Of Wheels And Deals

 I happened to be leaving City Hall Thursday when I saw this huge bus outside. Turns out it was taking people to Atlantic City at the invitation of Mayor-elect Adrian Mapp for a reception. The bus holds more than 50 people. Mapp and many other officials are in Atlantic City this week for the League of Municipalities convention.

 The annual convention, coming just after the November general election, is a place where political pecking orders tend to get sorted out, among many other activities. See politickernj.com's post here.

 
 Next week back in Plainfield, local issues may be taken up, as the Nov. 12 City Council meeting revealed a bit more dissension than one would expect after Mapp's stunning victory at the polls. According to The Needler in the Haystack, Mapp will soon be relinquishing his Third Ward council seat in advance of taking the office of mayor on Jan. 1. The Democratic City Committee must offer three names to the council, which will choose one as an appointee until the next general election.

The appointee will be able to vote on many important issues in coming weeks and months. With a split in evidence on Nov. 12 between Democrat factions, Mapp could avoid an embarrassing rejection of his cabinet choices at the annual reorganization by naming them directly to 90-day acting terms, but by the end of March they would have to be appointed by advice and consent.

In 2014, the governing body would also have to take action if charter change is desired. The Charter Study Commission issued its report in August and recommended petitioning the state legislature for certain changes, but Plaintalker does not recall any action taken by the council.

Mapp's first budget will have to be formulated for council approval, which will bring up unresolved issues such as whether to spin off social services, accountability for recreation programs, how to manage public safety overtime costs and more.

After eight years of one style of governance, Mapp has an opportunity, if the council concurs, to establish a new way forward. Will the governing body "get on the bus" for innovation?

 

--Bernice

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