The City of Orange Township elected a new Mayor in 2008, and new blood and a new direction gave hope to the citizens. However, the council has split, and since then conflicts have started. Last week, it got really big. The council called a closed door executive meeting and invited City Attorney Marvin Braker. Then, Mayor Eldridge Hawkins, Jr. walked in, and claimed that he was invited by Council President Marable.
As per the information we received, Marable invited Braker and the Mayor walked in without permission. The Council took a vote, and Edward Marable Jr., Hassan Abdul-Rasheed and Donna K. Williams voted in favor of the Mayor staying.
However, Elroy Corbitt, Tency Eason, Rayfield Morton and Lisa Perkins voted to have the meeting without the Mayor. The majority did not allow Hawkins to stay at the meeting. So, the Mayor took Braker off the meeting, stating that he is a city employee, and not a council employee.
The next day, the mayor circulated a memorandum to all the department heads and city employees not to talk any city business with the council, without permission from Business Administrator John Mason.
Elroy Corbitt said, "On last Wednesday, the council executive meeting was called. The Mayor walked in and when we asked him to go, as that was an executive meeting, even Mr. Braker took him to the side and explained it to him he said that he was invited by the council president. Council president Marable said no. I don't know who is right or wrong, but this was a closed door council executive board meeting. The Mayor came back and told us that Mr. Braker is his employee and he would not allow Mr. Braker to be a mediator. The Mayor said that we are using the city attorney, so he has a right to stay in the meeting. Otherwise, we cannot use the services of Mr. Braker. The Mayor was acting like a little boy who has a ball, and when he was not allowed to play, he takes his ball and goes home. After Thursday's memo, I approached the BA's office, and with permission I contacted the department head, as earlier she denied to talk to me without Mr. Mason's permission."
Councilwoman Tency Eason said, "It was an executive board meeting for the council. It was a closed door meeting. We ask him why he was there, and he said he was invited by the council president. Mayor took Mr. Braker off the council meeting, stating that he is a city employee. The next day he distributed a memorandum for city employees not to talk to any councilpersons about city business. That's dictatorship in my opinion. We have to decide how to solve this problem. I've paid taxes for 37 years. The Mayor has paid for a couple of years. As a taxpayer, to access city hall seems like it is back in the Dark Ages. The administration talks about transparency; where is transparency? Morally and ethically, it is wrong. John Mason is overworked by this extra work. My email is down and I have to contact the technology department under Mr. Kelly. I called the lady, but she did not call me back for 2 days. Even then I have to go through John Mason, It is petty nonsense. There is division between the administration and council. We have much more important things to decide. No council has to figure out how to get legal help, which is independent from the administration."
Councilman Rayfield Morton said, "It is ludicrous. We have to call the BA to talk to someone. I called with a situation, and a young lady denied talking to me, and we have to go through the BA. It can take a day or several days. I called Mr. Mason and he replied through his cell phone, and he said he is home and he is sick. He might be on vacation or an off day. It is slowing the process. The Mayor wants to know everything before we can talk to any department. When we call the BA we have to explain why we are calling. The solution to this problem is that business has to operate as usual. I have 5 projects now. To go through mason will take a couple of days. The BA has other things to do too! It is a childish act."
Former Councilman William Lewis said, "The whole council should be replaced. A lack of knowledge of the Mayor and Council doesn't make sense. They all need a director's course. They are all incompetent. The council meeting should be convened as an executive meeting. They must have advertised the meeting. That's why this is a committee meeting, not an executive board meeting. All council members should read chapter 4 of the code book."
Local Talk attempted to get the other side of the story from the Mayor as well as council members who voted to have him stay at the meeting, but they were unavailable to speak on the matter as of press time.
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