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Mayor's Appointments "Elitist"
Citizen-Dispath staff
Critics charge that Mayor Karen McCoy-Oliver's appointments to the township's policy-making boards and committees are "elitist".
Case in point is the recent appointment of County Party Boss Charlotte DeFilippo to the Hillside Public Library board of trustees.
Council President Sam McGhee and Mayor McCoy-Oliver claim that they could not find anyone else to fill the position.
But citizen activists and Ward Four Councilman Gerald "Pateesh" Freedman countered with the fact that the Council never asked the public to volunteer to serve on a committee.
The Council and Mayor has never put out as much as a flyer to let people know how they can volunteer.
INCLUSIVE?
The Mayor asserts that her committee appointments are "inclusive".
"I have appointed people I may not always agree with to committees," the Mayor said.
As an example, she indicated that she appointed Freedman to the Veterans Park committee - a committee proposed by Freedman himself.
Freedman questioned the Mayor's definition of "inclusiveness" when his highest appointment on any council committee was position of "second alternate" assigned to him this year.
POLITICS, OF COURSE
When former Mayor Barbara Rowen was in office, Town Hall always informed residents when there were openings on the adjustment board, planning board, health board, pool commission, library trustees. Applicants were interviewed and the most qualified persons were selected.
But now committee appointments have become mired in politics and cronyism.
Committee and board members who dared to speak out against political chicanery quickly found themselves being passed up for other applicants once their terms expired.
Is it any wonder Town Hall will not bother to ask residents to volunteer their time? Why bother? When you run out of lackeys, just appoint the Boss.
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