Niece of council president no longer up for zoning board gig
TRENTON » Kathy McBride’s niece seemed like a shoe-in to become a zoning board member.
With the council president’s blessing, the name of former North Ward council challenger Eboni Love appeared on a resolution appointing her to the zoning board that was going to be considered by the legislative body.
Her name also appeared on a draft copy of the agenda for the upcoming meeting, sources said, but it was mysteriously pulled after concerns were raised behind the scenes about Love’s eligibility and qualifications to serve on the city zoning board.
City clerk Dwayne Harris confirmed Love’s name was taken off the resolution and she is no longer being considered because she is a city employee and cannot serve on the zoning board.
Prior to the resolution being yanked, city insiders who spoke on condition of anonymity wondered whether McBride was using her power as head of the legislative body to hand out positions to relatives.
“Nepotism isn’t a good thing ever,” one source said.
McBride narrowly won support in a straw poll on the way to formally being voted in by her colleagues, so all of her decisions as head of the legislative body are being scrutinized, moreso following the tumultuous tenure of ex-council president Zachary Chester.
Reached by phone this week, Love didn’t deny being related to McBride but refused to admit that McBride is her aunt, as confirmed by multiple sources.
She said she wasn’t expecting any preferential treatment in whether she ultimately got the nod over other candidates.
“I’ve met a lot of people campaigning,” she said in defense of her application. “I’m well qualified for anything I put forth.”
For her part, McBride hasn’t returned multiple messages seeking comment about why the resolution recommending Love appointment to the zoning board was suddenly yanked off the agenda docket.
Love, an employee at Trenton Public Library, unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Marge Caldwell-Wilson for her North Ward seat in the municipal election.
In an interview with The Trentonian before the election, she expressed a desire to remain active and involved in city government in some capacity regardless of the outcome of the election.
She missed the runoff, coming in third place behind Algernon Ward.
In a cover letter addressed to city clerk Dwayne Harris asking for his “support” in her bid for the gig, Love described herself as a “historian” of the city.
“I have lived in and around the city of Trenton all my life and I’m serious in my commitment to the city,” Love wrote in a letter to city clerk Dwayne Harris. “As an interested member of our community I would love to volunteer my time, skills and talents to assist in planning the future of our town. My love for our city has compelled me to seek a seat on the zoning board. Being able to serve my community is a great honor. As a historian I have extensive knowledge of Trenton’s history and would like the opportunity to be a part of its future. The knowledge that was gained during the recent municipal election gave me a better understanding of how to combat the challenges the city of Trenton faces.”
As part of her consideration package, she submitted a sixline resume reflecting that she received a bachelor’s degree in history from Elizabeth City State University and worked for two years as a corrections officer in North Carolina before returning to Trenton to become a library associate.
This isn’t the first time one of kingmaker McBride’s family members was set to benefit from her connections in the city government.
While McBride was a councilwoman in 2010, her daughter, Yakial, received a $55,000 job as a grant writer from corrupt former Mayor Tony Mack.
She was one of 11 appointees in Mack’s inner circle that was reportedly costing the city nearly $800,000 in 2010.
One city council member said he is in favor of making volunteer board positions like the one Love sought paid positions, even if it’s a $1,000 stipend.
South Ward councilman George Muschal believes making the positions salaried helps weed out unqualified candidates because they’d have to go through a rigorous hiring process that would include background checks and drug testing.
He also said making it a paid position with attendance requirements would ensure participation at meetings, some which were canceled because not enough members could attend.
“You can get a better quality person for a stipend,” Muschal said. “At least you have some control.”