Tom McKay will retain his office after a recall election petition failed to get enough signatures.
Tom McKay says he's willing to forgive those who "persecuted" him.
A months-long effort to force a recall election and drive the Lopatcong Township mayor out of office has failed after failing to produce enough signatures on petitions circulated since December.
A recall effort against Lopatcong Mayor Tom McKay failed to gather enough petition signatures. (lehighvalleylive.com file photo) Warren County Clerk Pat Kolb, in a letter dated Monday to the recall committee, officially voided the petition which was turned in May 26. It was received with 1,274 signatures, of which 1,104 were valid, the clerk's letter said.
The petition needed 1,466 registered voters to proceed with the recall effort -- an amount equivalent to 25 percent of voters registered in Lopatcong in last year's general election.
McKay took office in January 2015. The recall effort began gathering signatures in December.
The recall committee -- listed as residents Robert Spagna, Edmund T. Shuster and William D. Wright -- has condemned McKay for his "actions and inaction, statements and misstatements, allegations, personal attacks, dilatory tactics and dictatorial personality" that have "eroded the Township's confidence in the Mayor's office," among other claims.
Among the specific instances included in the recall was the mayor's censure following an investigation into harassment allegations by the township clerk. A lawsuit on the allegations is still pending.
During the recall effort, the group also called out McKay for trying to assert authority over the township council, suing the board to force them to approve his appointments. The lawsuit was rejected in court.
Mayor: 'Machine' failed
McKay on Monday issued a statement claiming the recall was the effort of a political "machine," and calling the effort wasteful. It reads, in part:
"In the very old days, they said it was OK to love your neighbor and hate your enemy and that was not so hard to do! But, now it is better to love our enemies and forgive for those who persecute us. So, I do forgive those who have relentlessly harassed, defamed, and persecuted me. I believe most of them were unwittingly sucked into the Machine's dark vortex by manipulative experts who hide in the shadows. For their sake, I hope most come to the realization that they are being used as tools of perdition by a Machine that couldn't care less if they live or die."
Recall group: 'No winners'
The recall committee, which started a blog and Facebook page, also issued a statement thanking supporters and condemning the mayor:
"Regardless of the outcome, let's be clear, there were no winners in this process. That Tom McKay's behavior led even one Lopatcong voter to believe that a recall was necessary or appropriate is ultimately a reflection on his failed leadership and the negative impact his tenure has had on our community."
Election lines drawn
Both sides used the opportunity to endorse candidates for Tuesday's primary. There is also an immediate vacancy on council after Donna Schneider, a frequent supporter of McKay's, resigned last week.
McKay in his statement supported Democrat Juniper Liefer and Republican Eric Johnson -- who ran a joint campaign last year for council -- saying they are "free of Machine influence/control."
N.J. 2016 primary election checklist
Before the petition results were announced, the recall committee said it supports Anita Caughy and William Wright on the Republican ticket and Paul Murphy and incumbent Maureen McCabe on the Democratic side.
"Enabling the mayor is not the way to go," the group said. "We cannot elect people who will enable him to do the financially devastating actions he wishes to continue to do."
Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.