Residents Want Mahwah Mayor To Resign, Or Want Him Recalled

MAHWAH, NJ — Hundreds of people have indicated that they would sign a petition to recall Mayor William Laforet and nearly the same number of people want him to resign.

More than 200 people answered affirmatively to those issues on a survey administered by MahWatch, a community watchdog organization.

Vince Crandon, the group's founder, posed the following questions to its members on the survey:

• 219 people answered "yes" to the question: Would you sign a petition seeking to recall Mayor Laforet?
• 224 people answered "yes" to the question: Do you want Mayor Laforet to resign?
• 223 people answered they would vote to recall Laforet if a special election was held today?

The responses go in line with those from another survey Crandon issued to the group a few weeks ago. Respondents of that survey said they are "very dissatisfied" with Laforet and described him as "dishonest" and "not trustworthy."

Laforet has come under a lot of criticism in recent years for the way he runs the town. He and the Town Council have often exchanged words during, and allegedly, behind closed doors.

Five residents launched a recall campaign against Laforet in 2015. They claimed that Laforest allegedly did not abide by municipal statutes regarding the opening of an ice rink on town property, circumvented the Town Council's authority and accused him of using emergency communications equipment for political gain.

Officials and residents were also at odds with Laforet then regarding his decision to terminate DPW Director Ed Sinclair in 2015 over allegations of inappropriate material being watched on DPW computers.

About 4,100 residents, 25 percent of the town's registered voters, must sign a petition in order for a recall election to occur. The last recall effort failed to get the needed number of signatures.

The Town Council cast a vote of no confidence in Laforet last month — the second such vote cast against him as mayor.

RELATED: Mahwah Laforet Is 'Dishonest,' 'Not Trustworthy,' Residents Say

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Photo: Mayor William Laforet/Patch file photo