At the beginning of 2011, Harvey Susswein started getting together on Sunday nights with a group of people he knew around town, including some current and past local politicians. The meetings were not publicized, but Susswein said he had about 35 people on his email list — “a good cross section” — who were invited to talk about fixing Montclair. “We called it the Sunday night group,” Susswein told me in an interview at his home yesterday. “What brought us together was concern about what was happen happening in the town, what we could do other than complain.”
Those Sunday evening sessions, held monthly at Susswein’s home in Montclair’s estate section, were also fact-finding missions with invited guests, ranging from former Glen Ridge mayor Carl Bergmanson and former Verona mayor Teena Schwartz, to Gina Genovese, founder of pro-consolidation group Courage to Connect.
Among the things Susswein learned was that towns like Verona and Glen Ridge “view Montclair as a high-cost provider” of services. “There are still people saying we can sell trash collection to Glen Ridge,” Susswein said. “It’s just not going to happen.”
Susswein says he is thinking bigger when it comes to shared services — not looking at it strictly as a revenue enhancer for Montclair — but looking for ways that, say, a number of towns could join forces to create a regional fire force that would save money for all. “There’s this mindset in Montclair that we’re only a seller,” he says. “We have to get over it.”
Wearing a purple cable-knit sweater rather than a suit, and babysitting his grandson, Susswein came across considerably warmer at home than he does at public appearances.
During our interview, Susswein spoke candidly about his opponents. Asked why he and Real Progress Montclair mayoral candidate Karen Turner wound up on different tickets — they were at one time considering a joint bid for office — he said the split was less philosophical than political. In light of the Occupy movement, Susswein said he was afraid a ticket with both Turner and himself might be “branded the 1 percent.” So, he said, “we just parted ways.” He also thinks Turner has softened her fiscal positions on both Pre-K and library funding since she entered the race. “I’m not exactly sure what she stands for,” he says. “But hers [has been] an important voice in town.”
As for Robert Jackson, who also was initially allied with Turner, Susswein said: “I reamin mystified to this day why Robert Jackson went off as he did, to run with four incumbents and two public sector union presidents.”
Susswein has taken some unpopular stands. He was a supporter of the controversial South Park Street project, comparing it to renovating your house before your put it on the market. “We’re trying to sell our downtown to businesses,” he said.
And while he says it’s too early to discuss replacing town manager Marc Dashield, he also hasn’t been particularly impressed. And he’s distressed by the way the council and manager became so estranged from the Capital Finance Committee and the Operating Budget Advisory Committee. “I was extremely disappointed,” he said. OBAC “was reduced to filing OPRA requests” to get information.
On the always contentious issue of parking, Susswein notes that Montclair currently spends more to maintain and enforce parking meters than it collects in quarters (!) and favors looking into a muni meter setup, and possibly charging for street parking at night during Wellmont events.
Then there are the 400 tax-exempt properties he says there are in town. He points out that there are only 52 houses of worship. “Do you know what the other 350 are? Either do I, but we’re going to find out.”
“…On the always contentious issue of parking, Susswein notes that Montclair currently spends more to maintain and enforce parking meters than it collects in quarters (!)…”
You can’t make this stuff up.
“He also thinks Turner has softened her fiscal positions on both Pre-K and library funding since she entered the race. “I’m not exactly sure what she stands for,” he says. “But hers [has been] an important voice in town.”
Smaaaaarmy.
That “thinks” comment re:Turner kind of made my skin crawl a bit. But I love the stuff about being a high cost provider and the parking. Nothing about the MPA though.
She softened her position on the Pre-K? As opposed to Susswein’s position of increasing funding? Though I thought all 3 candidates had the same position on funding the Pre-K?
It’s interesting that Mr. Susswein’s treasurer’s consulting company had the Montclair Pre-k listed as one of their clients, but the website seems to no longer list them as a client (Marlboro Park consulting).
And what exactly is (was) Mr. Susswein’s connection to the Pre-K? Wasn’t he the co-founder and a current board member?
Debbie, do you plan to do these sit-downs at home with the other 2 mayoral candidates?
“And what exactly is (was) Mr. Susswein’s connection to the Pre-K? Wasn’t he the co-founder and a current board member?”
Do we really expect that civic minded citizens are not going to be involved in other civic minded enterprises in town? Isn’t that a bit of an unreasonable expectation? Obviously if he’s elected he should resign from any local group which could benefit from his holding office. But I certainly don’t think a “connection to the Pre-K” is anything nefarious.
Except that he’s stated he’s for restoring full funding to the Pre-k. Will he remove himself from that vote? He’s campaigning on it.
“Except that he’s stated he’s for restoring full funding to the Pre-k. Will he remove himself from that vote? He’s campaigning on it.”
I don’t imagine so, and why should he? If he’s not a current member there is not a conflict. Should Turner recuse herself from any position maintained by the CCM?
