Delivered to 15,000 Plainfield "doorsteps" Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Mayor MIA as finance appointments fizzle


Disney's 'Finding Nemo' competed with last night's Council meeting.

Plainfield Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs was missing in action last night as City Council met to consider two resolutions giving advice and consent to the appointments of a chief financial officer and a Director of Administration & Finance.

After the public waited until nearly 10:00 PM, Council President McWilliams came out to the rotunda to apologize to those remaining and invite them into the (much cooler) meeting room.

Upon McWilliams' opening the meeting, City Administrator Bibi Taylor advised the administration wished to withdraw the resolution concerning the Director's appointment, saying the alleged candidate was 'still deliberating an offer'. (I had posted pre-meeting on the likelihood of this scenario based on gossip circulating at City Hall during the day, see here.)

McWilliams took pains to note that the Council was very concerned that the person to fill the CMFO slot be experienced (hinting at what was to come).

Those of us waiting in the rotunda had gotten the impression that the candidate, Willliam Scherer, of Manalapan, had stood up his appointed interview time and only showed up at 7:45 PM to meet with the Council. Councilor Reid clarified that for me after the meeting, saying that Schere had indeed been on time for his 6:00 PM interview, but had been excused and then let back in at 7:45 PM.

The bulk of the time the Council spent in camera seems to have been devoted to wrangling over what to do regarding the CMFO slot, not wanting to seem to be obstructing resolving the longstanding lack of an appointee, yet reluctant to take on an unexperienced (even if licensed) hand.

In the event, caution won out.

When the resolution came up, after brief discussion Councilor Storch moved to table it. The voice vote was 5-1, with Councilor Reid opposing the motion (Councilor Carter was absent).

With no appointment being made, Council President McWilliams, in answer to a question by Dr. Harold Yood, said that the language of last week's resolution asking for state intervention meant that the Council would be forwarding that resolution to the Department of Community Affairs,  no appointment having been made by the date set.

Where was Mayor Robinson-Briggs at this crucial juncture?

No one knows, but there was a family movie night scheduled, showing Finding Nemo.

Perhaps the Mayor had joined the hunt for Disney's elusive clownfish?


'Finding Nemo' concerns the hunt for an elusive young clownfish.


-- Dan Damon [follow]

View today's CLIPS here. Not getting your own CLIPS email daily? Click here to subscribe.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hasn't this joke of a mayor embarrassed this town enough? How much more incompetence do we have to endure? IMPEACH SHARON!

Bob said...

The picture of the smiling shark is so appropriate for our mayor. She smiles and looks so benevolent while stabbing the tax payers and City Council in the back. There is definately a reason she wants us to not have a CFO or an inexperienced one. I wonder what she's hiding.

Rob said...

Next time for the visual...please use the Cheshire Cat from Alice...far more appropriate..all smile, no substance.

Maria Pellum, Plainfield Resident said...

Hey Dan!

I will never watch "Finding Nemo" again without thinking of the mayor! Not fair! But brilliant!

Anonymous said...

Haven't heard from me in awhile so here goes (Sing to that old famous tune "oh where, oh where has my little dog gone"

Oh where, oh where has our Mayor gone?
Oh where, oh where can she be?
She withdrew her appointment, that never was.
And was not at the outdoor movie.

With no Director or CFO.
And no one to watch our money.
She sat home and laughed
And pats herself on the back
And finds it so damn funny.

You fell for her plan, and now have no leg to stand.
You tabled to contact the state.
She thinks she's so smart, you took her word at your heart.
Let's hear it for Sharon the Great.

Dan said...

Hey Rob!

Cheshire Cat??!!

What you got against clownfish?

...;-))

Anonymous said...

I don't think there is enough money in the world that would make me want to work in Plainfield. You might as well paint a target on your back.