In dueling press releases, the Republican and Democratic Parties of New Rochelle yesterday offered two very different ideas on how to best serve the needs of District 3. The Republicans have called for a Special Meeting of the City Council to appoint former County Legislator and Board of Education President Pearl Quarles to immediately fill the seat with the understanding that Quarles will not run in any elections in 2010 or 2011. The Democrats have proposed waiting until after a winner is declared in the District 3 Special Election scheduled for November 2nd and then appointing the winner to immediately fill the seat.
The City Charter gives the City Council the authority to immediately appoint a successor in the event a seat on the Council is vacated. New York State law requires that a Special Election be held to fill the remained of the unexpired term, in this case the election will be held on November 2nd with the winner taking office on January 1, 2011. Under the Republican plan, Quarles would fill the seat from next week until December 31st with the winner of the District 3 Special Election taking office January 1st and then serving the rest of Stowe’s term until January 2010. Under the Democratic plan, the seat would remain empty until a winner is declared some time after November 2nd at which point that person would be sworn in and fill the seat until January 2012.
At stake is control of the City Council during a crucial budget period which is expected to entail layoffs, tax increases and set the state for the 2011 election cycle when all seats on the Council including Mayor will be up for grabs.
Political Analysis
Both sides have claimed that their proposals are intended to take the politics out of the decision on how to fill the seat until January 1, 2011, the date upon which the winner of the Special Election mandated under New York State officials takes office. Both sides have privately accused to the other sides of playing politics. In fact, both sides are “playing politics”. But so what, they are politicians, representing political parties and the alternative is mob rule. In politics, a “statesman” is a label applied by another party to a politician who crosses party lines to support the opposition. Rhetoric aside, let them “play” politics. It’s what we pay them for.
With Democrats and Republicans equally matched on the Council and a Democratic Mayor, the Republicans are not in a position to force a Special Meeting and, given the Mayor’s previously stated position and the recent press release issues by the three Democrats on Council, there will be no special meeting to vote on Pearl Quarles. A Special Meeting of the City Council can be called either by a majority on the Council or the Mayor. Likewise, the issue may be raised at the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting but Republicans do not have the votes to install Quarles. Depending on how long it takes the County Board of Elections to certify a winner, the Democrats will find themselves in the same situation but reversed come November or December. Complicating matters further, the County Board of Elections is run by Reginald Lafayette, chairman of the Westchester Democratic Party, and Doug Kolte, chairman of the Westchester Republican Party. Colety is also Chairman of the New Rochelle Republic Party.
Both sides have plausible arguments — the Democrats contend that by waiting three months, the Council can seat a person who was elected by District 3 voters while the Republicans contend that a new member of Council will not have sufficient time to get up to speed on the budget issues at a time when very difficult and complex decisions will need to be made and that in the meantime, District 3 is without any representation on Council. With both parties having now staked out their positions, the most likely outcome is…nothing. The Democrats will not agree to hold a special meeting, will seek to block putting Quarles to a vote at a regular council meeting and will not support her if a vote is taken. If a Democrat wins in November, the Republicans will not agree to a special meeting to appoint the winner and will not support the winner if a vote is taken. The result, no one will fill the District 3 Seat until January 1st, 2011. The implications, no party will control the Council during the budget process and there will not be enough votes on Council to sustain extending the LeCount MOU and the Echo Bay MOU. The big winner? City Manager Chuck Strome. In the absence of a majority on Council, Strome is free to act without the constrains of a majority party.
The wild card in all this? Pearl Quarles. She is well-known for keeping her own counsel and making up her own mind. Although she agreed to allow her name to be put forward for an interim appointment with the understanding that she would not run in a Special Election or the 2011 election, she may feel differently if the Democrats treat her nomination with disrespect. Further, Quarles will certainly realize that she would be in an extremely powerful position as the swing vote on a divided Council.
Predictions
Just for fun, here’s a prediction. The Council does not act until after the election, Quarles, her dander up, runs and wins the Special Election and Democrats, hoisted on their own petard, have no choice but to immediately appoint Quarles who then proceeds to confound everyone on Council by voting independently, giving a power to District 3 voters that they have never had in New Rochelle.
What’s your prediction?
Quarles Best Candidate Hands Down!
To the demon-crats I say Check and Mate! I heard a demon-crat gnome say publicly that Mrs. Stowe should have been asked to be appointed. Asked by whom, the republicans? Come on give me a break. If the demon-crats had presented Mrs. Stowe for appointment I bet she would have received six affirmative votes. But the demon-crats decided instead to concoct an arrangement whereby they abandon the pattern they devised for replacements for former council members Quash, Quinlan and Bramson. This afterthought of appointing Mrs. Stowe is a knee jerk reaction which shows nothing but disrespect for a great councilman, James Stowe, and puts his widow in an unconscionable position during her time of sorrow. Wake up district three residents; don’t let the demon-crats pick your pocket again. The demon-crats couldn’t meet a court ordered mandate to increase the percentage of African Americans in district three and now they want to leave district three unrepresented for over three months during what all concerned have labeled as one of the toughest budgets in memory while they ignore the standard they devised. To the demon-crats it’s all about power and control, it has nothing to do with representation for a court ordered minority majority district.
Pearl Quarles is highly regarded over qualified and hands down the best choice to represent the district. Ms. Quarles will accept an appointment until the end of the year and vows not to run in the special election taking politics out of the mix. While Ms. Quarles is a registered republican anyone who has seen her in action knows that common sense prevails. Liberal, moderate, conservative all apply to Ms. Quarles based on varying circumstances for individual issues.