Nadrowski Fights for Transparency and Public Participation During Council Meeting

For Immediate Release:

December 16, 2021

BAYONNE 一 During a Council meeting on Wednesday, December 15th, Council President and Mayoral Candidate Sharon Ashe Nadrowski repeatedly clashed with colleagues, arguing for transparency and for the public being given an opportunity to be heard. On numerous occasions during the meeting she requested that the correct procedures be adhered to.

Two separate controversial ordinances had been advertised for public hearing. As is normal protocol Ashe Nadrowski made a motion to open the meeting for public comment on each ordinance. Residents who attended the meeting wanted to voice their opinion on the ordinances.

Ashe Nadrowski twice-requested for a motion to open the hearings for public comment. Yet, on both occasions the rest of the councilmen refused to offer a second on the motion silencing the residents. The ordinances involved a tax abatement and the development of the former caschem site.

“As members of the City Council, it is our job to work for people and to serve them,” said Ashe Nadrowski. “To invite residents to a public meeting and then not hear their points of view is just
plain wrong.”

“Not only was the public denied the right to speak, they were denied the right to even know what
was on the full agenda of the administration” stated Ashe Nadrowski.

At the conclusion of the publicly available agenda, and well after 11PM when the majority of the public had already left, the Bayonne City attorney requested to add over a dozen ordinances and resolutions to the meeting. Ashe Nadrowski objected to the addition of items, that included multiple redevelopment plans without providing the public or the council any documentation or notices prior to the meeting. She made a motion to adjourn the meeting and have the items listed next month. Yet once again her fellow councilmen at the direction of the town attorney denied her motion and proceeded to vote yes on items they knew nothing about. Ashe Nadrowski voted to abstain on all the items added that were not listed on the public agenda.

“This is why people lose trust in government. The public is not even aware that we are considering these additions and we, as council members, have not even had the opportunity to review them. This is not a transparent or effective government,” Ashe Nadrowski. “I abstained on the additional agenda items because that is not how I do things. For years we have talked about reforming the process. Last night was the best example of the government simply ignoring the public. We can and must do better.”