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Lower Council Votes to Request Prosecutor's Investigation
VILLAS — In a 3-2 vote Mon., Feb. 6, Lower Township Council approved a resolution “requesting the county prosecutor investigate certain actions.”
The resolution refers to a scheduled meeting of Township Council Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. while at the same time the Lower Township Republican Organization was meeting a half block away at the Senior Center to “determine the person to fill a vacancy in Ward 2.”
While members of the public and Mayor Michael Beck and Councilman Glenn Douglass waited for 90 minutes, Lower Township Republican Committee selected Walter Craig to fill an open Ward Two council seat.
Craig did not appear at Township Hall and the scheduled council meeting was cancelled.
Councilman Tom Conrad and Deputy Mayor Kevin Lare were on vacation leaving just Beck and Douglass for the regularly scheduled meeting. Beck and Douglass were prepared to wait for the Republican Committee to select the next council member, have that person sworn in and conduct a regular meeting.
Township Manager Michael Voll and four reporters walked a half block to the Lower Township Senior Center where the Republican Committee was meeting. Voll asked Chairman Jeff Lindsey to inform council when a new councilperson had been selected by the Republican committee and send the person to Township Hall to be sworn in. The Herald recorded the event on video.
The resolution states that “at some point that evening” Voll and a Lower Township police officer “were in some way instructed to go to the Lower Township Republican organization meeting in some official capacity for the township and it is of great concern to the members of the governing body” that a police officer and Township Manager were sent to a private political caucus.
The resolution asks who gave an order for the officer and Voll to visit the Republican meeting and “under what authority such orders were given.”
Councilman Glenn Douglass asked which member of Township Council requested the resolution be created. Deputy Mayor Kevin Lare said he requested it.
Mayor Michael Beck requested the resolution be withdrawn. He said he believed it was time to move on and “put these things away.”
Beck said if Lare wished to file a complaint with the prosecutor’s office, he could do so and did not need the permission of council. He made a motion to table it but it lost in a 3-2 vote with Lare, Craig and Conrad voting to proceed with asking for an investigation and Douglass and Beck voting “no.”
Lare suggested the officer was sent to arrest the committee’s selection for the council seat if he did not come to the Township Council meeting that night. The audience grumbled upon hearing that comment.
Beck said if one investigated the entire issue of appointing a councilman to fill the Ward Two vacancy, dating back to December, “top to bottom, inside and out, I might even vote for something like that.” He said he could provide a half dozen other aspects to investigate but Lare selected Voll and the officer visiting the Republican meeting.
“This is one of those deals where you get the knock at the door and somebody walks in covered in mud from head to toe and they look at you and say you’ve got lint on your sock,” said Beck.
Douglass said he approached the state Local Finance Board and the Supreme Court of New Jersey District Ethics Committee regarding Michael Donohue serving as both solicitor for Lower Township and as county Republican chairman. He said there were serious concerns there were major conflicts of interest.
Lare asked if Douglass had ever voted on a township supervisor’s contract asking if that was an ethical violation since his brother Gary Douglass supervised public works.
During public comment on the resolution, resident Fred Long said when a municipal committee makes an appointment, the appointee “shall be sworn in immediately.” He said the statute does not allow the appointee to be sworn in the next day or in a couple of hours.
“There would not be a resolution that you are talking about right now if council would have acted like adults and came to a decision and appointed someone to replace the guy who left,” said resident Helen Thompson.
She noted Craig was appointed to council after having been voted out in a previous election.
Craig said the rush to have him sworn in on Jan. 18 had nothing to do with good government, it had one purpose to take out Donohue as solicitor.
Beck said that was impossible since it was not on the meeting’s agenda and at council’s previous meeting, council did not receive permission to seek proposals from other attorneys interested in serving as Township Solicitor.
Douglass said he had expected a council meeting Jan. 18 because he received a text message from Lare Jan. 4 informing him he would be attending the Jan. 18 meeting.
Beck asked if Craig had a conflict of interest in voting for the resolution asking for the prosecutor’s office to investigate the Jan. 18 situation. Donohue said council was in “uncharted territory.”
He said he did not see a legal conflict but it was the first time he had been confronted with the question.
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Sat, 02/11/2012 - 7:11pm - Posted by: ABSALOM ABSALOM
I can’t believe the Herald removed its own articles-- Cape May County Herald-1/20/12:
Walter Craig is questioning why a police officer may have been sent to a Lower Township Republican Committee meeting Jan. 18.
“I’m surprised a police officer showed up at the front door (of the Senior Center where the Republican committee was meeting),” he said.
“If that’s correct, well then I have to question the use of a police officer in that matter,” he said. “I certainly hope it’s not correct.” Craig said his intention was to go to Township Hall the following morning, something an attorney advised to do as normal procedure.
Always, follow the advise of your attorney. My councilman’s surprised at seeing the police? Are August 17, 2006 or 1984 complete black-outs? Read the 9/13/06 Herald:
Judge Powals said the arrest may have indicated Craig had a problem with alcohol. "A man in your position should not be involved in this type of business," Powals told Craig, during sentencing. Powals discounted testimony of Wendra Mastriana, who Craig offered to drive home from a gathering at the Knight of Columbus Hall in Erma. She was in his car at the time of arrest. Powals said Mastriana had been drinking from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. and was very upset at the time over circumstances in her life. Craig testified the two drove around after leaving the Elk's Club while he listened to her talk about the illness of her employer.
