernice