In 2018 the community was battling the municipal complex. Residents who were against the building and opposed to the former Mayor’s Republican monopoly’s plan were ridiculed on social media by political operatives.
I remember putting up an article that explained how the Mayor, at the time, appeared to be using a loophole to avoid a referendum and in my opinion, that seemed suspect. I remember getting interrogated, my questions spun and I was labeled as part of a group whose members I didn’t even know existed at the time (I know who they are now haha). I remember seeing residents talked down to and ridiculed at Town Council Meetings. Condescension, “we are the experts”, “you don’t know what you are talking about” government ruled the day.
During the Reconfiguration last year that had so many parents up in arms, the Republican party was a wall of silence. “We can’t get involved in BOE issues publicly” was what we repeatedly heard but then we also listened to a prominent Republican Town Council Member tell us to “trust the administration.”
I wrote about this last year in my endorsement of Two Town Council Candidates if you want the back story. The Reconfiguration had the same feel as the Municipal building and similar players connected to the Republican Party.
Now we are finding that other towns are approaching the Reconfiguration in much the same way parents who were against it last year had advocated. Berkeley Heights became a cautionary tale other towns learned from. That was one goal of mine early on, so I count that as a bitter-sweet win.
We are discovering that the plans surrounding the Municipal Building weren’t plans, culminating in what many feel is a multimillion-dollar money pit.
Residents were right about the Municipal Building. Residents were right about the Reconfiguration, and Republicans in office were on the other side of that line.
I have disagreed publicly with our Mayor. A lot.
I was disappointed that she did not support my proposal connected to police in schools . I am uncomfortable with what can feel, many times, to be a celebratory approach to law enforcement. I felt the committee on Truth, Community, Healing, and Inclusion was the wrong approach to the issue of inclusion. I opposed two candidates for council she supported in 2019 as I felt a one-party government was not in the best interest of our Town (it never is) along with other concerns.
While she remained on her positions, she treated me with respect – she understood that as a leader, this was part of the job. She didn’t self-victimize. She didn’t refer to people as “that group” or “this group” – she didn’t throw her hands up in the air wondering out loud why she ever took the job. She never blamed residents for her mistakes.
During the Reconfiguration last year she was honest with the public on the reality of the District’s work when it came to assessing safety. We know through OPRA requests that in messages with the District she demanded transparency from the District. Her husband, George didn’t think about the political consequences and got in front of the BOE and advocated for affected families.
This isn’t about Republicans v. Democrats in the national sense. That kind of thing isn’t really driving the bus on differences in our Town. This is about two styles of governing.
One style that is professional, honest and has an understanding that criticism – even harsh criticism- even harsh criticism posted in 5 million places comes with the territory and one style that just isn’t there yet.
When the political fallout of the Reconfiguration wasn’t clear, she helped people more than she helped the system. It’s the kind of thing that separates leaders from political opportunists. Sure she’s a politician – but when it came to picking sides – she stood up for my kids.
So while I may disagree Mayor Devanney, I know I can disagree with her – and firmly- loudly even – and she can take it. I also know, that if the choice she has to make is between people versus the establishment – she will make the right call.
I’m also voting for Dio because he represents blue-collar workers. We need someone on the council who knows what it means to be working class in our Town and has a sense of what life looks like for most people.
