Mapp, Brown Win Democratic Primary

"Bitterness consumes the vessel that contains it."

So said City Council President Adrian Mapp as officials preached togetherness following one of the oddest primary campaigns in recent memory. Mapp and the Rev. Tracey Brown ran on the Democratic Party line, but supporters of Brown's opponent for the citywide at-large council seat also asked voters to choose Mapp . Brown is the pastor and close friend of Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs, who openly supported Mapp's opponent for the Third Ward seat, Rasheed Abdul-Haqq. Mapp and the mayor faced off in the 2009 election and seem headed for a rematch in 2013.

But all were one big family after the primary Tuesday and may be at least through November, when all hands will be on deck to get President Barack Obama re-elected.

Unofficial vote tallies from the Union County Clerk's office showed Brown winning the primary with 2,545 votes to Taylor's 1,561. Mapp garnered 713 in the Third Ward to Abdul-Haqq's 486.

At Taylor's headquarters Tuesday after the returns showed she lost, Taylor and campaign manager Rebecca Williams were philosophical.

"We were not triumphant this time around," Williams said.

Under the "New Democrats" banner, Williams has led campaigns in the past that knocked out candidates on the party line.

"We ran off the line, it's a presidential year ... it's a wonder we got any votes," Taylor said.

In automated phone calls before the election, Taylor urged voters to vote 1A for Obama and 7B for herself  Williams, Councilwoman Annie McWilliams, Councilman Cory Storch and bloggers Dan Damon and Dr. Harold Yood urged voters to support both Taylor and Mapp.

If Brown prevails in November, as is almost certain, she will likely be the fourth vote favoring the mayor as Robinson-Briggs seeks re-election. Had Taylor won, succeeding McWilliams, the current 4-3 weight in favor of the New Democrats would probably have prevailed.

"We tried to run a clean campaign," Brown said, adding  she and Taylor have been friends "for a very long time."

She said she and Taylor had made a pact that they would still work together to show they need not be "arch-enemies."

"What the devil tried to do, God turned around," Brown said.

Mapp, who held on to his New Democrat chairmanship even after winning a Union County freeholder seat on the party line, returned to the council in 2008 by defeating party choice Don Davis for the Third Ward seat. But then he confounded some when he accepted the party line for re-election this year from Green, chairman of the Regular Democratic Committee.

With party choices taking both council slots on the November ballot, Green asked all to "show love for each other, because this city needs help in the worst way."

The Democratic Party gathering Tuesday was in the same Roosevelt Avenue venue where Green assembled his city committee members in February to impress Rep. Rush Holt, who is seeking re-election to the 12th District, which now includes Plainfield through post-census redistricting. Green said Tuesday he will leave it up to the mayor and council to "please make my life easier by working together."

In a sidelight to the primary, Mapp spoke of his interest in the school system and his interest in who filed for four school board seats Tuesday. He said he will "be behind candidates that are not a part of the district right now."

Green just happened to have the list in his pocket and said there were eight candidates, two slates which he characterized  as "Obama versus Christie." Mapp said the group he supports includes Mahogany Hendricks, Catherine Crittendon, Dollie Hamlin and Delois Dameron. The others were named as Jackie Coley, Susan Phifer, Keisha Edwards and Frederick Moore Sr. The three three-year terms and one one-year unexpired term will be voted on Nov. 6 and the winners will take office in January.

Besides school board filings, Tuesday was also the day for independent candidates to file in order to appear on the November ballot. Plaintalker will check with the County Clerk's office for any filings by independents.

--Bernice

Vote Today!

By this time tomorrow we shall know two things: Who won the Democratic Primary and how much interest there was in this election.


Sometimes I get the impression that only a very few people really care about the workings of government and who is in charge. There is a lot of talk, but when it comes to doing what you as an individual can do (vote your choice), participation is not what it could be.


Those who have made up their minds have all day to convince friends and relatives to get to the polls and exercise their franchise. Do you really want to leave it up to others to decide who will be running your city in 2013?


It is hard to write about anything else today when the primary outcome is likely to influence city politics for years to come. There is passion on both sides. Choose your side and vote. Polls are open until 8 p.m.


--Bernice

Get Ready to Vote!

Candidates have done their best (or worst) to impress voters and the primary is now just a day away. Plaintalker does not make endorsements, but on the local level fellow blogger Dr. Yood has made his choices known and Dan Damon has links to all the endorsements on his CLIPS blog. As many have noted, the Democratic June primary in Plainfield pretty much settles the November election as well, though surprises are possible.

