After an investigation by the Hudson County Improvement Authority (HCIA), Jersey City Councilman Khemraj “Chico” Ramchal has been terminated from a job with the agency, a job he has held since 2008.
Paul Swibinski, a spokesperson for the HCIA, said that CEO Norman Guerra informed Ramchal about the termination Tuesday, effective immediately. However, on Wednesday afternoon, Ramchal said, “I still have not received any official document from the HCIA as of today.”
Ramchal did not want to comment until he received official notice.
Swibinski said the termination notice was issued via letter.
Swibinski said the decision was based on the findings of an independent attorney retained to review relevant documents. Ramchal, however, was not interviewed by the counsel.
The investigation into Ramchal came after he was involved in an accident involving his county vehicle on March 14, for which he was later charged with assault. The crash resulted in bodily injury to a passenger in the vehicle that was struck.
Police who administered an alcohol test after the crash alleged that Ramchal was driving a city vehicle while intoxicated. However, thus far, he has not been charged with driving under the influence.
Ramchal had been suspended with pay by the HCIA after the accident. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
“We brought in an independent council to review the records.” – Paul Swibinski
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Because Ramchal is not covered by any bargaining agreement, he is not entitled to a hearing on the matter.
“But we would certainly grant him one if he asks for it,” Swibinski said.
The findings are public information, but Swibinski said the media should seek the information by filing a request through the Open Public Records Act.
“It is not certain whether or not they can be released because of the ongoing investigation by the Hudson County Prosecutor,” Swibinski said.
Fulop responds
Ramchal was elected to the council in 2013 as a running mate of Mayor Steven Fulop. When asked on Wednesday, Fulop declined to speculate on Ramchal’s fate, noting that there is a process that will determine his culpability.
Fulop also would not speculate on Ramchal’s fate as a councilman. Last month, Ramchal told the Jersey City Reporter that he did not intend to vacate his council seat. Ramchal represents Ward B and his term expires in 2017.
“I have no control over whether he stays or leaves as a council person,” Fulop said. “The laws that govern that are set by the Faulkner Act. The mayor has zero control over that. I reached out to the county to get some more information on what they found in the investigation.”
When asked if Ramchal should step down, Fulop replied: “I haven’t gotten the information from the county yet, and I haven’t heard what the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office found as well. We defer from making a judgment until we have all the facts. It’s the responsible thing to do. I think anybody in a bad situation would want to be assumed innocent until the facts are presented and found to be guilty.”
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.