The effort to recall Mahwah Mayor Bill Laforet was launched primarily to honor the legacy of former Department of Public Works Director Ed Sinclair, according to the organizer. Watch video
A controversy over a discriminatory law, and political infighting were part of it, but the effort to recall Mahwah Mayor Bill Laforet was launched primarily to honor the legacy of the town’s late Department of Public Works Director Ed Sinclair, according to the effort’s organizer.
Melanie Sue, head of the Committee to Recall Mayor Laforet, told the Mahwah Council Thursday night that the group submitted more than 5,000 signatures to the Township Clerk Wednesday that were collected by volunteers to get a question on the November ballot asking whether Laforet should remain in office.
Recall supports wore a picture of Ed Sinclair to the council meeting.Allison Pries | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
The group needed 4,170 signatures — 25 percent of the registered voters in the last election — to get the question on the ballot.
“One of the most disturbing things we found going door to door was how many residents were afraid to sign because of their worry of retaliation from the mayor,” Sue told the council, as she read from a prepared statement. “In light of the accusations against the mayor in the Ed Sinclair lawsuit, and the numerous anecdotes from citizens who have been targeted by the mayor, we appreciate their concerns.”
Sinclair — who ran for mayor against Laforet in 2012 — was suspended from his job as DPW Director when Laforet allegedly got an anonymous letter falsely accusing Sinclair of having child pornography on his work computer. An investigation determined that there was pornography on the computer but it had been accessed by another DPW employee. Laforet suspended Sinclair anyway for poor oversight.
The council reinstated Sinclair during a raucous council meeting in March 2015. Sinclair died in August 2015 and his family filed a multi-million dollar wrongful death lawsuit against the township and Laforet saying his death was caused by stress from the false accusation.
Laforet maintains that the recall was “fueled and fired” by Council President Robert Hemansen, a vocal critic of Laforet, who “mislead and deceived residents to sign the petition,” the mayor said.
“He’s behind it 100 percent,” Laforet said.
Laforet said he stood up for civil rights when he went against the council on now-dead ordinance that banned out-of-state residents from township parks and resulted in a lawsuit from the Attorney General’s Office. State law enforcement alleged the ordinance was discriminatory, and aimed at keeping Orthodox Jews out of the town’s parks.
The town also recently settled a similar lawsuit from an Orthodox group alleging the town’s attempt to ban their eruvs — PVC piping on trees that act as a religious boundary — was discriminatory.
“I do not regret standing up for the civil rights of any … human beings,” the mayor said, “and this petition will not make me waiver.”
Council President Robert Hermansen said neither he nor any other council members had anything to do with the recall.
“For him to make the comments he did shows he’s blaming other people for his incompetence,” Hermansen said. “He’s a failure to this town and to the community.”
Sue, during her statement at the council meeting, scoffed at Laforet’s previous comments that he championed civil rights.
“As for his claims of standing up for civil rights, ask the family of Ed Sinclair or the merchants who supported his opponents about the mayor protecting their civil rights,” Sue said, in the group’s first public statement since filing the petition.
Sue also called on Laforet to resign, something he said Wednesday he had “absolutely zero” plans to do.
“It’s time for this town was lead by people who want to work together for our common good and not for their own agendas or ambitions,” Sue said.
Bergen County Freeholder Mary Amoroso, a former Mahwah council member, commended Sue during the public comments period for getting so many signatures — and defended Laforet.
“Mayor Laforet is far from perfect,” she said. “However, Mayor Laforet has done a lot of good for Mahwah … Mayor Laforet is not corrupt” — which drew laughs from the audience. (They were shushed by Hermansen).
“And I believe that the recall effort is, in part, a distraction from the horrible eruv situation, which continues to this day. Although the town council has certainly made efforts to rectify some of the unconstitutional and illegal ordinances,” Amoroso said.
Township Clerk Kathrine Coviello now has 10 business days, until July 12, to verify the signatures on the recall petition.
“She just has to make a determination whether the person was qualified and whether there were a sufficient number,” Township Attorney Brian Chewcaskie told the council Thursday night.
Laforet can challenge the petitions and can take the issue to court, Chewcaskie said. Potential candidates to fill the mayoral position cannot petition to have their name on the ballot until the challenges are resolved, he said.
“The statute specifically provides that the mayor can run for his position,” the Township Attorney said.
Laforet was first elected mayor in 2011. His current term expires in 2020.
Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AllisonPries. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
http://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2018/06/recall_of_mayor_to_honor_legacy_of_former_dpw_dire.html