He’s upfront about it. If you are paying attention there is no doubt of his support for dramatically raising the current level of funding for the Pre-K. If you don’t like that, don’t vote for him.
Yes, I have asked both Turner and Jackson.
He’s still on the board, isn’t he?
No. You are thinking of Timothy Barr who is also on his slate.
R.O.C.,
Turner did step down from her position at CCM when she began her campaign.
“Turner did step down from her position at CCM when she began her campaign.”
Not out of any conflict of interest, there was none. She rightly did so so as not to harm CCM’s reputation for being an independent watchdog. Otherwise anything CCM said could be seen as just an arm of her campaign.
Totally different situation.
Harvey Susswein is very smart and probably the most strategic of anyone running.
He may be smart and strategic, but I think it was a bad strategy to include Remsen and some of his people as campaign advisers. Why on earth would you associate yourself with that group when running for office in this town?
This admittedly felt a little weird. In any event, my wife Jane helped co-found the Montclair Community Pre-K in 1997 and remained on its board until late 2011, when she resigned in light of my mayoral candidacy. I am a big fan of the Pre-K but never held any official position with it.
Harvey Susswein
Time to put another conspiracy theory to rest…..
“It’s interesting that Mr. Susswein’s treasurer’s consulting company had the Montclair Pre-k listed as one of their clients, but the website seems to no longer list them as a client (Marlboro Park consulting).”
Mr. Susswein’s treasurer, David Grill, me, was one of the founding board members and first Board President of Montclair Community Pre-K, something I am incredibly proud of. As a telecommunications consultant I provided pro-bono advice on the design and procurement of a phone system and network. I did then list the Pre-K as a client in the education vertical, but as that was ten years ago, it is no longer on my client list.
Unless one lives in some dark paranoid corner this shouldn’t be viewed as an ethical problem, then or now.
The use of the term “estate section” strikes me as a bit sociologically loaded. (And if you’re going to tell us that Susswein had on a purple cable knit sweater, which was obvious from the photo, you might have considered getting even snarkier by describing to some extent the decor of the room in which the interview took place, even the books in Susswein’s bookcases.)
Nobody in Montclair, not even the Plofkers, owns an actual estate the way Brits own estates. There simply isn’t enough land available in town for an “estate.” Big lots, yes, but never an estate which someone like the Duke of Sutherland would recognize as one.
And if Montclair truly spends more to enforce and maintain parking meters, perhaps it’s simply time to consider dumping them entirely, since they do seem to inhibit shoppers from using town shops. This one is worth debating.
“Nobody in Montclair, not even the Plofkers, owns an actual estate the way Brits own estates.”
Thank goodness I live in UPPER Montclair where my 100+ year old farmhouse, build by shippers from Brooklyn, gracing 3/4 rolling acres overlooking Brookdale Park sits quietly.
So cathar, while perhaps not in the vein of an actual Brit, in the vein of an actual Montclairian, it certainly is an estate.
And a Palatial Estate at that.
(But I wounldn’t dare live in an area that felt the need to call itself the “estate” section. Calling attention to ones possessions in such an obvious way is so 1972.)
Prof, Upper Montclair has some quaint and charming homes which, compared to the estates in the estate section, are quire modest.
Nobody in Montclair, not even the Plofkers, owns an actual estate the way Brits own estates.
Have you ever drive along Upper Mountain Avenue, cathar? There are certainly estates. I don’t recall Deb writing, “…Montclair’s estate section, where the mansions rival those owned by Brits.”
As for referring to Harvey’s sweater, big deal. It’s so common in stories such as these to mention what the person is wearing, I can’t even believe it’s an issue for you. Bored today?
Don’t forget the Civics & Government Institute Mayoral Debate Thursday night at 6:30pm at Montclair High School. Hope to see you there.
“Have you ever drive along Upper Mountain Avenue, cathar? There are certainly estates.”
Hey ___’nick…..Again with the estates on Upper Mountain. What’s your hang up? You always seem to have a problem with the people living on Upper Mountain. You seem mighty jealous of other people’s success.
I’m just pointing out a fact here. Some of the homes on Upper Mountain are estates. I wasn’t using the term pejoratively, I was just pointing out that it’s laughable to say they aren’t estates just because they aren’t as big as Buckingham Palace.
That’s good to hear ___’nick. For a minute you seemed to be playing the divisive card that deKonick and the M2012 slate are playing.
Thank you to Mr. Susswein for mentioning that he is ready to work well with our only 4th ward candidate. (This is sincere, not snarky at all)
On the Baristnet home page there is a great photo juxtaposition of Susswein and Lungo, the cat, in the 5 pix’s.
Compare the two:
Lungo: https://www.baristanetnew.wpengine.com/2012/04/lungos-tale/
Susswein: https://www.baristanetnew.wpengine.com/2012/04/harvey-susswein-at-home/
Are the Baristnet photo editors trying to tell us something?