Watson, Turning Over a New Leaf?

Despite the early fretting over Eric Watson's return to City Hall, in all fairness we don't know how things will work out. While we wait and see how this administration proceeds with Watson as department head, we may remember some interesting appointments from the past administration.

From the Annals of Dubious Hires, there was the fleeting transit of Carlton McGee in 2006, the one-year tenure of A. Raiford Daniels to November 2007 and the 10-month career of Douglas Peck in 2008.

Peck, an Ohio resident, came to city notice as a consultant to the PMUA. The City Council approved a $12,000 stipend billed as relocation expenses when he was appointed in acting capacity as a department head.

Once on the job, he called for a complete overhaul of the budgeting process. But his presentation on the capital improvement plan met with consternation and just over a month later, Peck was out. He was the fifth person in two years to serve as head of the city's largest department, Administration, Finance, Health & Social Services.

Watson has an opportunity to serve for more than than three years in the Mapp administration if confirmed by the City Council. He is no stranger to Plainfield and is a city resident. Unless he gets a better offer somewhere else, he is probably here to stay. And just in time for one of his department's busiest tasks, Leaf Collection!

--Bernice