Trenton council president to step aside if re-elected
TRENTON » Zachary Chester, the political Fab Five organizer and city council president, will not seek another term as leader of the legislative body if he wins re-election.
He revealed his decision in an interview with the Nubian News, an alternative publication focusing on “the black perspective” in Trenton.
Recasting himself as a rejuvenated leader following a messy divorce that distracted him from tending to residents’ concerns and issues in his district, the West Ward councilman declared he’s “getting back to basics” after getting crushed by more than 400 votes by challenger Robin Vaughn in Round 1 of Trenton’s municipal election.
The council president barely squeaked by Shirley Gaines by 14 votes to get into the June 12 runoff. He’s having a town hall meeting with residents Thursday at the Covenant Presbyterian Church at 6 p.m. as part of his efforts to “reconnect” with voters.
“Going through the divorce,” Chester said, “and council presidency, which was a lot of responsibility, had me more focused on getting my personal life together. It’s something that I did not make public. It happened. Went through it. Came out on the other end still standing.”
The nearly 26-minute softball setup was as close to a mea culpa as Chester has come with residents.
“In moving forward … I am not seeking the council presidency. I’m gonna focus on the ward. I’m getting back to the basics,” he continued. “And that is ... back to community meetings, back to residents and their concerns and dealing with their issues, one issue, one community at a time.”
Chester, who has refused to speak to a Trentonian reporter he claimed doesn’t “write the truth,” didn’t return a phone call requesting comment.
The couple split up sometime after Alysia Welch-Chester, the former chairwoman of the Trenton Democratic Committee, drew headlines in 2012 upon entering into pretrial intervention to resolve charges she stole thousands of dollars of committee funds. She had to pay the funds back as part of her pact with prosecutors.
Chester’s critics took him to task for hanging his alleged subpar performance as West Ward councilman and council president on the breakup. Despite the personal tumult he cited in the interview, Chester never offered to step down.
Councilwoman Phyllis Holly-Ward, who has twice called on Chester to resign the presidency, said Chester’s excuses are “a crock of bull.”
“That’s a last bid for him to try to blame it on the divorce,” she said. “I find it very insulting to the residents of the city that he thinks anyone would go for that. That didn’t stop him from fighting George.”
The at-large councilwoman was referring to Chester’s dustup with South Ward councilman Muschal when they almost came to blows at a council meeting in 2015. Chester apologized for his outburst that required others to intervene.
Holly-Ward said that incident was part of a “laundry list” of Chester screw-ups.
The most recent one drew widespread condemnation and may have factored into Chester’s poor showing at the polls. He teamed up with council candidates Elvin Montero, Jenna Kettenburg, Rachel Cogsville-Lattimer and Taiwanda Terry-Wilson for a get-out-the-vote event ahead of the election. The four candidates chipped in $6,600 to the council president’s coffers for the event, drawing criticism that they were running together as part of a secret slate that became known as the political Fab Five. Chester was accused of using the four to try to get re-elected and help him maintain control of the presidency.
Chester and Terry-Wilson are the only remaining candidates in contention for a seat, leading Chester to finally make his aspirations known if he’s re-elected.
In the interview, Chester felt the city is “primed and ripe for redevelopment,” but some residents are “not ready” for it.
He hopscotched over issues about policing, the economy, education and challenges “being able to afford” to keep residents informed about issues impacting the city.
“Text message for those residents that are willing to share their numbers, that’s very low cost because with council we don’t have stipend or we don’t have funding to send out messages,” Chester said.
Holly-Ward wondered how Chester spread word about his upcoming town hall, the get-out-the-vote effort with the candidates and fundraising efforts. “It’s just another story,” she said.
Chester also lamented divisiveness on council and negativity from those who are “constantly talking about what we’re not doing.”
“If we’re always operating in the negative, the negative becomes the narrative,” he said.
The two-term councilman, pounding his experience, desperately urged voters to give him another four years despite his flaws.
“I still have a voice as a councilman,” he said.
For now.
“It’s over,” Holly-Ward said. “I have never seen anybody as horrible as him.”