Rockwell resigns from council

Richard Rockwell, a Democrat appointed in 2018 to fill a vacated Bloomfield council seat, resigned Nov. 19. He concluded his tenure with an email to the township clerk.

“It was very simple,” he said. “Short and sweet.”

Rockwell ran unsuccessfully for council in 2010, then successfully in 2019 and 2022. In 2018, he had replaced Carlos Pomares, currently an Essex County commissioner.

He posted a statement on Facebook which read:

“I’ve resigned as councilman at-large. It was an honor to serve the people of Bloomfield for seven years. It was a special privilege to represent the LGBT community. The best part of the job and the part I will miss the most is the connections I made collaborating with so many devoted people who work in town hall, DPW, the fire department, the police department, and all the people who volunteer for boards and commissions. I feel we made progress through those collaborative efforts. I wish I could thank you all individually.

“Since I retired six years ago when I was 65, I discovered that my calling is working in nature. I’m better suited to be outdoors hiking or gardening – giving back to the planet rather than attending meetings wearing a suit and tie. So, my outdoor projects have become a priority for me. They keep me healthy – physically and spiritually.

“I guess I wasn’t cut out to be a politician. I became a councilman because I wanted to help make Bloomfield a better place to live rather than out of a desire for a political career. I enjoyed the interactions I had with people collaborating on projects and I’m proud of the accomplishments we made on projects such as the Collins House, Morris Canal Greenway, Halcyon Park Pond and crosswalks, the Historic Preservation Commission, the Historic District, Lion Gate Park, and Oakeside.

“I hope I pass the torch on to someone from a younger generation who has energy and enthusiasm to take on this leadership role. I wish Mayor Mundell and her administration much success. Thank you to all my supporters who had faith in me and stuck with me. I hope you will all continue to support candidates who share my values of transparency, fairness, collaboration, and community service.”

Rockwell said he heard back from people on Facebook, but not from his former council colleagues.

“They posted something on the township page, but nothing personally,” he said.

He began to think about resigning six months ago, but with nothing definite in mind.

“I was waiting to see how some things went, schedule-wise,” he continued. “We thought Ted would be running the (Nov. 25) meeting, but Jenny was sworn in and ran the meeting.”

Ted Gamble was elected temporary mayor by the council Jan. 22. Jenny Mundell, who defeated Gamble in the primary, was elected as mayor in the November general election.

“I had been thinking over the last seven years it wasn’t good for the town to be run by the same people,” Rockwell said. “There was a change in the administration and I thought it would be a good time. There are a lot of other reasons I don’t want to go into publicly.”

Rockwell, who had been employed as a computer analyst for Bank of America and J.P. Morgan said he would rather be working outdoors, getting his hands dirty.
“I’m not too good at figuring out budgets and policy decisions,” he said. “It’s difficult for people being in politics without being a politician with the fundraising and campaigning. I was lucky the last couple of elections. The whole team was running unopposed, so I didn’t have to do a lot of campaigning.”

He has been working on native plant restoration projects in Brookdale, Watsessing parks, Eagle Rock Reservation, Halcyon Park, the Morris Canal Greenway and the NY/NJ Trail Conference, he said. Three days a week, he is employed as a landscaping assistant at Manitoga/The Russell Wright Design Center, located in Garrison, N.Y.
Rockwell, who as councilman was a key participant in the uncompleted restoration of the Collins House, a centuries-old dwell along the Morris Canal, said he has no regrets from his time in politics.

“I did learn a lot about how to get things done and work with people,” he said. “It was a good learning experience.”

  bloomfield, Bloomfield Council, Rockwell