In case you just got in from Fiji or the Lesser Antilles, the two local races are for the citywide at-large seat and the Third Ward on the City Council. Vying for the citywide at-large seat are Veronica "Roni" Taylor and the Rev. Tracey Brown. In the Third Ward, incumbent and current Council President Adrian Mapp hopes to best challenger Rasheed Abdul-Haqq.

Of course President Barack Obama is at the top of the ticket and it is almost an obligation for Democrats to show support for him. The new name on the ballot is Rep. Rush Holt, who inherited Plainfield as a constituency  in redistricting after the 2010 Census. The city is now in District 12, which also includes Princeton and Trenton. At a February event here, Holt pledged to learn more about the city and its needs. If elected, he will be serving Plainfield as of Jan. 1, 2013.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 5. Please take the time to vote.

Tuesday is now also the day for school board candidates to file for election in November. The City Council voted to move the election to November over the objections of current school board members. The district web site has made no mention of the change. Petitions must be filed by 4 p.m. Tuesday in the County Clerk's office in Elizabeth. There are three three-year seats and one one-year unexpired term up for election this year.

Independents may also file for the City Council seats on Tuesday. If any do so, they will be on the November ballot with the winners of the Democratic primaries and with two Republicans who have filed. The Republicans are Randy Bullock for the Third Ward and Bill Amirault for the citywide at-large seat.

Please vote on Tuesday. Voting is a precious, hard-won right. And if you want to help others learn about their rights as voters, consider joining the Plainfield League of Women Voters. The group will be conducting voter education in October. More later on that topic.

--Bernice

Its-a-Wrap Marks One Year

I was out in the yard edging and weeding Saturday when a blast of music at noon shattered my hoped-for peace and quiet in the garden. Turns out it was a joyful noise. The orange and white balloons in the Masonic Building parking lot and the DJ were meant to attract well-wishers for the first anniversary of "It's-a-Wrap," the newest culinary venture of Chef David Holmes on Park Avenue.

The main feature of the anniversary celebration was a "wrap" (not "rap") contest with Stillman School sixth graders, EMS personnel and firefighters taking part.

Contestants sat at tables with piles of special wrap sandwiches made of chicken, lettuce and rice.
The restaurant at 631 Park Avenue features wraps, salads, sandwiches and soups.

Chef David welcomed contestants and a crowd of onlookers to the celebration.

Youngsters had their faces painted for the party.

What are they waiting for?

The DJ plays on ...

Cameras are rolling ...

Finally Fire Lt. James L. Grundy Jr. arrives on a fire engine and the contest is on!

Children help Chef David sound an air horn to mark the beginning of the sandwich-eating contest.

Ready, set, go!

The hearty wraps are quite a challenge.

Cameras and cell phones capture the action.

Nom, nom, nom ... these sandwiches are huge!

The outcome is not clear, so Chef David proposes an iced tea tie-breaker.

All you can sip in 10 seconds!

Plainfield EMTs win! But actually everybody who took part is a winner and will receive a gift certificate. Chef David says next year the challenge will be wings or much smaller wrap sandwiches.

Besides attaining his one-year anniversary with the new wrap format, Chef David announced he will begin a radio show tonight (Sunday, June 3) from 6 to 8 p.m. on 1460 AM.

See a menu and more information on Its-a-Wrap

--Bernice

Council Explores Budget Fixes

At a special meeting Thursday, the City Council voted to use unspent funds from the six-month 2011 “transition year” budget to help plug an unforeseen hole in the 2012 budget.

After holding budget deliberations since April 12, the council found out last week that a state review of the budget found errors and omissions totaling about $2 million.  

The 2011 funds totaling $905,000 will be added to surplus and $500,000 will be used for tax relief. Other more controversial proposals, such as making major cuts to the corporation counsel’s office and eliminating the new public information officer’s job will be taken up at a special meeting on June 6.

The council’s Finance and Administration Committee also recommended adding $70,000 to the Plainfield Public Library’s $1,556,338 budget, countering Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs’ call to cut funding by 40 percent to the minimum state requirement for the library.

The meeting included a report from the Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee and a line-by-line report from the Finance and Administration Committee on other issues related to the budget shortfall.

The CBAC report, given by Chairman Charles McRae, called for reductions to the $752,000 Recreation budget, transition of Bilingual Day Care and other social service programs to outside agencies, outsourcing of property code inspections and reduction of the corporation counsel to part-time.

The group faulted the Recreation Division for not providing “a complete and verifiable accounting” of costs for its programs, for serving only about 5 percent of the city’s population and for not documenting details of how $400,000 for seasonal workers was allocated. The committee called for a total review of the Office of Economic Development, saying it “continues not to be able to provide sustained improvements in the city’s economy.”

