TRENTON — For the entire three hours the city council met Thursday night, the flap between the deputy clerk and a councilwoman – and the $25,000 the city spent to investigate it – continually arose as the body went about its business.
First, council members debated several aspects of the incidents between Deputy Clerk Cordelia Staton and Councilwoman-at-Large Phyllis Holly-Ward and if Holly-Ward should be taking part in a vote on a resolution to accept the $25,000 investigative report.
Later, residents lambasted the council, saying the incident continues to give the city a black eye. And three former city council members rose to the microphone to offer their opinions on the matter.
And then the council sparred over a council-formed committee they revealed had been formed to investigate leaks of information about the incident to a local newspaper.
One councilman left during the meeting without explanation, another said she was not going to “deal with this BS anymore,” and the city clerk rejected a councilman’s request to have something read into the record.
“We’ve wasted too much time with this foolishness tonight,” one resident said to the council to start the public comment. “This is some of the saddest stuff I’ve seen.” He suggested council members take an “aptitude” test for their elected positions.
The meeting started with discussion about the report, done by an outside law firm, and which the city paid for. The city is not releasing it, but the 30-page report and executive summary was adopted by the council at the meeting.
But first, council members bickered over the vote, with some suggesting Holly-Ward should abstain from voting because it was a clear conflict of interest.
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“This is not bringing investors here,” said Councilwoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, saying she has just toured the Roebling Lofts project that day. The city does not need this dominating headlines, she said.
“Step aside from this issue,” Reynolds-Jackson said to Holly-Ward.
“We don’t want a lawsuit from city employees or multiple city employees because you will not recuse yourself,” Councilman Duncan Harrison said of Holly-Ward.
“I have a right to be here, and I’m staying,” Holly-Ward said several times.
The council first voted on a resolution to postpone the vote in the report, which failed.
Later, they voted 4-3 to accept the report, with Holly-Ward, Alex Bethea, Marge Caldwell-Wilson and George Muschal voting to accept it.
Reynolds-Jackson, Zachary Chester and Harrison voted against it.
Later, as the council considered other matters, the issue flared again, with Muschal lashing out at other council members, saying none had the “nerve” to act on the situation, and he was the only one to suggest a “solution.”
(Muschal on Monday sent a memo to his colleagues recommending that Staton be removed from her position as deputy clerk and be transferred elsewhere in the city.)
With a raised voice and pointing his finger, Muschal heatedly lashed out to the audience, saying people in attendance were paid by Mayor Eric Jackson’s administration to show up and attack him verbally. “You were called in by the administration to trash me, and I know it for a fact.”
Calling them “puppets,” Muschal said the people have nothing to offer the city in need, and he would not bow to them. “It ain’t gonna happen. You can take it to the bank,” he said.
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Muschal then started discussing who leaked information to the newspapers about the incident, which prompted the council to reveal and discuss a committee they formed to investigate news leaks about the councilwoman-clerk dispute to the Trentonian last year.
Harrison questioned why Holly-Ward was on the committee, even though it was about an issue in which she was involved – a clear conflict of interest, he said. Muschal and Caldwell-Wilson are the other committee members.
Harrison asked Police Director Ernest Parry Jr. if, in a police investigation, it was proper to leak information to the press, or investigate with a person under scrutiny.
Parrey curtly said “No” to both questions.
Caldwell-Wilson said she, Muschal and Holly-Ward were the only ones who agreed to be on the committee.
Then she quit it. “I am withdrawing myself from this investigative committee, because I do not want to put up with this BS anymore,” she said.
Harrison responded, “Instead of recusing yourself, take some action.”
Muschal then left the meeting, without explanation.
When Harrison asked clerk Richard Kachmar to read Muschal’s suggestion about the clerk-councilwoman issue into the record, Kachmar declined.
“I refuse because it’s a personnel matter,” Kachmar said. Harrison mentioned reading it aloud, but did not.
In the public session, former councilwoman Annette Lartigue said, “This is my first time back here and I am not shocked, I’m appalled.”
She then lectured the council on how the council and mayor should operate on a day-to-day basis. Then she left the podium after saying, “Don’t ever spend $25,000 of my money on a commission you could have done yourself.”
Chester responded by saying the whole idea was to resolve it without anyone being able to allege it was tainted, because it involved a city employee and an elected councilwoman.
For a few minutes, the council clashed over if they knew the price of the investigative report at the time.
Former councilmen Manny Segura and Paul Pintella also spoke, with Pintella saying he would not criticize the council members in public. Both called for the council to do a better job dealing with the issue.
Several members of the public defended Staton, including her daughter, Candi Staton, saying she’s been smeared in the media, and she’s a good public servant.
Darren “Freedom” Green, who also defended Staton, also pleaded with the council to be more of a solution to Trenton and not a dividing force. “We are a three-pronged solution, the mayor, the council and citizens. Until we come together, we won’t be whole, we won’t be better.”
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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