Director canned by Palmer rehired by Mayor Jackson

TRENTON >> One mayor’s trash is apparently another mayor’s treasure.

Mayor Eric Jackson announced Monday that he appointed Merkle Cherry as acting public works director. Cherry was unceremoniously fired as recreation director in May 2000 under former Mayor Douglas Palmer’s tenure following a substantial loss of federal funding.

“I believe at that time, Merkle with the Palmer administration had their own issues,” Jackson said Monday, defending his pick. “I’ve known this guy through the years. I worked with him during that time when he was there, continued to watch his work and the way he’s been an asset to this community. I think for this time now — for this administration for what we need to be done with this department and the community — I think he’s a good fit.” According to an archived

Trentonian story, Cherry and a subordinate, who was also fired, were tied to the loss of the city’s designation as a federal Weed & Seed site, which resulted in costing Trenton some $150,000 in funding related to afterschool and anti-crime activities.

Palmer did not return a message seeking comment about the director who worked for him for a decade.

Heading up the public works department can be a daunting task. The city’s last public works director, Jacqueline Foushee, resigned in February following a tumultuous tenure filled with complaints about snow removal. Foushee, who was appointed in July 2014 when Jackson assumed office, was also named in a harassment and discrimination complaint filed by a city employee, and was documented to approve contractor work without the required city council approval.

Sean Semple has served as acting public works director since Foushee’s departure.

The mayor is not worried about Cherry, given his track record with the city, and the responsibilities connected to the position.

“I think with someone with Merkle’s diverse traits and assets that he brings, he’ll help us in that area, and actually be an asset versus a liability,” Jackson said. “He has a good feel for municipal government, he has a good background in banking, finance and understanding of numbers.”

Before joining the city, Merkle worked for a couple years as an operations director at the Henry J. Austin Health Center in Trenton.

Jackson said Merkle was “more of a strong supporter than a worker” on his successful 2014 mayoral campaign.