In sign of discord, Washington Twp. officials disagree over meeting
Hours before scheduled council meeting, officials fought over whether it was postponed.
UPDATED 8/26/15, 4:45 P.M.
Washington Township's Wednesday night council meeting was canceled hours before the scheduled 7 p.m. session after a day of confusion over whether or not it would proceed.
The cancellation, officials said, came after Democratic Council President Michelle Martin had sent an email to the clerk this week, advising that the meeting would be postponed until Sept. 2 -- a delay, she reportedly said, in light of a court hearing scheduled for Thursday dealing with a dispute over the mayor's solicitor appointment.
Earlier Wednesday, Business Administrator Bob Smith said he, Democratic Mayor Barbara Wallace, and others had planned to still arrive for the meeting despite Martin's memo. "She doesn't have that power or authority," Smith said. "The schedule can be modified or amended but that requires a resolution."
Councilman Scott Newman, a Democrat, said he too was planning to attend and did not believe Martin had the ability to simply cancel the meeting. Councilman Sean Longfellow, also Democrat, however, said in the afternoon he would not attend, per Martin's postponement.
The meeting was officially called off after 4 p.m., when it became clear that less than three members of the five-member governing body would attend; at least three are needed for a quorum.
Martin did not return a call for comment about the meeting.
The dispute comes amid an ongoing, politically charged fight in Gloucester County's most populated town that has resulted in bickering over the solicitor's job -- most recently, Martin, Longfellow, and Democratic Council Vice President Angela Donato approved a lawsuit to contest the validity of the mayor's appointment of Joseph Alacqua. And the meeting snafu isn't the first time that the conflict caused confusion over a seemingly simple question.