The City Council didn’t have much time to enjoy the joviality and pomp of Sunday’s inauguration, because as soon as they walked off the stage on the steps of City Hall, it was time to get down to the business of officially appointing directors to help run the city.
While much of Sunday’s City Council reorganization meeting ran smoothly, there was some controversy over salaries given to new directors, and over certain appointments.
The first order of business of the meeting was to choose interim council members to replace Ruben Ramos in the 4th Ward, as he was elected in May to an at-large seat representing the whole town, and to replace Mayor David Roberts in the 6th Ward.
Those voting on the appointments were returning council members Theresa Castellano, 1st Ward, a supporter of former Mayor Anthony Russo (the two also are cousins); 2nd Ward Councilman Richard Del Boccio, another Russo supporter; 3rd Ward Councilwoman Roseann Andreula, a former Russo supporter who of late has voted with the Roberts side; and wildcard councilman Michael Cricco. Also returning were Roberts supporters Tony Soares, at-large, and Ruben Ramos, Jr., at-large. They were joined by newly-elected at-large Councilwoman Carol Marsh.
Council members nominated Christopher Campos to fill the 4th Ward seat. Campos, fresh from law school, smiled and waved at supporters. But his appointment was not without controversy.
Castellano nominated Housing Authority activist Lynda Walker for the seat. Some say she had been promised the position by the Roberts camp in the past. Carol Marsh, apparently upset by the controversy, hung her head and closed her eyes after Castellano’s nomination.
Nevertheless, the tension was short-lived. The council members, including Marsh, voted 6-1 for Campos to serve on the council. Castellano voted no.
Questions have been raised about Campos’ residency in Hoboken. To be elected or serve on the City Council, the candidate must live in his ward for at least a year. Campos had only registered to vote in Hoboken in May and has never participated in a municipal election.
Campos said Thursday that he had been away at college for much of the time since he has graduated from Hoboken High School in 1994, but that Hoboken had always been his home and that he planned to run for a full term on the council at the November election.
“It’s simple,” said Campos. “I was born in Hoboken, raised in the Housing Authority, and went to high school here. I did what every college kid does. I went away to school, but I never wanted to be anywhere else in the world other than Hoboken. This is my home. It always has been and always will be.”
But not everyone is pleased with Campos’ appointment.
In her first press release since announcing she will run for the 4th Ward position in November, former City Council president Nellie Moyeno challenged Campos as nothing more than a “Johnny-come-lately” selection.
Moyeno wrote, “The designation of Christopher Campos raises serious ethical and legal questions about the integrity and honesty of his residency requirements and voting history. Mr. Campos’ actions are outrageous and may even constitute fraud. If Mr. Campos cared about the citizens, he would put their interests above his own and would tender his resignation immediately.”
Campos responded to Moyeno’s allegations with agitation and confusion.
“I really don’t understand what she is saying,” said Campos. “I used to play Little League [baseball] with her son. She has known me my whole life. It hurts me that she would use the 4th Ward as a political battlefield instead of doing something to make it a better place.”
Meanwhile, Lynda Walker, who was passed over for the 4th Ward seat, was appointed to a seat on the Housing Authority.
Rising salaries
Also drawing ire from Castellano was the salary of the new city business administrator Laurie Cotter, $109,000. Currently, the salary cap for her position is $91,000. George Crimmins, the administrator whom she replaces, was hired at a salary of $72,000 in 1993 and after eight years had a salary of $91,000.
Newly appointed City Council President Soares argued Thursday that Crimmins held more than one job, and that when all his jobs were tallied, he was making more than $126,000. Crimmins had also worked as city treasurer and emergency management coordinator. Roberts’ City Council appointed former police officer Tom Kennedy to be emergency coordinator on Sunday.
Castellano said that she had no concerns about Cotter’s qualifications or credentials, but she did have a problem with Cotter being hired with a salary that is well above the city’s pay scale.
The City Council can vote to change the pay scale, but did not at Sunday’s meeting. Soares said during the meeting that the council will amend the salary structure at an upcoming meeting.
Another move that will increase the amount of city salaries was an ordinance that will divide the Department of Human Services into two separate departments.
Carmelo Garcia, a bank officer who does not have experience in development or human services, will take the post of Director of Human Services. However, he will not have to worry about the development duties that used to come with the position. They will go to County Planner Fred Bado, who will take the helm as the new director of the Department of Community Development. Each position will draw a salary of $70,000.
In Mayor Anthony Russo’s administration, Human Services Director Robert Drasheff performed both duties at a salary of $87,500.
In previous administrations, the duties were separate.