Council members and Acting City Administrator Eric Jackson thanked the committee for its work since early April, when budget deliberations began. Members this year were Jaclynne Callands, Jeanette Criscione, Lisa Cright-Bryant, Delois Dameron, Robert Darden, Will Gill, Jan Massey and McRae.

In response to both the CBAC and Finance Committee’s calls to cut staffing in the Corporation Counsel’s office, City Solicitor David Minchello gave an impassioned defense against reductions.

Minchello, speaking in the absence of Corporation Counsel Dan Williamson, said the in-house legal staff not only handles litigation, but must give advice daily to city officials on various matters. In addition, the office must review OPRA requests, conduct hearings on employee disciplinary matters, check bid specifications, monitor police depositions and handle defense of hundreds of ongoing legal cases.

“This city is big business,” Minchello said. As a big business, it requires full staffing.”

Several years ago, the city switched from a part-time corporation counsel to one who serves full-time with two special counsels in-house and other attorneys hired as needed. Councilwoman Rebecca Williams asked Jackson to research how many cities of similar size have a full-time corporation counsel, which he promised to do by Monday. Councilman William Reid wanted a further analysis of the types of caseloads comparable cities have, but Jackson said that would take much longer.

Councilman Cory Storch said he understands the discomfort of the administration over such a proposed change, but he said, “Our city is afraid of change.”

Storch also brought up the city charter’s provision  that the corporation counsel must serve both the mayor and council, which became a problem last year during an investigation into use of city funds for a 2010 radio broadcast on gang violence. Each side ended up getting its own attorney and now that the mayor is suing the council over the outcome of the investigation, the governing body added $50,000 to its own budget for independent legal representation.

Minchello insisted that from his years of working with the office, it could not function with a reduced staff.

“I know the work that’s out there,” he said.

Storch asked why Williamson was not at the meeting and Jackson said he had asked to leave early on personal business Thursday.

Williamson is also leaving the administration July 1 to become executive director of the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority and that transition in part prompted the call the reorder the legal staff.

When the subject turned to the recently created IT and Media Division, some council members were surprised to find out the new public officer was now reporting directly to City Administrator Eric Berry. The PIO had been reporting directly to the mayor in violation of the city’s special charter, which mandates three departments over all city divisions. The council passed an ordinance creating the Division of Information Technology in 2010 and when the PIO was hired this year, he was placed in that division.

Williams called the new arrangement “a violation of the city charter” and said, “The city administrator should be here.” (Berry is on vacation.) She also questioned why the city was advertising for nine more people to join the division.  Al Restaino director of the Department of Administration, Finance, Health & Social Services under which the new division was also placed, said the idea was to get a “pool” of media technicians from which to draw as needed.

The council’s Finance Committee suggested eliminating both the PIO and an assistant, along with overtime in Media & Communications, to save $105,000.

The council will meet at 7 p.m. on June 6 in City Hall Library to vote on budget amendments reflecting some or all of the changes discussed Thursday. Final passage of the budget is expected to take place on June 18.

--Bernice

Youth Opportunities Mulled at Town Meeting

Though sparsely attended, Tuesday's First Ward Town Meeting covered a lot of topics, including the 2012 budget, the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority, the June primary, road repairs, senior concerns and the perennial question, raised Tuesday by resident Eric Graham, "What about the youth?"

Graham said there are a lot of young people who need to be involved in some activity, prompting First Ward Councilman William Reid to remind him of the many offerings of the Recreation Division. But Graham specified that he wanted the council to make a commitment to help youth acquire "leadership skills." Reid mentioned the annual summer employment program, funded this year at $91,000, that gives young people jobs in city offices and sites where they can learn the workings of municipal government. He also mentioned an ordinance aimed at having young people attend public meetings to learn more about government.

At that point Freeholder Linda Carter and I looked at each other. When she was a city councilwoman, Carter fostered passage of two ordinances aimed at developing the skills Graham had in mind. One was the student liaison program mentioned above and the other was to be a 15-member advisory committee on issues affecting young people. Carter asked the council members whether they had made any appointments to the two commissions and I was recalling blog posts I had made to encourage implementation of the two entities.

One was never activated. The other received four members several years ago but all terms have since expired, so all 15 seats are vacant. Is it time for a revisit to this legislation? Click here to read Plaintalker's post from 2008.

