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Who knew 'just and capable' would be so hard? |
According to the city charter, the firing takes effect ten days after the notice has been filed with the city clerk's office. If the notice was filed before 5:00 PM yesterday, it means that Ms. Taylor's termination would take effect on Christmas Day, making Mayor Sharon the Grinch that stole Christmas.
While Robinson-Briggs may have had her say, that is hardly the last word.
The city charter provides for a Council override of the mayor's termination of a department head or the city administrator --
3.5(b) The mayor may remove a department head or the city administrator whenever, in his discretion, the public interest so requires; and any such removl shall take effect 10 days after the mayor files notice of removal with the city clerk unless prior thereto the council shall at a regular or special meeting disapprove of such removal by resolution adopted by the affirmative vote of 2/3 of the entire membership. In the event of such resolution of disapproval, the affected officer shall be restored to his office without loss of pay.Robinson-Briggs seems to have been aware of this when weeks ago she set Recreation Director Dave Wynn the mission of sounding out the Council on her move.
With a business meeting scheduled for Monday night, the Council will have a chance to weigh in on the matter within the window of opportunity provided by the city's special charter.
By chance (is it really by chance?), Assemblyman Jerry Green, chair of the Plainfield Democratic City Committee has called a meeting on the same evening to come up with three names to submit to the Council to replace the departing Linda Carter, who becomes a Union County Freeholder on January 1st.
Assemblyman Green has told city committee members that the meeting will be very short. This no doubt means that Green, no fan of democracy in the running of the Democratic committee, already has his three names lined up (4th Ward committee member Vera Greaves is said to be his pick). We'll see if the committee members are truly able to arrive at their own three choices or if it will be 'dealer's choice'.
Meanwhile, Robinson-Briggs is being invited -- in writing, I understand -- to attend Monday's meeting to explain to the Council and the public her plans. Originally, it was expected she would detail how day-to-day operations would be handled in the event of Taylor's maternity leave. This is after she snubbed the Council's invitation to last week's agenda session.
It looks like it will be a 'hot time in the old town' Monday night.
Guests are always welcome at the Democratic City Committee meetings, and the public is invited to all Council meetings. At Monday night's Council meeting, the public has an opportunity to address the Council on any item on the agenda before the night's business is actually taken up.
Since so much hangs on the two meetings and the business to be taken up, make plans to come out and participate!
A postscript to the mayor's 'anonymous' supporters: As I said before, this is my soapbox, not yours. If you don't want to sign your name or reveal your email address, feel free to post your comments in support of the mayor at her blog. I'm sure she will appreciate your support.
PLAINFIELD DEMOCRATIC CITY COMMITTEE
Monday | December 20
7:00 PM
Heard One Complex
210 Church Street
(across from Union County College)
CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS MEETING
Monday | December 20
8:00 PM
Courtroom/Council Chambers
Watchung Avenue & East 4th Street
Monday | December 20
7:00 PM
Heard One Complex
210 Church Street
(across from Union County College)
CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS MEETING
Monday | December 20
8:00 PM
Courtroom/Council Chambers
Watchung Avenue & East 4th Street
-- Dan Damon [follow]
Posts
23 comments:
Isn't it ironic that the Mayor used Director Hellwig to deliver the pink slip? Isn't he the same guy who should have been fired this past January for using City resources to solicit a prostitute? Yet she keeps him in charge of the Police Dept. and Bibi, the only competent Department Head, gets the axe? Unbelievable!!!
WHY WAS SHE TERMINATED
What....did Bibi figure out all the dirty dealings of the mayor and the mayor got a little... nervous???
RECALL NOW!
"The mayor may remove a department head or the city administrator whenever, in his discretion, the public interest so requires."
The public interest so requires that the mayor not only leave her postion, but get out of town. She is poisen.
JEALOUSY!!!
Sharon couldn't take it anymore. Bibi Taylor is intelligent.
Sharon IS NOT!
Bibi Taylor is honest.
Sharon IS NOT!
Bibi Taylor is VERY ATTRACTIVE.
Sharon . . . Ha!!! . . . NOT AT ALL!!!
By the way . . . what happened to the devilish curl???!!!
Another version of BEAUTY and the BEAST!!!
RECALL HER!!!
DELICIOUS !!!
I hope this is an early Christmas present from Santa...watching this card house fall apart should be quite entertaining..
Our city government makes Washington look like a bunch of neophytes. Send our mayor to Washington to show them how to really screw things up.
