By Michael Hill
Correspondent
R.G. Ward resigned after 10 years on the East Orange Water Commission when the new Mayor Lester Taylor III called for it.
“I assumed that it’s new administration, he wants new people. Maybe he wants new faces at the table,” said Ward.
But Ward and three other commissioners say the call for them to resign on Friday the 13th was a surprise because three days earlier, the mayor had praised them. But, the mayor says, “Just because we’re going to work with them doesn’t mean I was satisfied with their performance.”
What’s become clear in this battle between the mayor and the water commissioners is that they are at opposite ends of spectrum in terms of who is responsible for what’s already happened at the water commission and how to make things better going forward.
The mayor says the commissioners should have done a better job of governing the water department. And he says they should have known the alleged misdeeds of the indicted but deceased former Executive Director Harry Mannsman and former Assistant William Mowell.
“I wasn’t even on board until 2012. They certainly could not connect the dots there,” said Darryl Walls.
Walls says he won’t resign and after last year’s indictments, says he’s been looking for licensed professionals to replace the executive director.
“The transition team of the mayor requested that please wait till we can get together and walk through that process together,” he said.
But, while the mayor accuses the commissioners of being asleep at the controls, it appears he also criticizes them for stepping in to right the ship.
“After having seeing two of their resigning letters, it shows that the commission members were involved in a day to day operation of utility, they’re not engineers, they’re not licensed professionals, they don’t have the skill and experience to run the organization,” Taylor said.
It seems the big split came when Mayor Taylor’s administration offered to have a private company called Veolia run the water department with no bidding and the commissioners decided to ask questions.
“You can’t put $1.2 million on the table and then not have something that says this is what you’re going to get. This is what we anticipate what you’re going to get and how we plan to accomplish it, he has a timeline,” said Walls.
“My expectation is they will award contracts in a fair, open and competitive manner in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.
Some of the commissioners call Mayor Taylor a bully. Commissioner Roger Rucks stepped down as president of the board and then from the commission. In a letter sent to the commission, Rucks stated, “In Trenton, Mayor Taylor abruptly interrupted me, began to yell and curse at me, and physically postured his stance in a threatening demeanor.”
“I’m not going to respond that blasphemous allegation,” Taylor said.
Commissioner Walls, who’s an anti-bullying trainer, says, “We have here is a very serious issue here. This goes far beyond any fiduciary responsibilities.”
The East Orange Water Commission has many challenges ahead but it may take the city council to resolve who will be left standing to govern the department.