Mahwah Residents Send 'Notice of Intention to Recall' to Mayor's Office

Five Mahwah residents have sent a Notice of Intention to Recall to Mayor Bill Laforet’s office Monday expressing reasons for wanting to distribute a petition to hold a recall vote in November.

Annette Freund, Robert E. Franzetti, David M. Harrison, Gary Montroy, and James Wysocki, stated “gross incompetent management of personnel matters with reckless disregard for Township Policies,” “failure to abide by municipal statutes governing the protection of” assets, and “breach of fiduciary responsibilities” as some of reasons for wanting a recall, NorthJersey.com reported.

The Township has been at odds with the mayor, most recently with his decision to terminate DPW Director Ed Sinclair over allegations of inappropriate material being watched on DPW computers.

Although Sinclair was “not been accused of viewing any of the material and no accusation of criminal wrongdoing has been made,” Mayor Laforet fired Sinclair because he “was responsible for the oversight and management of the Public Works,” NorthJersey.com reported.

But during a well-attended Township Council meeting earlier this month, Sinclair was reinstated and Councilwoman H. Lisa DiGiulio drew cheers from the crowd as she chanted “Recall!”

The Notice of Intention to Recall must first be approved by the Bergen County Clerk before the approximately 4,000-needed Mahwah residents can sign the petition for a recall, according to NorthJersey.com.