It's always bittersweet when you have a rising star within your own elected local government. On the one hand, it's good that you've got someone on your side who is motivated to make a name for him or herself, while elevating the profile of your town. If all goes well, that person's best interests are interwoven with the best interests of the community.
But when the town becomes too small for that person's aspirations, they move on.
For a long time, this was the case with Highland Park, NJ Mayor Meryl Frank, who, after more than nine years as mayor of this tiny Middlesex County borough of 14,000 whose identity, in addition to tree-lined streets, diverse housing stock, good public schools, and tight-knit community, is defined by its bedroom community status for large nearby institutions like Johnson & Johnson and Rutgers University.
Mayor Frank last week was sworn in as the United States representative to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. It's not clear how this will affect her mayoral incumbency, but her resignation is likely as she says she will stay on temporarily to ensure a smooth transition to a new administration.
Throughout the 2008 presidential election, Frank, a Democrat, was an ardent supporter of Hillary Clinton, and, subsequently, Barack Obama, and raised a lot of money in the process. Her appointment is the product of higher aspirations, and her legacy in Highland Park will be noted. In 2004, she created the Task Force on Ethics and Good Government, which is instituting wide-ranging rules and guidelines to assure clean government in Highland Park. Working with Borough council, she helped to develop Highland Park 2020, a long-term vision for the Borough, that focuses on creating a community that is economically, environmentally and socially sustainable. The plan highlights affordability, conservation and strong community relations, according to the Highland Park Web site.
Her term has also been marked with the ongoing redevelopment effort of Raritan Avenue, Highland Park's main street corridor.
Now Highland Park faces a change in leadership. The process to replace Frank, who is in the middle of her third term, is controlled by the local Democratic Municipal Committee. They will provide three candidates for Council consideration, and Council will then vote on who will carry out her term. This process should be public -- the local Dems should invite the community to participate in the process, as well as encourage Party outsiders to seek the spot -- those less qualified will be weeded out in the process.
1 comment:
Meryl Frank was never a "rising star," and she left Highland Park because her plans, which never fit the borough, were in ruins. She is a classic example of someone who talked the talk of open and transparent government but never walked the walk. Her administration had numerous violations of OPRA requests and constant turnover of borough employees. A total of $400,000 in tax dollars were embezzled by an employee, and the theft subsequently covered up by a former borough administrator.
Redevelopment was never right for Highland Park because of what Frank didn't say--that designating areas as being "in need of redevelopment" left these places vulnerable to having their properties taken by eminent domain. We are talking about thriving businesses, not boarded up, rat-infested areas, that Frank on her own decided "didn't belong in town." I was part of the organized resistance to this redevelopment in which hundreds of people protested and wrote letters against the threat to local businesses, ultimately sinking the redevelopment project for good.
Highland Park 2020 was a cover for blurring redevelopment and green initiatives, which have absolutely nothing to do with one another. Frank said on numerous occasions that she wanted rents on Raritan Avenue to skyrocket. How out of touch is that? Many stores are barely getting by because of the extremely high taxes in this town.
We had tree-lined streets and commmunity long before Frank ever entered the picture. In fact, Frank presided over one of the most un-green choices made in the last decade, the choice of using artificial turf on the borough's new recreational field. We're now stuck with that turf for at least eight years.
A good number of people in town raised large amounts of money for Barack Obama and did so independently of Frank. Why not give them credit?
Frank never became "too big" for Highland Park, and this town never became "too small" for her aspirations. In fact, she tried for 18 months to get a state or county job and got nowhere. The UN job is part-time and does not pay. It was a way for her to get an easy, face-saving "out" when her plans for the town were clearly going nowhere.
I am proud to have led an 11-year opposition to Frank. She responded to my legitimate opposition by violating my civil rights on numerous occasions. To those of us who did not support her and saw through her charade, her departure was not "bittersweet" at all. It was a joy and a relief.
You can read more about the "other side" of Frank in my blog at http://blogforhighlandpark.blogspot.com
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