Group Looks for Newark Mayoral Candidates—Via Craigslist

Wanted: Mayor of major, mid-sized American city, the largest in the state of New Jersey. Must be a US citizen and city resident. Prior legislative experience helpful but not required.  

And by the way, the pay is pretty good -- about $174,000 a year, plus benefits -- but the hours can be a killer. The hiring process can be a bit taxing, too -- you don’t get the job unless several thousand city voters choose you.

So says an ad posted on Craigslist recently by the founder of a group, One Newark, whose aim is to open up the city’s political process.

While the popular online classified ad service is more commonly thought of as the place to visit for used furniture or a “missed connection” rather than for political talent, Sheila Montague, of One Newark, said the “help wanted” posting she placed is no joke.

“Basically, we’re a group of concerned citizens tired of the tail wagging the dog. We want to reclaim the power of the vote, demand some transparency about who’s going to represent us  and pursuing a voice,” said Montague, who unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the Newark Schools Advisory Board  earlier this year.

Montague said her group is not necessarily opposed to the three declared candidates running in the mayoral election next year  -- council members Ras Baraka and Anibal Ramos, as well as former schools advisory board member Shavar Jeffries -- but still believes the process of selecting mayoral hopefuls should be controlled less by the city’s power brokers and more by average Newarkers.  

“We’re going to look at the resumes and we’re going to pick someone to support. Our goal is to pick who the next mayor is going to be. It is not going to be a situation where the bosses of Newark tell us who the mayor is going to be.

“Our aim is to find the candidate who has the best interests of the city at heart. What we’re trying to change is what has been ongoing for many years, which is people looking at the mayor of Newark as a stepping stone to higher office,” the West Ward district leader added in what was a subtle jab at Mayor Cory Booker, who is running for the US Senate.

Montague said that the city has an engaged citizenry willing to fight over particular issues, including opposing a PSEG plan to build an electrical transfer station in the West Ward and a proposal by Booker to place the city’s water system under control of an independent authority, two hot-button issues in Newark over the last several months.

One Newark was founded in the wake of a tumultuous meeting at city hall meeting Nov. 20 during which members of the audience were restrained and pepper-sprayed by police after a controversial vote by Booker to appoint a candidate to replace Donald Payne Jr.. who left the municipal council after being elected to Congress.

While the issue wasn’t explicitly racial -- the candidate proposed by Booker is African-American, as was Payne -- the eight members of the governing body did split along racial lines, with the four white and Hispanic members supporting Booker’s choice, while the remaining four black members were opposed.