Orange Councilwoman Quantavia Hilbert was censured after a confrontation in May with another elected official.
The City Council passed a resolution with a 6-1 vote, claiming that Hilbert “taunted, yelled, and harassed” Councilwoman Jamie Summers-Johnson at the May 20 meeting. The resolution demanded that Hilbert give a “formal apology” and “atone for her errant behavior.”
However, Hilbert defied the resolution, calling it a “political attack.” “I urge each of you, do not take my word for it, go back and watch the video, see the truth for yourself — see who was the instigator,” she said. “Constantly this body is showing favoritism and we’re not holding everyone to the same standards
Hilbert challenged Warren in last year’s mayoral election and came within 508 votes, closer than any challenger has come since Warren won his first of four elections a decade ago.
The fact that Warren ran on the same ticket as three other sitting council members — Adrienne Wooten, Weldon Montague, and Clifford Ross — has given some residents the impression that the censure was more so an act of political gamesmanship.
Watch Councilwoman Hilbert's supporter defend her.
Alysha Rodriguez, a Mountainview Avenue resident, believes there is a double standard when it comes to the misconduct of other elected officials and municipal employees.
“I have not seen you guys apply this much pressure, negative remarks, or silencing tactics to any other person other than residents and Quantavia,” Rodriguez said.
“There are other city council people who have done far worse,” said Volora Howell, a Mountainview Avenue resident.
Howell said she believes there is a political battle brewing between Summers-Johnson and Hilbert. When given the chance to speak about the censure Summers-Johnson appeared to be conciliatory, but she still voted to approve the censure. Only Hilbert voted against the resolution.
“It was a really bad time in council chambers,” Summers-Johnson said. “The fighting and bickering — I honestly don’t have the energy for it — I wasn’t raised that way.”
Council President Wooten struck a more defiant tone, accusing Hilbert’s supporters of selective outrage, and blaming them for ignoring the political attacks against her and other candidates who ran last year for office.
“But we have a council member, that gets up, approaches another council member, grabs her microphone, and it’s OK,” Wooten said.
Few would argue with Wooten that last year’s election season was full of mudslinging. It is somewhat par for the course in Orange. In 2016, the Star-Ledger reported on the “ugly” campaign that played out between Councilman Kerry Coley and Warren.
Last year, Facebook posts circulated about Warren living in West Orange with his “baby mother.” However, some of the most below-the-belt attacks last year came from Warren, who made fun of the way Hilbert pronounced the word “library” during a mayoral debate, and from Aaron Mizrahi, deputy municipal attorney, who created a fake newspaper with stories attacking Hilbert as a “fraud.”
At the May 20 meeting, the evening when Hilbert and Summers-Johnson had their altercation, Hilbert was venting about issues that many residents have complained about during public comment — congestion, tax abatements, the municipal budget, highly paid department directors who don’t reside within city borders, and corruption.
What Summers-Johnson said to Hilbert to upset her isn’t audible on the city’s recording of the meeting. However, Hilbert halts her train of thought and turns to Summers-Johnson. “Please don’t make any more comments,” Hilbert said.
“Tell me what’s going to happen,” Summers-Johnson said.
Meanwhile, Council President Adrienne Wooten calls for a point of order. Hilbert then rises from her seat, walks over to Summers-Johnson, grabs her microphone, and said, “You’ve got one more time to interrupt me.”
Hilbert’s vote total in last year’s election is evidence that she has tapped into a growing frustration in Orange. Not only have property taxes increased the past few years in a row, but City Council continues to approve tax abatements for multi-story dwellings that residents claim have made street parking a mess, an issue our publication explored last year.
It was fitting that on the City Council’s agenda that same day as the censure was yet another tax abatement — this one for 22 years — for a five-story development at 27 Bell Street. The entire council, except Hilbert, voted to approve it.
Read the resolution censuring Councilwoman Quantavia Hilbert here.
