West Orange Mayor Issues Order In Wake Of Marathon Council Meetings

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Lately, West Orange Town Council meetings have been dragging on until the wee hours of the morning, often keeping participants busy until well after midnight. And it’s time for that to end, Mayor Susan McCartney says.

On Wednesday, McCartney issued an order that declares all municipal buildings must be closed at 11 p.m., effective immediately, including Town Hall. The order makes exceptions for police, fire and other building uses as required during emergencies declared by the mayor’s office.

Under the mayoral order, “all township personnel and vendors supporting such meetings have permission to wrap up and politely excuse themselves” at 11 p.m. on any council meeting night.

While the mayor has no direct authority over the rules and practices of council meetings – a point she acknowledged in Wednesday’s statement – the new order will effectively end council meetings at that time.

“Essentially, the administration will not provide staff or vendor support after 11 p.m.,” McCartney said. “Should [town officials] choose to continue [their] meetings after 11 p.m., [they] will have to do so at a different venue.”

It’s a decision McCartney said is not without precedent in the township. The Planning Board and Zoning Board limit their meetings to 11 p.m., she noted, with a commitment to not start any new issue or application at 10:30 p.m.

In what may or may not be a coincidence, a highly anticipated meeting of the planning board that was scheduled for Wednesday was canceled that morning. Read More: Target In West Orange? Renovations Proposed At Shopping Center

McCartney explained more about her mayoral order in a statement:

“Over the past few months, despite the council president’s attempts to end council meetings by 11 p.m., recent council meetings have lasted until 2 and 3 a.m., pushing the limits of reason and efficiency. This strain on the members of our staff, the public who deserve to see your deliberations in the ‘light of day’ and the cost of security personnel required at the meeting makes this practice untenable.”

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch West Orange Facebook page.