KINGSLEY AND VARNERIN ENGAGE IN CREATIVE WRITING EXERCISE AS RESPONSE TO BACKLASH

The shock waves from the RMC vote to oust Township Admin Liza reverberate through our township. Statements made by Varnerin and Kingsley with disingenuous apologies embedded into failed attempts to reassign the blame have failed miserably.

Instead of apologizing, they pull out all the stops to pretend this wasn’t their fault. The vote was political retaliation for a host of reasons – none of which I need to outline; they are pretty straightforward as the public is watching it all unfold through the squeaky clean windows of their glass houses.

Laura Kap provided emails she sent to Ms. Kingsley and Mr. Varnerin addressing their public statement.

This is the text of her email to Ms. Kingsley:

First of all, I want to applaud and thank you for, once again, showing the community of Berkeley Heights what I have known since you unnecessarily attempted to drag me through the mud – what failure in leadership looks like.

You have demonstrated a pure lack of moral compass and disregard for your neighbors, colleagues and our township employees. No one will be offering you a life preserver here or a pass for the actions you cannot undo, you also can’t pass the blame to others.

I suspect you were the ring leader to the atrocity that occurred when you helped to publicly fire Liza Viana at the council reorganization meeting. My suggestion: walk away from it all; you lack the ability and wherewithal to serve as a council representative. You lack the ability to own your mistakes – it would do you good to engage in self reflection here and there.

Thank you for confirming the suspicions of everyone that your vote was 100% rooted in politics and your personal vendetta against Mayor Devanney. Your statement in TAPinto coupled with the resident speech whose volunteer role wasn’t reappointed, solidifies the “why” you did what you did. And, the fact that you are comfortable using Liza as a pawn in your political game is unfathomable and deplorable.

If you are going to call out “failures”, you need first to take a look in the mirror, Jeanne.

YOU FAILED to address concerns with your employee, Liza, over 4 years.

YOU FAILED to use the council meeting to conduct business, including discussing and deliberating agenda items.

YOU FAILED to act responsibly; if you had an issue with a Mayoral appointment, you could have resolved to table the agenda item.

YOU FAILED when you publicly voted to fire a hard-working and dedicated employee.

YOU FAILED when you placed the blame on Mayor Angie.

YOU are the problem – YOU DID THIS.

The proposed reappointment of Liza was not a surprise, nor was this a “new appointment,” hence the language “reappointment.” Suppose you, at any point, felt the need to interview candidates (although, honestly, why replace someone who is excelling at her job?). In that case, you should have made that clear to the Mayor and Liza and then let the public know that this is what you felt was the best decision for Berkeley Heights. This is called transparency.

The entire idea of a Mayoral appointment is just that; the Mayor picks and then appoints. It’s lovely and not surprising that the former republican Mayors consulted with their republican council members before an appointment, but it’s not required.

You may consult and advise – but your job is to review the appointment of the Mayor. You make multiple claims that the Mayor failed to do her job, but if you read what you wrote – you failed to, at any time, voice a concern about the process and the appointments. You also have the power to table agenda items. Voting “no” was your way of playing your political power card – but you failed miserably, and Berkeley Heights deserves better.

I’d like to you retract your statement that the Mayor “desired the spectacle that occurred at the reorganization.” This is categorically untrue and erroneous. It is your opinion, riddled with delusions of grandeur. During the meeting, the Mayor asked for public discussions and for council members to revisit the vote, you said “no.”

Please stop trying to take people down with you, it’s ugly. If you genuinely believe Liza deserved to be treated better than you should have treated her better – you, Jeff, Manny, and John are the monsters in this atrocity – do you not see that?

And let me end with a reflection, since you are all about good looks and fresh faces for Berkeley Heights. If we look back to our juicy past, specifically regarding the members of this community you deem aren’t a “good look” for this town, that will, once again, be the reflection YOU see in the mirror.

This is the text of her email to Ms. Varnerin:

I felt it necessary to address your statement from this afternoon in TAPinto.

If you are really sorry, then why didn’t you just apologize to Liza and leave it at that?

You speak of 6 unanswered text messages, what you published are 3 screenshots of the same 3 texts you claim to send to Angie from 12/29, 12/30 and 1/2. It is my understanding that the phone issued to the Mayor is for emergency purposes, not to set up off record meetings. It is also my understanding that proper way to set up meetings to discuss council and township business is to email or call the township office or use the official township email – but it doesn’t seem like you did either of those.

Is is true that up until 12/29/22 you had not a single issue or concern with Liza as township administrator? Why did it take you a full 4 years to realize you had concern, or why did you wait until 12/29 to say something?

Council meetings (specifically executive session) are the only appropriate place to discuss township business, including personnel – not inviting yourself to the Mayor’s home over a holiday weekend, and not having off the record meetings (that means text messages). Conducing government business in secrecy, over personal text messaging, and/or not using the proper modes of communication or any action that restricts the public from having full transparency of the business of the township and the local governing body is a violation of OPMA.

At the reorganization meeting you had the options to 1) table the reappointment or 2) engage in a public discussion. You chose option 3) publicly fire a township employee in front of her children and mother. You did not voice a concern, or provide any commentary to support your vote – you didn’t say a word. Classy.

Lastly, if you truly have “serious concerns” about Liza’s ability to do the job then you definitely should have spoken up before 12/29, and it should have been documented as she is a public employee.

This is now the second time you have publicly disparaged Liza for your own personal agenda and gain, the first was in a statement during your unsuccessful campaign. You have demonstrated that you engage in unethical practices and have demonstrated that your own personal agenda muddies your ability to serve as a council member. If you are going to apologize, then do so – don’t play the blame game – it’s infantile and insincere.

You voted “no,” so, own it.

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