The Robinson-Briggs team a vaudeville act?.
With only three items on the Plainfield City Council's special meeting agenda Monday night, most of the meeting was devoted to just one of them: the Robinson-Briggs administration's proposed layoff plan.
Under close questioning by several Councilors, primarily Adrian Mapp, but also including Bill Reid, Linda Carter, and Council President Rashid Burney, the administration's claims to save money evaporated like morning dew under a rising sun.
Councilors and public alike scoffed at the idea that 10 hours per week put in by out-of-town consultants could possible equal the benefit of an in-house staff which not only knows Plainfield issues inside and out, but are also mostly local taxpayers.
Mayor Robinson-Briggs' point persons -- City Administrator Marc Dashield and Corporation Counsel Dan Williamson - were however downright recalcitrant in the face of councilmanic and public pushback.
In fact, at several points Council President Burney had to tell Dashield that he would call upon him when he wanted to hear from him.
The closest questioning came around when and how the Robinson-Briggs administration decided to propose layoffs instead of other measures such as furloughs, wage freezes and other givebacks.
Dashield portrayed the process as one in which the Robinson-Briggs administration had consulted with the unions over the course of the year, a statement which drew whispers of 'Liar!' from several of the city workers sitting near me.
When PMEA president Cynthia Smith got up to the mike she refuted Dashield's claim, saying that the administration had never gotten back to them until after the November election, and then only with a layoff plan, and only for members of her union which she pointedly noted were the lowest paid among city workers.
Taking up the proposed gutting of the Planning Division by laying off two full-time and one half-time workers, Mapp asked Dashield several questions aimed at finding out just how the Robinson-Briggs administration arrived both its estimate of cost savings by the layoff and its estimate that replacing in-house staff by consultants would only cost the city $100,000.
Dashield's answers were not satisfying to Mapp or other council members.
Finally, Mapp announced that when the Council got to voting on the resolutions, he would propose an amendment taking the Planning Division layoffs out of the plan.
When voting got under way, the Robinson-Briggs administration's budget proposal was adopted by a 6-1 vote (Burney voted 'no'), and the application for extraordinary aid passed unanimously -- even though everyone concedes the proposed amount is not within the realm of realistic expectation.
Sure enough, when the time came for the layoff plan, Mapp proposed his amendment. After a moment of silence waiting for a second, Council President Burney said with a loud voice that HE was seconding the amendment.
In the discussion that preceded the vote on the amendment, Corporation Counsel Dan Williamson asserted that the Council was out of bounds to amend the administration's proposed layoff plan, saying that the plan and the budget were inextricably linked, and that all the Council could do was either pass or reject the resolution.
Burney repeatedly asked Williamson if there was a 'legal' impediment to an amendment of the resolution, and each time Williamson backed off saying so outright.
Mapp lectured Williamson and Dashield on the proper role of the governing body as LEGISLATORS and that the Council was within its rights and responsibilities to amend ANY resolution that came before it by its lights.
Mapp also noted that there had been discussions prior to the presentation of the budget to the Council concerning the Planning Division employees, and that the administration's attitude was, 'No. Take it or leave it,' leaving as the only conclusion that the Robinson-Briggs administration was 'not interested in working with the Council'.
The amendment passed 4-2 with one abstention (Simmons). The amended resolution passed 4-3, meaning that a layoff plan will be submitted to Trenton, specifically excluding the Planning Division employees.
Dashield's and Williamson's performance seemed to me like the evil twins of the famous Abbott and Costello 'Who's on first?' routine.
Council members Reid, Mapp and Burney pointedly noted that the Robinson-Briggs administration's unwillingness to compromise left the job up to the Council, who now must make the final adjustments which will bind the administration for the balance of the fiscal year.
The Robinson-Briggs administration's recalcitrance casts the Council as the adult, responsible agents in the budget process, and the administration as the opposite.
The question for Plainfielders is this, 'Do we really need a vaudeville team running the city?'
