No, We are Not Funded by MAGA (LOL)

Town Council Recap for April 21st, 2025

Photo by Marcel Strauß on Unsplash

Tonight I attended the Bloomfield Township Council meeting after a quick dinner at Rumi on Conger Street. (Side note: if you're local, I highly recommend checking out their lunch specials—this is not a sponsored post, just a neighborly tip.)

Despite a packed agenda and a strong turnout for public comment, the meeting wrapped up in less than 90 minutes. The efficiency was striking—not because of effective governance, but because of no council members’ discussion on the agenda items and the dismissive attitude toward public concerns.

The meeting opened with proclamations for Youth Government Day and Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Then the township engineer introduced Vialytics, a new AI-based roadway evaluation software that grades roads and maps their conditions. According to a February 26 Facebook post, this program—provided by Remington & Vernick—will cost taxpayers $28,000-$30,000. The Township says it’s more cost-effective than hiring outside consultants and will help identify issues like potholes and signage.

Flyer from Township of Bloomfield Public Works & Park Maintenance from 2/26/25 https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1088746416602243&set=pcb.1088748306602054

But here’s what wasn’t discussed:
📌 What data is being collected?
📌 How is it being stored and secured?
📌 Who has access to it, and how will it be used?

There were no questions from councilmembers and no opportunity for public input before adopting this program. Unfortunately, it echoes a pattern we’ve seen before—costly initiatives with no follow-through. Just like the $18,000 solar feasibility study in 2018, which produced no solar installations on any town building or parking lots.

Next, the council approved a resolution supporting the New Jersey Climate Superfund Act, adding Bloomfield to a growing list of 22 municipalities urging fossil fuel companies to pay for climate damage. It’s a good step—and one that reflects real momentum for climate justice across the state.

The Rich Rockwell Controversy

The public comment period, however, was dominated by one issue: the sudden removal of Rich Rockwell—historian, former councilman, and longtime steward of Bloomfield’s historical legacy—from his roles leading the Morris Canal and Bloomfield Historic District tours and contributing to the restoration of the 18th-century Collins House. Residents, citing a recent article in The Independent Press, demanded answers.Why was someone with such deep ties to Bloomfield’s history abruptly sidelined?

One by one, community members rose to ask the mayor why this happened. In response, Mayor Jenny Mundell delivered a defensive and visibly irritated monologue (transcribed by Otter.ai):

He also chose, on his own, to stop doing the tours of the Morris canal Greenway. He was never told that he couldn't continue to do those. The Collins house is an active construction site, so of course, we would not want anyone who's unauthorized to be there as someone who is a private resident. We wouldn't want any private resident to be holding keys to any of our historic buildings. It really doesn't make any sense. I actually was unaware that he even had keys as a council person. I have not heard from Councilman Rockwell, he seemed to decide that he wanted to go to a local newspaper instead of trying to have a conversation with us first about could be done, or how he could maybe preserve some of the work that he was doing. And, you know, I think it also is important to recognize that this Council, and the prior Council of which I have been a part for about eight years, has been very supportive of the Collins house and all of the historic preservation that we've been doing in Bloomfield that includes, I think it was the very last meeting we had. We approved grant funding to continue to support the work that was going on there. So it's unfortunate that independent press felt that they had to put out a headline like that. I think, like many newspapers, they're always looking for ways to drive engagement. So perhaps that's what happened. But I think you might be misinformed, and I would encourage you to consider all the things that are happening. Mr. Rockwell is welcome to reach out to us anytime and request to see what could be done. He's just, he's never done that.

Mayor Mundell’s statement about Rich Rockwell reveals a troubling pattern of deflection, contradiction, and dismissal of legitimate public concern. She shifts blame onto Rockwell for stepping away from his roles, while downplaying the administration’s responsibility and offering no clear reason for his exclusion. Her comments suggest a lack of internal communication (“I was unaware he even had keys”), attempt to delegitimize both Rockwell and the Independent Press, and invoke past support for historic preservation as a shield against current accountability. Her tone was defensive and condescending, with performative claims of openness undermined by gaslighting language like “you might be misinformed.” Altogether, the statement reflects an administration uncomfortable with dissent and seemingly intent on sidelining those with deep institutional memory

What the mayor didn’t explain is why Rich Rockwell, after a decade of service, felt compelled to go to the press instead of town leadership. That silence speaks volumes.

Unfortunately, this fits a disturbing pattern: since taking office, Mayor Mundell has presided over the quiet removal of individuals with the most institutional memory from commissions and boards. One can only speculate why — perhaps to change how things are done, to consolidate credit for key projects, or to surround herself with individuals less likely to challenge her.

Ironically, after dismissing public concern about Rockwell’s removal, the council introduced a series of historic preservation resolutions—for the Collins House, the Oakside Bloomfield Cultural Center, and restoration work with Delta Inc. It felt like a carefully staged message: “We care about history—just not the people who built it.”

My Address to the Council

I addressed another matter. Last Thursday, Mayor Mundell and Matt Laracy, CPA, CMFO, QPA, hosted a webinar on municipal budgeting. While informative, it had two glaring flaws:

1. The presenter was not Bloomfield’s CFO, but the CFO of Glen Ridge and Millburn—who openly admitted his limited knowledge of Bloomfield’s budget.

2. Most importantly, there was no public timeline for the adoption of the 2025 municipal budget. No calendar. No process. Nothing concrete.

This is especially troubling as residents prepare to pay their second-quarter property taxes. We were told only that the budget must be introduced by resolution and noticed at least 10 days before a public hearing. But without actual dates, that’s meaningless.

So I asked again:
📌 When will the preliminary budget be presented?
📌 What are the expected steps and timeline for adoption?

Follow the Money: PR Contracts

I also raised questions about the Tara Dowdell Group, a PR firm hired by the township. I submitted an OPRA request for invoices, and while I commend the township for responding within an hour, what I received was deeply concerning:

That’s it. No breakdown. No deliverables. Just vague billing for large sums of public money.

Who are these services meant to benefit—the people of Bloomfield or the Mayor’s re-election campaign? Until the May ELEC filings are released, we won’t know. But we deserve transparency now—not after the election.

The Mayor’s Response to Me

After I finished my remarks, Mayor Mundell responded:

“If you have a concern about my ethics, you're welcome to bring that up with the appropriate folks. You seem to be insinuating quite often that there's something untoward happening, so please feel free to bring that up in the appropriate way—unless you're just here to grandstand as a candidate for Council.”

So, let’s be clear:
❌ No answer about the budget.
❌ No clarification on the PR spending.
✅ Just an attempt to discredit me for daring to ask questions.

But here’s the truth: dissent is not grandstanding.

Dissent is the lifeblood of democracy. It keeps our leaders accountable and our institutions honest. Elected officials don’t get to silence critique by labeling it as political. In fact, asking questions is not just a right — it’s a responsibility.

If asking hard questions makes me a “problem,” then we have a much bigger problem on our hands. Because the real threat is not the resident who shows up to speak—it’s the official who refuses to answer.

Bloomfield deserves better.

By Satenik Margaryan, Ph.D., Candidate for Council At Large, Bloomfield Democrats for Change