Memone Crystian at Thursday’s council meeting. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
The former chairwoman of the Red Bank Housing Authority accused Councilwoman Kate Triggiano Thursday night of political “vengeance” in her recent replacement.
Memone Crystian and her successor at the helm of the autonomous authority also raised questions about the residency and meeting attendance of another member who was reappointed.
Councilwoman Kate Triggiano, above, and Housing Authority Commissioner Alpha Reynolds-Lewis, below. (Photos by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
Crystian, who served three five years on the RBHA board, was not reappointed after her term ended December 31 – a fate she said she learned of only that afternoon, she said.
At the borough reorganization meeting the following day, the council approved five-year appointments of Melissa Moore, a new member, and Diem Jones, a returning member.
Crystian, a former borough recreation director who now serves on the Red Bank Regional High School board of ed, said even Councilman David Cassidy, who serves as council liaison to the RBHA, was unaware of the change until just hours before. Cassidy acknowledged that was the case.
Crystian cast her removal as retaliation for her non-support of the “Red Bank’s Ready” slate that swept into office in a history-making election last May ahead of a change in the form of government that became effective July 1.
The slate was led by Triggiano, who also heads the local Democratic organization, and Mayor Billy Portman, its only incumbents.
“I find it very ironic, so ironic, that the individual that was reappointed to the housing authority, and [appointees] to other committees on January 1st, were supporters of the Portman-Triggiano campaign,” Crystian said during the public comments session of the council’s first regular meeting of the year.
“I was not a campaign supporter of Portman, and most definitely not of Triggiano. But that did not impede my ability to serve the marginalized communities of Red Bank,” she said.
The housing authority manages the federally funded, 40-unit Montgomery Terrace apartments for low-income earners, and the 50-unit Evergreen Terrace for senior and disabled-residents.
“This is politics at its worst, and truly, I know, this is Kate Triggiano using her influence for vengeance and personal gain,” Crystian said. “There is no room for politics when it comes to affordable housing in Red Bank. Shame on you, Billy. I had really hoped for more.”
No explanation was offered from the dais by Triggiano, Cassidy or Portman for dumping Crystian.
“I will tell you that there were actual, real concerns that led to that reappointment not being made,” said Triggiano. But “I don’t think it’s appropriate to be talking about that up here, because I respect Memone, and I don’t think that’s proper,” she said.
Triggiano denied politics were at play.
Cassidy said he supported the appointment of Moore, who lives in the subsidized Cedar Crossing condos on Cedar Street, for which the RBHA serves as property manager. He said it was “important” for Cedar Crossing residents “to have a voice” at the authority.
Crystian was followed at the microphone by Alpha Reynolds-Lewis, who told the council that the change had left her as the defacto chairperson, a position she rose to unwillingly from vice-chair.
“I completely agree that this is political,” she said. “I’m just wondering if the retribution will come to me” when her term ends later this year, she said.
She said Crystian had been “probably the best chairperson the authority has had.” She credited her with leading efforts to head off a threatened privatization of the authority’s assets and bringing in Lisa Hendricks Richardson as its first full-time executive director.
Fellow council members, including Cassidy, said Triggiano does not play politics as alleged by Crystian and Reynolds-Lewis. He called Triggiano “a person of integrity,” a description echoed by others on the dais.
Reynolds-Lewis also attempted to probe how much due diligence the council had done before reappointing Diem Jones to the authority. He has a home in Red Bank, but he lives out of state, she alleged. And his attendance at meetings should have been noted, she said.
Diem’s attendance “did not come up,” Portman said in response to a question she posed.
Jones did not respond to an inquiry emailed to him Thursday night.
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