Rice Won't Seek Reelection from West Ward, Wants At-Large Post Instead

West Ward Councilman Ron Rice announced Thursday that he would be seeking one of four at-large council seats in 2014, voluntarily relinquishing the ward seat he has held for seven years.

“You have to come up with a plan too. You have to build on what we’ve done,” Rice, addressing prospective successors, told the crowd gathered at Speedway School.

A third-generation West Warder, Rice -- who was first elected to his seat in 2006 on the same ticket as Mayor Cory Booker -- spoke for about an hour about past legislative achievements and his agenda for his remaining year representing a ward encompassing neighborhoods like Roseville and Fairmount.

“The West Ward is the best ward. It’s where I was born. It’s where I was raised,” said Rice, whose father, Ron Sr., once held the same seat before becoming a state senator.

Rice said he has helped initiate legislation to limit so-called “pay to play” deals between firms seeking to do business with Newark and elected officials, banned fundraising in city hall and the solicitation of campaign contributions among city employees, wrote an eco-friendly sustainability plan for the city and helped pass a “ban the box” law, which bars Newark employers from asking job applicants about their criminal history until after the applicant has been called for an interview.

Rice also spoke about public safety measures he championed, including the opening recently of a police mini-precinct on South Orange Avenue and the installation of speed bumps throughout the ward, with more to come, Rice said.

“That’s my record, and we did this together, West Ward,” Rice said.

Citing Dr. Martin Luther King, who died 45 years ago Thursday night, Rice also said the city’s two largest ethnic communities -- blacks and Hispanics -- should stop regarding each other as rivals and instead join together to meet a common goal.

“We are not walking together as brothers and sisters on this earth,” Rice said, paraphrasing King. 

Rice also said he would push to use the condemnation process, if necessary, to force PSEG from constructing an electrical switching station in a residential neighborhood near Georgia King Village. He also promised to use condemnation to force the owner of the derelict Pabst brewery site to develop the property.

As well, Rice said he would push for laws requiring Newarkers to get career-track jobs at development projects in the city and mandating that boards and committees be open only to residents of the city.

On the development front, Rice said a new agency, the West Ward Economic Development Corp., will be debuting this year. Much of South Orange Avenue will become part a “business improvement district,” similar to other areas in the city where merchants pool resources for maintenance, street fairs and other efforts.

“In 2013 South Orange Avenue will have not one, but two, business improvement districts,” Rice said.

A $2.5 million streetscape project will also pay for improvements to the ward’s primary commercial thoroughfare, including the installation of benches, trash receptacles, handicapped-accessible curbing and decorative planters.