Mayor Jerramiah Healy was scheduled to give a state of the city address in mid-February, according to city spokesperson Maria Pignataro, but he is now concerned with a more controversial topic – the state of City Hall.
In recent weeks, revelations have come out about recently resigned Deputy Mayor Ador Equipado.
According to several sources, Equipado requested payments from couples for conducting marriage ceremonies at City Hall, even though he is not supposed to do so.
After a pair of newlyweds contacted a local daily newspaper and blew the whistle on Equipado, the deputy mayor was asked to step down. The newspaper reported that months earlier the couple had complained to City Hall about being charged for their wedding ceremony but nothing was done.
The press also reported that Pignataro has been doing event planning for local developers Eric and Paul Silverman on the side. Pignataro responded that she was in that business before working for City Hall.Shakeup?
Two unnamed city officials said recently, based on recent conversations with Healy and Healy’s allies, that a shakeup in the Mayor’s Office could be forthcoming, with various staff changes.
There is speculation that interviews are being conducted to replace Pignataro, with her possible resignation around Feb. 1.
Pignataro responded strongly on Tuesday via e-mail, “There is no truth to [the rumors] about my resignation.” She followed up with a phone interview on Wednesday in which she said was still “surprised” by the talk of her apparent resignation, which she called “emotionally draining.”
“I wouldn’t have even considered doing work for the Silvermans without clearing it with Mayor [Healy], who gave me the go-ahead,” said Pignataro, who said she worked for public relations firm several years before coming to City Hall in 2004.
“I would never embarrass the mayor in any way. One thing I have learned from working as an events planner is being a team player.”
One candidate believed to be in consideration is Sally Deering, a former local journalist who previously served as the spokesperson for the Jersey City Medical Center and is currently the director of development and outreach at the Learning Community Charter School in Jersey City.
When reached for comment last week, Deering said she had “nothing to say” at the present time. Or an unfair shake?
An unnamed city official with several years of experience in city government said there is very little reason for Pignataro to step down, claiming that her taking on outside work was not a “conflict of interest.”
“How does it actually interfere with the city’s business?” said this unnamed official. “She didn’t vote to give the Silvermans a tax abatement, she doesn’t sit on the Planning Board approving any of their projects.”
But another unnamed city official who has served in at least two mayoral administrations prior to Healy’s said Pignataro’s taking work outside City Hall was, “plain and simple” inappropriate.
“I think [Pignataro is] very good at event planning and organizing on that level, but as far as being politically savvy, she doesn’t have that,” said another unnamed city official. “In the political environment in Jersey City, this does not leave a good impression.”
But this official also felt she was unfairly attacked by the local daily newspaper and said that Pignataro and Equipado’s offenses were “blown out of proportion.”
Both unnamed officials agreed that Equipado’s actions were far more serious than Pignataro’s, and both confirmed that Healy is looking to issue an executive order specifying that no city official can take payments for weddings.
The Jersey City police are also investigating whether Equipado engaged in any other questionable activity while performing marriage ceremonies.
Another city source said Healy might hold up Equipado’s resignation as proof that the mayor is trying to enforce ethical behavior within City Hall, which is important at this time when Healy is looking to start his mayoral re-election campaign at least a year ahead of schedule.
There has been speculation by some officials that the mayor’s Chief of Staff Carl Czaplicki could be transferred out of his current position because he bore the responsibility of handling the Equipado situation.
But Czaplicki said last week that he has heard the rumors before and there is no truth to it.
According to Czaplicki, Mayor Healy has not indicated to him that there will be any change.
City Council President Mariano Vega said if Healy wants a shakeup, the present is a good time for it.
“Usually when a term is at its mid-point, it is a good idea to start looking to make changes where it is needed,” said Vega. ‘A man frustrated’
Pat O’Melia, Healy’s longtime friend and occasional foe, who hosts a radio show and several TV shows dealing with Hudson County issues, said that his recent conversations with Healy show a man frustrated.
O’Melia believes that Healy should not be “nice” about dealing with problems in City Hall.
“I think [Healy] is getting tired of having to find out about what is going on around him from everyone else but the people who work in City Hall,” said O’Melia. “He has to find out from me, the newspapers, but not the people who work under him. He’s getting embarrassed.”
O’Melia continued, “They all want to talk about the nice things but they avoid breaking the bad news to the mayor. If I was mayor, there would be firings, not resignations.” Then there’s the address
City officials have confirmed that Healy will give the state of the city address by late February. But they cautioned it is not a top priority currently because of the recent problems with Equipado and Pignataro.
Among the issues to be discussed in the state of the city address are: the development of new luxury condos and two-family homes across the city; crime statistics going down in 2006 in categories such as homicide; and the pending revitalization of Journal Square and the HUB Plaza on Martin Luther King Drive. Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com