The Ruins of Trenton

City Council last night reversed an earlier vote at the urging of administration officials, resurrecting a resolution that had been voted down 5 to 2 and passing it soon after the measure failed.

The resolution originally would have awarded $90,000 to a law firm performing work for the City of Trenton, whose lawyers were due in court Friday on city business. A failed resolution would have removed the funding and prevented the firm from doing its work.

Council voted down the measure out of concern for the large amount of the moneys and the fact that the city does have a Law Department filled with lawyers who seemingly could handle the legal work, according to Councilman Jim Coston.

But they reversed their decision at the urging of Chief of Staff Renee Haynes, passing the measure 5 to 2 after the size of the expenditure was amended.

Mr. Coston expressed concern Friday about how the administration seems to think that any measure they bring before the council is guaranteed to pass, at least with some effort or urging. Trenton residents should be concerned as well.

The City Council is a body of higher representation than the executive arm of the government, with seven elected officials, versus one elected man and a plethora of hired staff. These seven men and women should be looking out for our interests, and not the interests of Palmer staff who need funding to get their work done.

The Law Department handled almost all of the legal work in Trenton in-house during the administrations prior to Mayor Palmer, when the city had a larger population and a larger economy.

So when the administration constantly calls for resolutions paying money to exotic law firms from outside New Jersey, Trenton needs a council who questions whether there is a real need for these appropriations, and if there are other motives in play.

These last-minute expenditures from the administration are also symptomatic of the creeping disrespect of council that characterizes the modus operandi of Palmer officials.

When they bring these measures to the table with no time for council members to make an informed decision - with the interests of residents in mind - it shows the Palmer administration has no respect for the work council is supposed to be doing, and the way they should be doing it.

The only way this will ever stop is if council starts challenging these disrespectful tendencies on the part of the Palmer crowd.

Then council can begin to act as a co-equal branch to the mayor.