Another speaker, Rev. Wyatt of Church of the Living God, announced plans for a youth center in the former O'Connor's Meat Market building at 200 Garfield Avenue. He also advocated leadership training and said of city youth, "We want to let them know they are not just a group of people we will throw away."

Councilwoman Rebecca Williams named a number of existing resources for youth, including the YMCA and the Boys & Girls Club. Williams said many churches also have mentoring programs.

An interesting aside: Reid said he thinks "the baseball drama" is settled, referring to a three-year spat between a volunteer-run league and the Recreation Division, which developed a competing league with paid coaches and a lower sign-up fee. Officials of the volunteer-run league complained as recently as this month of being harassed in various ways over use of municipal ball fields. (Let us hope it is really resolved.)

Other hot topics Tuesday included the 2012 budget, which will be discussed Thursday (May 31) by the council after revelation of a $1.5 to $2 million shortfall on May 24. The council is hoping to formulate amendments in time for a hearing and final passage by June 18.

Reid gave details of an accelerated road repair program and assured residents that the cost will not come out of the operating budget, but will be covered through bonding for capital projects. In answer to carter's question on what First Ward roads will be included and Williams read the entire list out from a file on her iPad 2.

The PMUA came in for some heat over what residents called higher rates than people in other towns pay for  sewer and solid waste services. Resident Dee Dameron said the rates were "killing" her mother, 81, and vowed to take her complaint to Gov. Chris Christie if nothing is done locally.

"The PMUA is killing me financially," resident Andre Bailey chimed in. He also felt it was a deterrent to new businesses coming to the city.

Reid, who served seven years as a PMUA commissioner, also complained about the rates. He and Councilman Cory Storch also sparred verbally over the need for a study on possible dissolution of the authority. Storch said such a study, involving various experts,  is necessary for the state Local Finance Board to determine whether dissolution should take place. Reid wanted just a task force and a meeting of PMUA, administration and council representatives to work out the issues.

Storch said the mayor did not want to do the study required by the Local Finance Board, but wanted a "pre-study before the real study." He urged residents to call the mayor directly with their concerns about the PMUA.

Rev. Tracey Brown, a PMUA commissioner who is now running in the June primary for the citywide at-large council seat, came in for criticism over where she stood on a $1 million settlement with two former PMUA executives. Brown was present for most of the meeting, but left after resident Jean Black objected to a political flier for Brown, depicting her in a pulpit flanked by men including Sen. Robert Menendez with his head bowed, and an apparent likeness of President Barack Obama. The flier urges voters to re-elect Obama, Menendez, Rep. Rush Holt and to elect Brown.

The final Town Meeting is for the Fourth Ward and will be held at 7 p.m. June 26 in Jefferson School, 1700 West Front Street. It will be a joint meeting with the Housing Authority of Plainfield. Although it is primarily for the Fourth Ward, any city resident may attend and speak on specific concerns.

Williams reminded residents Thursday that although the governing body desires to hear from residents, the council cannot get involved in day-to-day operations of the city and so must convey concerns to the administration. She expressed hope that more representatives of the administration, including the mayor, will be on hand at the next meeting to answer questions.

--Bernice

Tax Lien List Tells Tales

A 15-page list of delinquent payers of municipal taxes and PMUA bills included 42 items for Dornoch Plainfield LLC. It would appear that taxes are owed for 41 of the 63 condos in the East Front Street building known as "The Monarch."

The amount contrasts with Corporation Counsel Dan Williamson's statement at a May 1 budget meeting that he believes between 24 to 30 have been sold. Originally, a Veterans' Center on the ground floor of the building was to be turned over to veterans' groups only after all the condos were sold. But sales lagged in a slow market and the company began renting the units. A new agreement calls for hand-off of the center after two years or when the fiftieth unit is sold, Williamson said. If in fact only 22 have sold, the 50-unit mark may be a long way off.

As usual, the tax lien list contains quite a few prominent names. If not paid by June 14, the liens will be sold off, buyers will pay the amounts owed and the delinquents will then owe the buyers the arrears plus up to 18 percent interest. Lien holders can move to foreclose in two years if not paid.

The largest single amount owed appears to be $123,438.80 for Belle Gardens LLC at 733-47 East Front Street, for PMUA services. The total Dornoch tax bill is about $50,000. Plainfield Neighborhood Health Services owes more than $42,000 to PMUA and the Housing Authority of Plainfield owes more than $61,000, according to the list..

The reason the list runs to 15 pages at a cost of nearly $18,000 is that it is a single, large-print column per page instead of two per page as in the past. The list is due to run again on June 7, if you want to take a look. (Hmm. Wonder how the pay wall affects notification.)

--Bernice