-- Dan Damon [follow]
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12 comments:
Seriously. Anyone who could make a positive comment about this administration must have their head firmly planted up the Assistant Mayors Incompetent Arse. Thank God the Council is starting to push the Assistant Mayor around, their may be hope for our city.
I am so nonplussed and disappointed with the administration. We have to cut services. The current expenses are not sustainable. Raising property taxes will only drive out homeowners, discourage future buyers and increase foreclosures. That will result in Plainfield having more takers and less givers (taxpayers). This will only worsen our financial condition and force us to rely more on the state for handouts (dont hold your breath).
Dan,
The administration has once again shown that it is incapable of running the city in a business like manner. Businesses and local governments througout the USA are retaining its producers and letting go, like rotten fish, supervisors and management that clearly do not contribute to the bottom line. In Plainfield, with its pay-for-play policy, Briggs/Green has put its high profile factotums, Rahway councilperson and Director of Public Works & Code Enforcement Winston Jennifer Maier and top cop Director Martin Helwig on the do- not-layoff-list. These are 2 positions that are a redundancy and provide no value to the well being of the residents. They should go; they need to go. Bravo council for showing character; though no big fan of Mayor Al McWilliams, he is credited with attracting thoughtful people to run for council. Thanks Al!
The Optimist
my apologies on my typo...UGH!
In answer to your closing question, ie: vaudeville team. Unfortunately it looks that way for the next four years..:-( Hopefully the council will keep probing and pushing the recalcitrants.
My questions are: What is the Mayor doing personally to cut expenses? Is she giving herself a pay cut? Cutting out her food budget? Is she going to stop putting all of Jerry Greens friends and relatives on the city payroll? If she did the above cuts I bet we would save over 2 Million a year!
I'm so glad others see our current administration as a comedy of errors. This is a sad state and I'm sorry so many people felt a need to vote for her. When I worked in Newark, for many years, I asked people why they kept voting for the mayor when it was widely believed that he was crooked. They responded, "He's one of us." I responded, "Not after he ripped you off for his first million dollars." I feel that perhaps we are there now and it is so sad.
Some good points were made at the council meeting. First, if we do not need the people in the planning office, why replace them -just fire them. Obviously, if we are replacing them we need them.
Second, I have no confidence that the administration has looked into every nook and crany to save money. Where is the OT going - how is it being scheduled?
And my favorite, if we get rid of most of the planning department, the first one to head the list should be Jennifer Wenson Meir. Isn't she also in charge of economic development? I see the work of the planning division - I see nothing from her. And she makes 6 figures!
It's too bad that the city council, aside from Cory Storch, decided that Sharon Robinson-Briggs deserved another four years to destroy our city. They could have been brave and supported Adrian as a fiscally responsible and thoughtful individual just as he supported them when they ran, especially McWilliams. But they decided that cowardice was the better part of valor. Shame on them, we didn't deserve this. They won't ever get another vote or endorsement from me. Now they cluck their tongues and wag their heads. Self-interest triumphs once again. Shame.
Dan,
This administration is made up of the most incompetent people I have ever had the displeasure of seeing in action, from Robinson-Briggs to Dashield to Wenson-Maier to Williamson. How can they possibly justify keeping Wenson-Maier? It is clear that she was hired for political reasons, as she has not provided any value to the city for the more than $100,000.00 salary she earns. The same goes for Dashield and Williamson. How can the mayor justify keeping either of them? The mayor's first term is up on Dec.31, at which time she can get rid of these incompetents. The council should put REAL pressure on her to get rid of all of them and hire individuals with no political ties to the county or favored politicos. She clearly doesn't know what she is doing, and depending on incompetents makes it doubly worse.
Rebecca
Whats the story? We re-elected Mr Green and Ms. Briggs! We deserve their continued incompetence. Watch those property tax bills go higher and higher while the value of living in Queen City goes lower and lower.
Most of the council has no backbone. Dashield, Hellwig, and Maier should each take a $15,000 pay cut. In addition, anyone who does not live in the city and is supposed to, should not receive car allowances. These same folks should not be replaced in December. Sadly, as our mayor was just voted in for another term, the same unacceptable city management will happen for another four.
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