It is ironic that the criminal Hellwig gave the pink slip to Ms. Taylor and the mayor didn't have the guts to do it. I hope the city council does override the mayor. The mayor has a lot of dirt to hide and wants someone to take the fall for her or cover it up more. That's why Jerry is involved, as he has a part in the creation of said dirt. Write you council persons and ask for Ms. Taylor to be kept on and have the mayor investigated.
Only the Good Die [get fired] Young.
The Mayor has posed her comment on her Blog but seems to send a confusing message. Although she praises the City Administrator and sends a message that she is needed now, more than ever, the Mayor uses that good old term "However" as if saying, well, that is what the Mayor wants and she is the Mayor and she gets what she wants anyway.
Formulate you own opinion of her post.
OMFG Sharon, what the hell are you thinking...
Now there's a plum assignment...delivering pink slips. There is no hope for this place, really. The drip, drip continues and one day the damn will break.
GB, I resent that, I'm still here
I'm afraid that none of us have the courage to stand up and say "enough already!" Enough to the mayor who doesn't know anything about competent leadership. Enough to a PMUA commission that knows nothing about competency. Enough to a city council full of capable people who like to posture but haven't actually done anything to turn this city around. Instead, we'll keep writing anonymous comments. OR, we'll all show up at Monday's council meeting and demand change. We'll see.
Dear Governor Christie,
I believe there has to be some sort of oversight that the state provides of city and municipal governments. Please exercise your authority and help clean this mess up. You campaigned here and God knows we need you now. There has to be something ethically wrong (maybe even illegal) going on with the functioning (or lack thereof)administration we currently have in place. We appreciated your concern on the Gallon fiasco, but this latest maneuver by the Mayor raises the stakes here to a whole new level. So sad all of this.
The mayor did not post anything in regard to this matter. That was the Concil president, McMillian, who used the "however...mayoral appointment" line. It seems they have already decided to let this situation reflect on the firing, instead of overriding it in the best interest of the City. I am with whomever it was that has called for a forensic audit of the adminstrations' financial outlays. It seems as if to many people leave, perhaps as a result of not wanting to be involved with whatever is going on over at City Hall. The corporation council seems to be the only one that has staid on and one wonders why, unless he is up to his eyes in this mess as well. Please call in the Attorney General, the Counsil has no interest in addressing the real fiscal impriorities and the Administration is probably preparing a new set of books for the audit, as we speak. Ms. Taylor needs to discuss what happened, as does Mr. Brown, who left after his actions were called to attention. A real investigation get to the bottom of all of this, not just the BLS/Al Sharpton grain of sand on a long beach containing miles funny doings at 525 Watchung Ave. and further down on Watchung Ave. if you get my drift.
And where does one find the mayor's blog?
Dan -- why do you post anonymous postings like the one at 7:32? They add nothing to to our understanding of the situation. Its your blog and I would hope you would use your discretion is sorting out the purely personal attacks from the comments that help us get to the bottom of this latest travesty.
Randy Schaeffer
Does anyone know why the Superintendent of Recreation was involved in this? Shouldn't he be worried about his own department? After all, the director, Dave Brown, resigned recently so who is currently overseeing the daily running of this department? Does he have so much free time and nothing else to do that he can secretly go around and try to talk to council members regarding a matter he should not be involved in at all. Is he privy to all the day-to-day operations of the mayor's duties? Is he even qualified to hold a conversation with these people? The mayor just continues to prove why she is not qualified to hold this position and why things have gone from bad to worse under her watch. While I don't want the taxpayers of Plainfield to be responsible once again, it is obvious we will be on the hook for another lawsuit.
If petulant takes the place of sociopath, all I have to say is petulant doesn't even begin to cover it!
When you figure out the real connection between the mayor and dave wynn, it might answer some questions. The mayor sings him praises at every possible opportunity she can even though his enrollment numbers are embarrassingly low for tax payor supported programs and he in turn does her bidding. This is also why he refuses to cooperate with the council and recreation committee to give up requested data. If she only knew how close she came to being turned on by him, maybe she wouldn't have stuck her neck out to foolishly support him when everyone else knows he is such a contradiction for his position.
@Randy Schaeffer - You are absolutely right! This IS Dan's blog not yours. When you start your blog then you can use your discretion.
By the way . . . I agree with 7:32 -Bibi is more intelligent, most definitely more transparent and without a doubt absolutely attractive. If you knew anything about being a woman in the workplace you would know Sharon could be a HATER and this was more than likely the reason for the firing.
Can you think of another reason why a female mayor would terminate a pregnant woman -Mrs. Bibi Taylor-on Christmas Day while pregnant?
Hmmmm . . .
Lela Kriss
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