Dear Neighbors,
Here’s the latest update on what’s new in our town.
BAIT AND SWITCH AT THE OLD LIBRARY
At the June 9th Town Council meeting, Mayor Susan McCartney attempted a classic bait and switch, asking the Council to approve a no-bid $57,000 contract to an architectural firm to present a design to repurpose what remains of the old library into township office space.
That’s not what senior and downtown residents were promised.
When the old library property was sold to a favored developer without a public bid or appraisal in 2021, residents were repeatedly assured through presentations and written documents that the remaining building would become a community space and/or a satellite library serving downtown residents, particularly our seniors.
Now, the administration is trying to convert that promised community space into Township offices. I alerted the seniors living in the new senior housing at 46 Mt. Pleasant Avenue, and several came to Town Hall to ask the administration to deliver on the promise.
Their voices tipped the scale. As a result, Council members who had supported the plan changed their votes, and the measure was defeated 3-2.
Despite their appeals, Councilmembers Krakoviak and Casalino voted to approve the change of use. Bait and switch.
SURPRISE SPENDING CONTINUES AT THE ‘NEW’ LIBRARY
In 2021, then-Council President Susan McCartney (now Mayor), along with Council members Tammy Williams, Michelle Casalino, and Cindy Matute-Brown, voted to move the library and sell the property to a developer. The only dissenting vote was Councilman Bill Rutherford. Residents were promised a “free” new library in an outdated 1970s Essex Green office building, funded largely by state grants and developer contributions. Instead, the building proved unsuitable, construction costs jumped about 30%, creating a multi-million-dollar funding gap, and taxpayers have been left paying the bill ever since.
Yet more library spending surfaced at the June 24th Council meeting, when Mayor McCartney asked the Council to approve a $21,000 no-bid contract to design a new air-conditioning system. The contract covered only the design, not the HVAC installation itself. When I asked the cost of the new system, the answer was approximately $1.3 million, with funding expected to be requested soon. An additional $300,000 is also needed this year to repair the library roof.
That’s the legacy of Susan McCartney and Tammy Williams: broken promises and rising costs.
WATCHING YOUR MONEY
As your Councilmember, one of my highest priorities is protecting your tax dollars, not making convoluted deals for developers like the money pit that our new library has become. Careful financial oversight prevents wasteful spending, but finding every available source of revenue is just as important. Here are some of the ways I’ve worked to turn it around.
- Where’s the money? I identified a bill for a $25,000 library sign that should have been paid from a $75,000 developer settlement—not taxpayer funds. The $75k settlement, dating back to 2021, had never been collected by the Township. When I pointed this out, the bill was pulled. Business Administrator Peter Smeraldo said he would ask the Township’s former attorney Richard Trenk about the old settlement. My question: Shouldn’t the Township already have copies of its own agreements, especially one worth $75,000?
- Stopped payment of unsupported legal bills. I identified legal invoices from the Township’s commercial ($6,000) and residential ($3,250) tax appeal attorneys that contained no documentation of the appeals or work performed to justify payment. Those bills were pulled for further review.
- Eliminated $100,000 in unnecessary over-budgeting. During budget hearings, I identified $100,000 in the Township’s electricity budget for costs that are reimbursed by the library and another tenant. The Council unanimously approved my recommendation to reduce the budget by $100,000, ensuring taxpayers were not charged for expenses already covered through reimbursements.
- Generating new revenue is also important. One initiative I pushed for was an ordinance extending the operating hours of our neighborhood cannabis dispensaries by two hours. These quiet and securely-run businesses generate significant revenue for West Orange based on their earnings. The Township is on track to receive at least $300,000 in cannabis tax revenue this year. Extending their hours will increase that revenue further.
CONFRONTING WEST ORANGE’S PARKING DISPARITIES
When I learned that residents had been fighting for nearly two decades to be able to park in front of their own homes but Seton Hall Prep students were taking up most of the spaces, I stepped in and vigorously advocated for them. I requested that the township convene an open forum for the residents who live below Rollinson to meet directly with the traffic consultants hired by the administration. At that meeting, the residents spoke firmly against a proposed restructuring of their streets into one-ways.
Despite this clear feedback, Mayor McCartney directed the consultants to go ahead with the one-way pilot program along the Alphabet Streets. I reached out to the neighborhood to let them know of the plan. At a subsequent Council meeting, the residents turned out in force and convinced the Council to reject the proposal. Unfortunately, we taxpayers are still left with the $17,000 consulting bill the Mayor racked up to push the one-way streets. I, along with some of my colleagues, requested an ordinance to provide what residents have sought for 17 years—resident parking permits. That ordinance is scheduled for the July 7 Town Council agenda. The Administration’s proposed ordinance is a first step, however, it ignores the core requests of the community.
Thank you for staying engaged and caring about our town. I love hearing your concerns, questions and comments.
Many of you know that I am running for Mayor of West Orange. Together, we can change our Township for the better. I need your vote, but we need to work for change and get the message out as well. If you’d like to get involved, join the campaign team, walk your neighborhood with me, host a coffee, post a lawn sign, or volunteer in another way, please let me know.
For more information about my campaign for mayor, visit: joycerudinformayor.com
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