Neptune City Democrats Schedule Special Meeting To End Local Government Shutdown
Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling, Neptune City Council President Pamela Renee and Renne’s family celebrate the Renee’s Oath of Office before the shutdown. January 1, 2019. Photo via Neptune City Democrat’s facebook page
The Borough of Neptune City Council has scheduled a Special Meeting for Monday, January 7 at 7 p.m. to reverse a major snafu by the new Democrat controlled council.
Neptune City Democrats got off to an inauspicious start when they took control of the borough’s governing body for the first time in four decades on New Year’s Day.
Senator Vin Gopal issued the Oath of Office to new Councilman David Calhoun and Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling witnessed Councilwoman Pamela Renee oath to perform the Office of Council President to the best of her ability. The Democrats then effectively shutdown Neptune City’s government by voting not to pay the borough’s bills, including payroll.
In a partisan 4-2 vote and over the expressed warning of Republican Councilman Andrew Wardell, Renee, Calhoun, Councilwoman Michelle Lewis and Councilman Glen Kocis voted down Resolution 2019-17.
Neptune City Resolution Doc Jan 1_2018 EmailThe Democrats conducted their Reorganization meeting without the benefit of a Borough Administrator or Borough Attorney.
Following the meeting, Borough Clerk Tammy Brown issued a memo to Neptune City employees informing them that the Council voted to table the payment of bills resolution and that payroll would not be able to be processed for January 15, 2019. “Please plan accordingly. We truly apologize for the inconvenience caused,” Brown’s memo concluded.
Neptune City memo 010119More from my site
Neptune City Democrats Blow Off Special Meeting, Clerk Quits, Bills and Payroll Remain Unpaid
Neptune City for Sale
Year in review: November 2015
Asbury Park Press Depicts Republican Assembly Candidate As Chicken
Frank Rizzuto is Colts Neck Mayor
2017 Predictions
Monmouth Dems Protest Hot Mess Chicken Emoji, Remain Silent On Hateful Rhetoric Of Their Supporters
Gopal: “I was not a good student”
Murphy would rather talk about Confederate flags than taxes
Gopal vs Beck in 2017?
Maybe if they did some homework before walking into the meeting or if their puppet master Gopal had ever held an elected post in municipal government, they would have gotten some better advice instead of having egg on thier faces!
On the job training is not good for government, as is assuming that everything being done is bad. A majority of most meeting agendas are normal town business that goes on all over the state, the extra items are the ones to keep an eye on!
Agree that on the job training is terrible for government. You should see the newly minted mayor of Middletown!
How sad and embarrassing. Hopefully this and likely other missteps and snafus by these people, will result in good campaign points to put forward, this November, as we try and take back a good little town, which has been changing not in a good way, the past few years. Wake up, GOP and independents. Right this wrong, pronto, or the town may as well just be folded into the (impossible) Neptune Township. Never thought this would happen, time to get busy and pay attention, now.
Has anyone actually read the resolution? The purpose of this resolution is to authorize the Borough Staff to issue payments without council approval when necessary. An example of this situation would be in the event that a council meeting occurs after a pay date, or if a county or state tax is due before council can approve. The council meeting this month occurs on the 15th of January and the council meeting is on the 14th of January.
The Neptune City Republicans and Clerk clearly do not understand the resolution. They are the embarrassment! They should be ashamed of their selves for their ignorance.
This resolution is not required. Has anyone on the republican side even read it?
Shamw on the Clerk for her poorly written memo. Who is the we she is referring to? Her and her husband? The memo certainly was not written on behalf of the Mayor and Council.
The purpose of the resolution was voted no 4-2, so therefore KLM it was voted against giving authorization to pre-pay such items like payroll..
And for the record the council meeting is on the 14th of January not the 15th and 14th like your comment states!
You are absolutely correct, the meeting is on the 14th. Payroll is on the 15th. So it doesn’t interfere with the payroll or any other bills.
Mr and Mrs Brown clearly do not understand the resolution, which is sad.
I’m a Republican. It saddens me that the Borough employees have been subjected to the vengeance of the names on top of the memo, and I’m saddened that with all of their combined years of experience that they don’t know what the intent of the resolution is.
SMH the resolution has nothing to do with the current payroll at this point. There are situations where the particular resolution may have an impact.
Shame on the Browns for trying to curry favor of Borough employees and their families by blaming others for their ignorance.
I’m calling 101.5 tomorrow.
@ Kim yes it does for anyone that gets paid through direct deposit because that has to be put through 24hrs in advance. Know your facts!
@Kim haven’t you already drawn negative unnecessary attention to yourself st past events!
No smh I have never posted here before and by law, payroll is an obligation of the Borough. I guess Ms Brown will spend her night issuing manual checks.
SMH did you run on the dem ticket for Neptune City?! Or was it Neptune?
I run on the no bulls$&t ticket!
So, if they meet on January 7th and approve payroll on January 7th, that’s a week earlier than the payroll date of January 15th.
Doesnt seem like an issue to me.
here are the facts.
Neptune City Democrats
4 hrs ·
Contrary to false rumors, the Borough of Neptune City did not “shut down.” On January 1st, at the Reorganization Meeting, there was a resolution that got tabled (thrown out) by the new Democrat Council Majority because it contained textural and numerical errors, was unnecessary, questionable to say the least, and was potentially dangerous to taxpayers.
Unfortunately, the Borough Clerk, by order of the Mayor (her husband), reacted by creating havoc throughout town by telling employees they weren’t going to get paid. This was done either due to possible ignorance or ill intent.
The Temporary Budget, laid out in Resolutions 2019-18 and 2019-19, were passed unanimously by Council and contained all that was needed to ensure payroll and the continuous flow of business as usual within the Borough. This has been confirmed by numerous professionals, attorneys and the DCA. The Borough CFO even said the resolution in question, 2019-17, is not needed.
The Borough Clerk/Payroll Clerk is required by state law to meet payroll and is authorized by the details contained within the Temporary Budget and instructed by the governing body to meet payroll and continue with business as usual.
The Borough Clerk was also instructed by the governing body to cancel a special meeting set for the 7th. There will be no special meeting regarding the tossed resolution because there is no need for the resolution or a special meeting. It has been confirmed that a quorum is not going to meet.
@smh – stick with pizza, not politics.
@klm what does pizza have to do with anything i mean don’t get me wrong I love me a good pie LMAO @kelly the meeting IS NOT cancelled tonight, it is very much a go!
Do you have inside info? How can the meeting proceed without a quorum?
Yes I have all the inside scope while I’m eating my pizza 😂
@klm see the Neptune City borough council is comprised of 6 (NOT 4) members, a little history lesson for you, and only 2 out of those 6 members attended the meeting last night. The 4 democrats cannot cancel a council meeting because they don’t see it fit, it has to be agreed upon the ENTIRE board. I’ll be eating a nice big fat pizza watching the democrats bury themselves 🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕
now put your childish personal issues aside, and follow the laws, and govern your town properly. Next thing you know, the state will have to come in and run the place, like they gave in Atlantic City, Newark, Camden, in the past. Brilliant, keep making the case for consolidation of these small towns. Most residents like their home rule and unique identity, in NJ: if this nonsense to make points and goes on indefinitely, it will not end well.
we hope!😉