Letter To The Editor: Voters' Voices Should Be Respected In Council Appointment

I feel compelled to inquire of the Town Council as to how they intend to fill the vacant seat left by Mr. DaPuzzo at the upcoming meeting scheduled for March 31, 2011. Politics are changing at the local and national level.    

Citizens want to know that their voice is being heard.    

People vote in order to elect the candidate that will listen and follow their wishes. What they don’t like is a “good old boy system” when deals are made for votes and voters wishes are not heard.

The last time Mahwah had a vacant seat on the Council, it was filled by Harry Williams, who previously ran for a Council seat that past year. Mr. Williams just missed being elected but was the next highest vote-getter. Mr. Williams ran a campaign, spent his own money and money raised by his supporters and ran ads.  

The people heard from him regarding his thoughts and ideas and made a choice to vote for him. This seemed fair when the Council appointed him to fill the seat that was vacated, since he was the voters next choice. Currently we have a similar situation.    

Daniel Weixledorfer was on the last ballot, ran an election, spent his money, and his supporters' money and, like Harry, just missed being elected, but was the next highest vote-getter. There were approximately 100 votes separating Councilman Williams, Councilman Larson and Mr. Weixeldorfer.   

Only this time, I see that the Council has requested that anyone who is interested in being on the Council send in a letter of interest and a resume.    

In this way, the Council will pick someone THEY want on the board, not necessarily what the voters want. Currently, Ellen Stein, Chuck Jandris and David May have requested to be appointed to the Council. None of them ran in the last election and 2 of the 3 never ran in any election for the Council.  

This seems to be unfair and also gives someone a free pass  without  the public being heard. To compound the situation … the same night as one of these individuals will be appointed to Council, you are voting on the Crossroads Mall project.    

As we all know, the Crossroads Mall project has garnered a lot of public interest and could drastically change the makeup of the town of Mahwah.    

How do you think it will look if you hand-pick someone that the people didn’t vote for and then let that person vote on this project?  The reason I’m writing to you, Mayor DaPuzzo, as well as the Council, is because I know you have a tie-breaking vote of an appointment.    

Please do the right thing, Mayor DaPuzzo and Council, and listen to the people that just voted for and supported Daniel Weixeldorfer.    

Don’t make this look like the “good old boys at work” by giving someone a free pass to the front of the line. This Council position is only until a special election in November at which time any of the other three can go through the complete election process if they choose to and let the votes elect them."

Jackie Bowns

Jackie Bowns is a realtor who lives and works in Mahwah. According to Daniel Weixledorfer, Bowns was a supporter of his when he ran for a seat on the Council.