Gamble elected mayor in controversial vote

Photo By Daniel Jackovino
Supporters of Councilwoman Jenny Mundell were heard from at the council meeting Monday, Jan. 22. Mundell was not elected mayor.

The Bloomfield Township Council appointed Councilman Ted Gamble as its temporary mayor Monday evening, Jan. 22.

The vote, taken before an overflow audience in the council chamber, was 4-2. Gamble, along with Councilwoman Jenny Mundell, who received two votes for the position, and resident Nicole Williams, were provided to the council by the Bloomfield Democratic Municipal Committee. Gamble fills the vacated seat of former Mayor Michael Venezia who was elected as a state assemblyman in November. The meeting was conducted by the municipal clerk, Louise Palagano.

Voting for Gamble were Councilmen Nick Joanow and Rich Rockwell, and Councilwoman Nina Davis. Gamble voted for himself. Voting for Mundell was Councilwoman Sara Cruz and for herself, Mundell.

The appointment came with controversy. Concerns began Wednesday, Jan. 17, at the closed door BDMC meeting, when Venezia, the chairman, called for a straw poll to determine the three candidates’ support among committee members. The reported tally was Mundell, 41; Gamble, 16; Williams, 2.

Although the poll had no binding or foreseeable effect — in an interview with this newspaper before the council vote, Venezia acknowledged that Mundell did not have enough votes to replace him — several council members supporting Gamble were upset by the poll. Joanow said it was a political fact that Venezia supported Mundell.

“A straw poll was taken,” Joanow explained to this newspaper last week. “It’s not a legal vote. It’s not part of the township charter or a responsibility of the committee. It provided a false impression of giving a candidate a sense of legitimacy. The straw vote was a popularity vote in collusion with the chairman.”

Rockwell also said in an interview last week that he did not know of any provision for a straw poll.

“It’s not legal and there was no motion to do it,” he said. “The straw poll gives the impression that the chairman and the committee had a preference. That’s misleading. This wasn’t an election.”

In an email, Gamble also said the straw poll was unprecedented and several times the chain of custody, for the ballot box, was broken when it was taken outside the room.

But Venezia also told this newspaper that the BDMC chairman could “deem” the process required for a mayoral or council vacancy.

“Committee bylaws do not address how to deal with mayoral and council vacancies,” he said. “Everyone knew what the process was. Basically, Councilmen Joanow and Rockwell are upset because Jenny won in a landslide over Ted. As far as the Democratic County Committee is concerned, she’s our preferred candidate. In June, she will be our preferred candidate on the primary line.”

Venezia said there is nothing in the bylaws which prohibit the BDMC from voicing its opinion about the candidate it wanted. The complaints being heard, he said, were coming from a few disgruntled committee members.

“As chairman, I’m allowed to come up with the process,” he said. “I laid it out in advance. It’s unfortunate that Councilman Gamble is acting like a MAGA Republican
refusing to accept the vote of the committee.”

At the council meeting, during the public comment section before the vote, the overwhelming sentiments of the residents who spoke were for the straw poll results and Mundell. Many speakers said they were BDMC members and that the council should carry out their wishes. But a few speakers said the council was in the best position to make an informed decision. The vote was then taken. Rockwell nominated Gamble and Davis seconded it. Cruz nominated Mundell who seconded the motion herself.

Following the vote, Joanow told the audience that he was appalled by the process of the BDMC.

“Its singular mission was to send three names to the council,” he said. “I’d like to think they were on a level playing field. A straw poll is in violation of Robert’s Rules. The process was violated. I think some of you took the red meat and ran with it.”

In a press release later in the evening following the council vote, Mundell announced, with Venezia’s endorsement, her campaign for mayor in a special June primary.

Gamble’s temporary position will end January 2025 when the winning mayoral candidate of the November 2024 general election takes office to serve the remaining year of Venezia’s unexpired term. Since Gamble cannot hold two council seats at once, the BDMC is now required to send another three candidates to the council, one who will be appointed to fill Gamble’s councilman vacancy.