Morristown council president accuses housing commissioner of ‘improper’ meddling in appointments

By Kevin Coughlin

Is it okay for a local board to vet council appointments of new members?

Morristown Council President Stefan Armington doesn’t think so. But that’s what he says a commissioner of the Morristown Housing Authority has requested.

The council is soliciting applications from residents to fill three sudden vacancies on the unpaid housing authority, a federally funded agency that manages 470 apartments for seniors and families, and 184 Section 8 rental vouchers.

Armington says he got a call last week from MHA Commissioner Michael Cherello suggesting that prospective appointees might be part of an ongoing investigation of the authority by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“He said we needed to be careful, and said if we had names, we should send them to the housing authority,” Armington said.  The council president said such collaboration would violate the checks-and-balances of local government.

“It’s improper, because we don’t do that for anyone. We don’t ask the chairman of the planning board or the board of adjustment for input on who we are appointing,” Armington said.

Cherello did not respond to repeated calls for comment.

Roy Rogers, executive director of the MHA, said he was unaware of any phone calls between Cherello and Armington.  But he expressed hopes that the council would thoroughly screen anyone it appoints to the authority.

“The council could approve someone to serve on the board and find out that person’s in the process of being evicted or owes money, and is not qualified to be on the board,” Rogers said.

“I wouldn’t want someone serving on the board with a criminal background, or convicted for some other offense…I think it would be prudent to have the council select board members, but then make sure whoever they select doesn’t have a record with HUD,” Rogers said.

Armington said council members “take our appointments very seriously.”

Last month four commissioners quit the troubled housing authority, which no longer has a quorum. The council is soliciting applications from residents interested in filling three of those unpaid seats; Mayor Tim Dougherty is responsible for the fourth appointment. A fifth seat, appointed by the governor, has been vacant since late 2015.

Rogers, who was hired in early 2015, has told the council he initiated a HUD probe into his concerns that people may have skipped ahead on a Section 8 rental subsidy list that’s been closed since 2003.

At last week’s town council meeting, questions were raised about Rogers’ ability to run the MHA without a quorum of commissioners.

The executive director told MorristownGreen.com that MHA bylaws grant him the power to oversee daily operations in the current situation.  He also attempted to set the record straight on two specific matters discussed at the council meeting.

Rogers can rent vacant apartments without needing a vote by commissioners, he said. And he defended the attendance record of Commissioner Teresa Rodriguez, one of two remaining commissioners. (Cherello is the other.)

Councilwoman Hiliari Davis, council liaison to the MHA, said Rodriguez had missed seven meetings over the last year, prompting Councilwoman Michelle Duprée Harris to inquire about Rodriguez’ health.

According to Rogers, Rodriguez only missed two MHA meetings. The other meetings were canceled for lack of a quorum. “But she was available” for those meetings, Rogers said.