Hamilton Mayor John Bencivengo leaves the Clarkson S. Fisher Federal Building for lunch Nov. 20, 2012. A jury found him guilty on five corruption charges, including extortion, shortly after he returned. Bencivengo then resigned as mayor at noon Nov. 21. (Photo by Suzette J. Lucas.)
With “a very heavy heart,” John Bencivengo resigned as mayor of Hamilton Township Nov. 21. But well before Bencivengo’s resignation had been official, municipal government officials had already taken steps to replace the man who was the township’s CEO for the last five years.
State law kicked in at noon Nov. 21, elevating council president Kevin Meara to acting mayor when Bencivengo stepped down. Meara will act as mayor until council names an interim mayor. The law says the incumbent’s party—Republican, in this case—has 15 days to nominate three candidates for mayor. The township council then has 15 days to select one of those candidates to be interim mayor. The interim mayor will serve until the end of 2013.
The process for putting an interim mayor in place will likely move much faster than the allotted 30 days. The Republican convention for selecting the slate of three candidates was scheduled for Nov. 29, councilman Dave Kenny said. Township council—whose five seats are all filled by Republicans—would then interview the candidates. Kenny estimated the whole process wouldn’t take longer than two weeks, and that there would be an interim mayor in place by the first week of December.
Perhaps the largest motivator for the quick pace of transition is to put the scandal behind the township as quickly as possible. The township government and council has been operating amid turmoil since the FBI’s allegations of extortion against Bencivengo first surfaced April 26. While the charges certainly have affected the government, members of council have been quick to point out that the government has been operating fine despite it.
“Absolutely, I can’t wait for a new mayor, a new leader,” councilman Dennis Pone said. “But we actually never stopped. The employees have been doing great. The budget is good, on target.”
There was no greater example of the balance government officials have attempted to strike between acknowledging the mayor’s troubles and keeping the township moving forward than at Nov. 20’s township council meeting. While still addressing the news of the day, the council spent much of the meeting discussing the need for flood control in the township. Not even five hours had passed since a jury convicted Bencivengo of five corruption charges that could cost him 70 years in jail and $1.5 million in fines.
Pone said the council has attempted to keep the township operating without regard to the scandal, and now it appears the municipal government’s ability to respond to the turmoil is coming to a close. With Bencivengo’s resignation Nov. 21, all the municipal employees named in testimony during the trial no longer worked for the township.
Township director of community planning and compliance Robert Warney resigned June 25, pled guilty to money laundering in district court and went on to testify against Bencivengo last month. Township recreation director Cathy Tramontana was dismissed Nov. 20, a week after former Hamilton school district insurance broker Marliese Ljuba testified Tramontana and her husband, Joe, took trips paid for by Ljuba. The government’s key witness, Ljuba called Tramontana her “best friend,” and admitted to revealing the FBI investigation to the Tramontanas months before it was public knowledge.
But, at least to Pone, the council doesn’t need to rehash it anymore.
“We’re done,” Pone said. “Cathy Tramontana’s gone. Rob Warney’s gone. John Bencivengo’s gone. Everything else had to do with the school board. Once those positions are filled, we can comfortably move on from this.”
Township residents will have at least another year to think about the scandal, though. Bencivengo is scheduled to appear in district court Feb. 27, 2013 for sentencing. Then, next November, there will be a mayoral election to decide who will serve the remaining two years on Bencivengo’s term. The winner of that election would be mayor, with no temporary, acting or interim tag attached to the title.
As to who that mayor will be remains to be seen. Pone said he heard of two people interested in applying for the position, but wouldn’t divulge details because he feared it would be unfair to other Republicans hoping to apply. One of those people is most likely councilwoman Kelly Yaede, who voiced interest in the job when the allegations against Bencivengo first surfaced. Yaede did not return calls for comment.
No matter who the interim mayor ultimately is, both the Republican Party and the township council felt was important for the stability of the township to appoint someone as soon as possible, Kenny said, if only to relieve Meara. The mayorship in Hamilton is a full-time position, and it wasn’t a duty Meara’s colleagues expected him to fulfill, at least on an acting basis.
“I don’t expect Kevin to leave his job for two weeks to be mayor,” Kenny said.
At least a few members of council also wanted to make some changes that would assure Hamilton residents the government was working in their best interests.
Pone said he may suggest council expand a “good government” proposal presented by a local branch of nonprofit group The Citizens Campaign. The broadened plan would require the municipal government to go out to bid on all professional contracts, not just services provided by brokers. Pone said council would then go with the lowest bidder, as long as the specifications and quality of the company’s work are up to the government’s standard.
Pone also said he is exploring putting the council’s bidding and ethics policies into an ordinance, which would then govern all council members for the life of the ordinance.
It would be “political suicide” for someone to rescind the ordinance, and residents should feel more comfortable with the municipal government knowing it has official, permanent policies against the kind of behavior exhibited by the players in the Bencivengo trial, Pone said.
Whether those measures happen or not remains to be seen. But, either way, the township government marches forward, hoping the cloud of the Bencivengo trial dissipates shortly.
In his final statement as mayor, Bencivengo attempted to assure residents their town would see sunny days soon enough.
“Despite the result of my personal case, Hamilton Township has a bright future ahead of it for our entire community,” Bencivengo said. “Despite what anyone thinks or feels about me personally, I was honored to have the opportunity to serve Hamilton’s residents. And despite whatever challenges face this community tomorrow, moving forward, Hamilton Township will remain a hometown our residents can always be proud of.”