Prosecutor Thomas Smith said Craig had a DWI arrest in 1984, but he was considered a first-time offender since the state does not take such arrests into consideration after 10 years prior. Elias testified Aug. 28 that Craig failed to recite the alphabet correctly, dropped his driver's license and other credentials in his lap, leaned on his car for balance, failed to count from 100 to 80 correctly, failed a test to touch his fingers to his nose, swayed when walking and failed a test requiring him to bend at the waist and maintain his balance.
Her employer was sick and so are the voters of ward Two.
Fri, 02/10/2012 - 4:11am - Posted by: barracuda
The manager was sent to find out if they had an answer. If a police officer went too, it was probably to protect the Republican caucas from the very angry residents who were waiting an hour and a half for their answer and milling around outside, only to ultimately find out the Republican caucas made their decision and just slinked away into the night. Smart move to send an officer and not let things escalate.
Thu, 02/09/2012 - 1:04pm - Posted by: logical one
Please get the facts straight Barracuda - the manager, and a Police Officer, were sent.
Thu, 02/09/2012 - 11:13am - Posted by: barracuda
You mean the three Republican Council members who were concerned about the township manager being sent to their private Republican political caucas meeting and the Republican councilmembers who voted against seeking applications for a new solicitor, other than their current Republican party chairman?
Thu, 02/09/2012 - 3:19pm - Posted by: logical one
I think some of the commenters are correct, this should have never been brought as a resolution. The council members who were concerned, and brought this resolution in the interest of a transparency, should have just gone behind council's back like Councilman Douglass. I would like to know what authority Councilman Douglass had to seek out a new solicitor when council voted specifically against such action, and I would also like to know who he contacted?
Wed, 02/08/2012 - 9:15pm - Posted by: whitespider
Absalom Absalom, thank you for your astute reply to my comment and getting the facts re: Craig online. I found your response of this morning quite accurate and enjoyable. And LOOK!!!!! Someone must have flagged it as inappropriate because it is no longer here !!!! Surprise. Surprise. Isn't it the truth that this County needs far better political leaders.... AND a much less uptight, scared journalistic community.
Wed, 02/08/2012 - 4:02pm - Posted by: John F
As an outsider, I must note this whole affair seems a bit childish. If there was some urgency to get on with the Township Meeting, the Manager and officer were sent to get the newly selected member there, so they could proceed with business. That hardly seems nefarious to me.
If I were a member of the public whiowas sitting around for 90 minutes waiting for a meeting to start, and that meeting was of some particular importance to me, I don't think I would mind if they sent the National Guard to get the new member there, so business could be addressed.
On the other hand, if they were sent to get the new member, just to have one more Republican present, I see some obvious problems. But, siince it does not seem that anything significant actually took place that night, why not move on with life and act maturely for the benefit of the citizens?
Wed, 02/08/2012 - 9:16pm - Posted by: whitespider
Isn't this the Mayor Craig from the 2AM DUI arrest [REDACTED] fleeing the officer's request for ID, and taped clandestine conversations while in police holding and interrogation asking his good ol' boy cronies to get him out of the mess? This man reeks as does the Lower dog and pony show as per above. Is the county prosecutor's team not part of the same "good ol' boy" network?
Tue, 02/07/2012 - 2:37pm - Posted by: Syd Barrett
And the sorry parade continues...Leave to the Herald to brighten up my day with the latest soap opera scenes from the Township Hall. Just personal bickering and posturing; no issues engaged or resolved.
Columnated Ruins Dominoe......
Tue, 02/07/2012 - 1:28pm - Posted by: Mumbles
And it seems to me that the position of solicitor in LT exists for the sole purpose these days of mediating for council. What other law firm would want that job?
Tue, 02/07/2012 - 1:22pm - Posted by: Mumbles
If Lare and Conrad were on vacation to avoid a meeting that would bring up the subject of Donahue's solicitorship it makes no sense that they would request Voll and the officer to escort the new councilman to the meeting to be sworn in to vote on something they deliberately were not present for. Seems to me Beck and Douglass would have requested Voll and the officer to escort the new councilman to the meeting. It is time for council to get on with the business of the township. It is time for the voters of LT to start cleaning house .
Tue, 02/07/2012 - 1:33pm - Posted by: Jets Sanchez
Here's the Bottom Line; If Lare and Conrad had ordered The Manager and a Police Officer to go to a meeting, either Independent or Democrat, to force them to come to a Township Meeting, Beck, The LTTA, Sparks, Absalom and the other apostles of Beck would be drinking Kool Aide by now and calling for the resignation of both Councilmen! And by the way Beck, you have lint on your sock!
Tue, 02/07/2012 - 10:19am - Posted by: Schmittman
It is embarrasing to read this ongoing saga, c'mon gentleman there are important issues here in Lower Township that have taken a back seat to political bickering. The potholes that are taking over our streets would be a more interesting read than this behavior.
Tue, 02/07/2012 - 9:36am - Posted by: LTLocal
The meeting was a disgrace. Several members of the public showed no respect for members of council, which was understandable since council didn't show any respect for each other as they sat there argueing. Hopefully the prosecutor will just laugh at this resolution and tell them to go about the business of running the township.
Tue, 02/07/2012 - 8:31am - Posted by: Mumbles
Jim Pickering is chairman of the Democratic committee and he served as solicitor for Middle Township. Nobody ever mentioned a conflict of interest for him.