For decades, the commissioners who ran the state’s largest sewage treatment plant operated it as if they lived in their own kingdom, accountable to no one — not even the governor.
They hired brothers, wives, children and in-laws; cut sweetheart deals for insiders; gave out lucrative, no-bid consulting contracts, and ran up lavish travel expenditures.
Today, Gov. Chris Christie said he had had enough.
He fired nearly all of them.
Taking steps to terminate six of the seven members of the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners, the governor said using the state authority as a "personal spoils system" would no longer be tolerated. He gave the six until Thursday to voluntarily resign or he would move to have them removed for cause.
"The members of the PVSC board of commissioners have had more than enough time to begin reforming the commission, but have chosen instead to perpetuate a pattern of abuse," Christie said. "They have repeatedly engaged in unethical hiring practices, secured unwarranted perks and blatantly ignored conflicts of interest."
