Mayor, Mayor Everywhere, but Not a Drop to See

The havoc the Mayor is wreaking is evident throughout the town, but he has yet to show up at a Council meeting. We have requested his presence, he has written us a cryptic email about his appearing, and still he doesn't show. Right now we have more questions than answers on key issues. To say I am frustrated does not even begin to cover the ground. I, as a Councilwoman, will not make a decision without having every bit of information I need to form an intelligent conclusion. I would love to move forward with our own agenda for the Township, but instead, we are mired in trying to undo some of the past damage. That is no way to have to be on a Council.

As for the Building Department, the mayor finally, at the 11th hour, issued us a 30 day stay so we can hear the final report from our Budget Advisory Committee. There is a lot of "muscle" on that committee, and they are a bright group of people. I think they will be fair and forthright in their conclusion. I can only feel tremendous sympathy for the Building Department employees. They have been put through hell, and I wish I could speed this process up.

CCTV is really bugging me. We have put a hold on this project because we don't have one lick of information. The more we ask, the more we realize what we don't know. When I showed George Gilmore the PO, which was the ONLY piece of information I got because I asked for it, he said the PO itself was illegal. You can't pay a contractor for work not done yet. And, it seemed the work started before the contract was approved. This is yet another mess from before.

One thing that has become evident on this Council...there is NO rubber stamping. I have voted with different Council members on different issues. I think each of us really tries to vote our conscience, no matter who else agrees, and I think the public appreciates the honesty, even though not all votes go the way they think they should. But we listen, as was promised, and then we try to cast an informed vote. Remember the fortune cookie..."The will of the people is the best law." Do you hear that, Mark?

My First Meeting

Well, I fulfilled my own prophecy last night. I voted on different issues with different Council members. The two votes that I made after much soul searching were to pay the bill for work done by a vendor who owes us fines. I know I'd like to stop the payment, but we were told last night that legally, we can't do it. I do not want to be placed in this position in the future. We either need to go after the fines, bring the people into compliance, or stop awarding lucrative contracts to the very people who owe us money.

The second issue was lowering the Mayor's salary. After the 2 years he has given us of missteps, arrogance and nose thumbing, this would have been sweet revenge. But I couldn't do that in good conscience. I am hoping that by this Council showing some restraint, the Mayor will also show some restraint in coming up with self-serving, autocratic decisions that will hurt many, many people. Let me say this now. I used restraint and caution in my vote last night. I will not be so generous next year if this Mayor doesn't start seriously rethinking himself. Enough already!!!!

I could feel a definite difference in the air last night. Everybody had a chance to be heard, and they were treated with respect and courtesy by this Council. In return, the speakers addressed us with courtesy and respect as well, even though they might have been passionate about their issues. John was very kind when he said he disagreed with one of our decisions, but he felt that we voted according to our own conscience. Ken was very informative with what goes on at the Planning Board, and he was very discreet in discussing anything about any open applications before his Board.

I know there will be times when the issued become heated. I know sometimes people will lose their tempers, but if we as a Council go to the dais with the thought of doing our best, letting people be heard and voting our conscience, it can't help but be better than it has been for the last two years.

Let There Always Be REAL Fireworks

Last night the Township sponsored its annual fireworks display. I couldn't even estimate how many people were there, but it was wall to wall. It was a true "Hometown USA" event. There were hotdogs and hamburgers, popcorn, and vendors of all kinds. Kids were running around, playing ball, using the basketball courts and the playgrounds and in general having a high ole time.

The band was excellent. I couldn't help dancing to their music, and many others couldn't keep from dancing either. You could feel the excitement as the fireworks got closer, and everyone was really ready to enjoy them. Well, they were worth waiting for. I think our Township has got to have one of the most spectacular fireworks displays around. I have usually watched it outside the park, but being there has to be an experience to remember.

I wrote a thank you to the Mayor telling what a wonderful event it was, and I asked him to convey my thanks to the Township departments who worked so hard to make this happen. I saw many of our Township employees there last night, and they were doing a bang-up job.

I was proud to be a "Jacksonian" and a member of the Council. No party politics in Johnson Park last night. These are the type of fireworks we could all enjoy.

What a Night!

Ok, even I'm impressed. When a Governor, a US Senator, a Mayor of the largest city in NJ, and a US attorney for the State of New Jersey show up to speak at your swearing in, then you know you have been sworn in!!!

Governor Corzine swore Michael Kafton in, Attorney Christie swore Mike Reina in, and Senator Lautenberg swore me in. They all spoke afterwards, as did Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, and their words were impressive and inspiring. I don't think there was any show of politics in the whole ceremony as both Republican and Democrat came together to witness this great event.

The only dignitary missing was our own Mayor, Mark Seda. I could not believe he was not there. I spoke with Republicans and Democrats at the end of the ceremony, and all had the same thing to say. It was certainly unfortunate that our Mayor was not there. If politicians from all over the state of New Jersey, from both parties, found the time to come to this event, then where was our Mayor? I was very disappointed since I saw him just last night, and he said nothing to me. I know there were some very important Republicans at the meeting including Todd Porter and Ken Bressi (thank you guys). I wish the Mayor was able to attend as well.

The reorganization went unbelievably well. We approved all suggested appointments as a unified Council, and I hope this will continue. In the interest of running this township in the best possible manner, I believe we need a spirit of compromise. It isn't all going to be smooth sailing, but this was a wonderful beginning. Thank you Scott, Ann, Mike and Michael for making my first night a rewarding experience.

I'm sure by the next meeting, I will get used to the fact that I am actually a voting Councilwoman. I have my own township email address (bobbier@jacksontwpnj.net), and my own phone extension (which I have not yet figured out how to set up). As I have said before, I have no political aspirations, and my only thought is to do right by Jackson. What a night!!!!!