Landscape architect Cassandra Wilday was appointed to the post of director of environmental services at a salary of $70,000. Before joining Roberts’ staff, her architectural firm of Arnold/Wilday Architects was hired to help the city design Pier A Park and the entire landscape for the Southern Waterfront Development.
The project won the prestigious “Chapter Award” from the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), the highest honor given by the organization.
While Wilday has never been a municipal employee, she has worked for the county in the field of waste management for the for the Hackensack/Meadowlands Development Commission (HMDC).
Laurie Cotter will get some help in her position of business administrator. The council approved the hiring of Union City resident Katia Stack, wife of Union City Mayor Brian Stack, who will serve as Finance Supervisor for $70,000. She also will serve as city treasurer at no additional charge. Scott Elliott was hired as Financial Advisor. Elliott will work on a hourly basis with a cap of $70,000.
Neil Carol Jr. was appointed as a special attorney for alcoholic beverage control matters for $36,000 a year. Suzanne Hetman, formerly a secretary for state Sen. Bernard Kenny, was hired to be Roberts’ “special assistant” at a salary of $70,000.
Council President Soares said he is confident that the new administration will be more fiscally prudent that the previous one.
“We were committed to hiring the best business administrator possible, and to get the best, you are going have to pay for it,” said Soares Thursday. “But with that said, we are going to lower the cost to the taxpayer and we are going to do that by taking away those little perks in City Hall. Our directors are going to have their own cars [Russo’s directors drove city-owned Crown Victorias] and I guarantee that the new mayor is not going to be driving around in a city vehicle 24/7. Our directors are going to have one job and one job only, and are not going to be getting extra money from longevity payments.”
Russo’s last minute appointments voided
The Roberts administration voided last-minute attempts by Russo to appoint supporters to certain positions. In his last day in office, Russo appointed police Lt. James Fitzsimmons, who had run unsuccessfully for council on Russo’s ticket, to the position of emergency management coordinator. That job brings a salary of $13,881.
Russo also appointed two supporters to unpaid positions on the Hoboken Parking Authority board, which controls policy at that agency. He appointed former Business Administrator Crimmins and Alicia Santiago to the volunteer positions.
According to the City Attorney Esther Suarez, those appointments were voided due to procedural errors when the appointments were made. The City Council had not ratified Russo’s appointments.
Mayor Roberts voided those last-minute appointments and selected his own appointees. Roberts appointed Thomas Kennedy as emergency management coordinator, and Alan Cohen and Daniel DeCavaignac to serve on the Hoboken Parking Authority.
But according to sources close to Russo, he believes the appointments are valid and the former mayor is considering legal action.
Until those matters are resolved, Roberts’ appointees will be acting in those positions.
“They have the job,’ said Soares. “At next week’s Parking Authority meeting, our appointments will be there and will be a part of those boards.”
‘It might not look good…’
In a memo received by the Reporter dated February of 2001, Cassandra Wilday, the newly appointed director of environmental services, declined an invitation to a $1,500-a-plate Russo fundraiser by stating, “I appreciate your invitation. However, without reciprocation, it is simply not possible to continue my financial support.”
Later that month, Russo replied to Wilday’s letter. “To be honest, I’m actually surprised at your statement,” he wrote on mayor’s office letterhead dated Feb. 21. He added, “You imply that if you get work you will get donations. That’s not legal – it’s called quid-pro-quo – and you really should know this!”
Russo added, “Everyone else who contributes does so because they agree with the good things we are doing for Hoboken. I guess you believe otherwise or expect otherwise. That is not the way I would want your support.”
In a phone interview Tuesday, Wilday said her letter was not an offer of quid-pro-quo and that it was taken out of context. She said that by reciprocation, she meant she wanted Russo to respond to her concerns about issues.
“While I now wish I didn’t write it, at the time I was frustrated,” said Wilday. “Taken alone it might not look good, but this is just one in a series of six letters to the mayor’s office trying to get some sort of response. But none of those previous letters were ever returned. I wanted to see how far I had to go to get a response. But in no way was I ever offering financial support for employment. If you read all the letters it is obvious that was not my intent at all.”
Wilday said that she still has copies of the other memos, but because she is in the process of moving into her office in City Hall, they are packed away in boxes.
On the May 29 campaign election report filed by new Mayor David Roberts after the May election, neither Wilday nor her architecture firm are listed as financial contributors to Roberts’ campaign.
Russo acknowledged that there had been other letters to his office from Wilday, but said that this one isn’t out of context.
“If it was only a misunderstanding she would have sent a reply to the letter that I sent back to her,” Russo said Friday. “But she was silent. That tells me that she put her foot in her mouth.”