HILLSIDE - After 18 months of bickering, the township council has given Mayor Angela Garretson a vote of no-confidence, identifying a laundry list of grievances.
Garretson calls it all politics and claims the council has been blocking her moves to strengthen the municipal management.
In a related development, township police Chief Louis Panarese sent a letter to a council member accusing Garretson of being disrespectful and demeaning to municipal employees and destroying morale.
"I have never seen morale as low as it is now," wrote Panarese, a 32-year veteran of the police department, in a letter to Councilman Donald DeAugustine, the council liaison to the police department.
"Every single day I hear from competent and valuable employees, who used to enjoy working here, that they can't wait to leave," Panarese said.
Garretson said she was unaware of the letter until an NJ Advance Media reporter showed her a copy.
After the council vote last month, Council President Salonia Saxton issued a statement saying she regretted having to take the no-confidence vote, but said it was needed.
"It's very unfortunate that the residents in the township are forced to suffer while under the leadership of this mayor," Saxton said. She said the no-confidence vote was a step taken "with deep regret."
Joining Saxton in voting for the resolution were DeAugustine and council members George Alston, Gerald Pateesh Freeman and Diane Murray.
Council members accused Garretson of not communicating with the council, ignoring repeated requests to have department heads attend council meetings, failing to pay vendors and causing the township to miss opportunities for million of dollars in grants.
Councilman Sip Whitaker voted against the resolution and Councilwoman Tonia Hobbs abstained.
According to a transcript of the council meeting, Hobbs acknowledged issues about vacancies, such as the municipal business administrator and director of public works.
However, she said other issues - including recommendations from state audits, neglected properties and potholes - existed before Garretson became mayor in January 2014.
Garretson counters that she has been in a battle with council members since she took office, and much of the vote was political grandstanding.
She claims the township is going through a transition and she is fighting "an entrenched establishment."
"From the day I took office, they have tried to sabotage me. They are creating roadblocks," Garretson said. She disputes claims of losing grants.
When Garretson took the oath as mayor in January 2014, six of the seven council members were no-shows for the ceremony at Kean University.
Within weeks the new mayor was embroiled in battles over department heads, with Garretson making changes and council overriding her decisions.
Last December, a state audit slammed the township, claiming it had violated state law by not hiring a business administrator and for paying out $1.1 million employee longevity over two years.
Garretson, in response to the report, said the township had hired a part-time administrator, and that she was dealing with problems she had inherited.
Tom Haydon may be reached at thaydon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_HaydonSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.