Outta here

After enduring several months of scrutiny regarding the old Cultural & Heritage Committee, and believing he’d been cut out of the municipal budget review, Middlesex Borough Councilman Jeremiah Carnes had enough.

Carnes gathered up his things, got up from the dais, uttered brief comments to CFO Caroline Benson, and exited the council’s Tuesday, April 9 meeting while it was still in session.

Carnes’ comments to Benson appeared to center on the budget, but were not clearly audible in the audience. Asked about Carnes’ sudden departure a few minutes later by Inside – Middlesex, Mayor Jack Mikolajczyk and council members could not definitively explain what had just transpired.

“We’re not 100% sure,” Mikolajczyk replied.

Mikolajczyk theorized that Carnes’ exit related to the budget. Benson explained that she had emailed budget documents to the mayor and council and invited anyone to contact her with questions. Councilman Martin Quinn guessed that a vote on C&H changes earlier in the meeting had irked Carnes.

Carnes responded the following day via Facebook private message when asked for an explanation. He confirmed he was not happy about the budget process and had lingering C&H concerns which spurred his meeting exit. The councilman had voted in the affirmative with colleagues to introduce the budget before leaving.

“As a local councilman, I get a heavy heart, having to write to address a matter of great concern,” Carnes wrote. “Transparency and open communication are the foundations of a successful community, and it is my duty to uphold these principles in my role as your representative.”

“Recently, I discovered that I was deliberately excluded from a subcommittee finance report meeting,” he continued. “This meeting, which was crucial for understanding the intricacies of our borough’s budget, was held without my knowledge or involvement.”

At a recent meeting, Carnes alleged that Council President Michael Conahan had once imparted that Carnes was “dead to him” due to political differences. Carnes did not say if the comment was relayed verbally or in writing. Conahan, who was present at that session, did not respond to the allegation.

Conahan was not present at the April 9 council meeting but participated via phone.

Carnes again referenced the alleged comment in his FB private message explanation when commenting on his exclusion from budget discussions.

“This proves that he’s willing to sacrifice the overall good of the borough for a personal grudge,” Carnes continued. “I’m saying this because the chairman of the finance committee failed to extend the courtesy of sending out any meeting invitations or providing me with the opportunity to participate.”

Carnes acknowledged “I kick myself,” and should have been more diligent “in reaching out and not expecting an email.”

“It is disheartening to realize that vital information and insights were discussed without my presence, leaving me at a disadvantage when it comes to representing your interests,” Carnes said of constituents. “I want to assure you that I am actively working to address this issue and ensure that it does not happen again.”

Prior to Carnes’ April 9 meeting exit, the council adopted an ordinance renaming the old C&H Committee and directing it to work with the Recreation Department on cultural and arts activities. Any historical projects will be handled by the library’s Board of Trustees and staff going forward. The ordinance vote was 4-0 with Carnes and Quinn abstaining.

The C&H Committee became engulfed in controversy in recent months. After five resignations occurred in short order last fall, Mikolajczyk and other colleagues awaited Carnes’ explanation. Since its formation in 2020, Carnes has been the C&H Committee’s council liaison.

It never came as Carnes missed a series of meetings. Mikolajczyk then interviewed seven former members in January, and suggested changes in C&H’s responsibilities. The new ordinance renamed the group the Culture & Arts Committee, setting it at seven members and two alternates.

During previous public discussions, Carnes has criticized the intended changes and did so again at the April 9 session before exiting.

Carnes claimed that the way the revisions were handled violated the section of the borough’s administrative code that calls on the governing body “to inspire confidence in Middlesex Borough government.” 

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