Trenton councilman demands apology after being ‘cursed out’ by Gusciora on phone call
You mad, bro? Councilman Santiago Rodriguez demanded an apology from alleged potty-mouthed Mayor Reed Gusciora after the two city officials clashed over housing enforcement during a phone call Tuesday.
Officials responded to a home on the 200 block of Centre Street, where 12 people, including children, were living in an illegally bifurcated single-family home without gas.
The landlord was cited with multiple housing violations, officials said.
Rodriguez accused the mayor at the council meeting of cursing him out during the phone call as he tried to ensure the families weren’t left homeless when officials “condemned” the building.
The councilman claimed he’s always respected Gusciora’s “position” as chief executive of the city but not anymore.
“We have a lot of differences, but I have always answered to your call,” Rodriguez said. “I was very upset when the mayor told me he wasn’t doing anything. He cursed at me.”
Gusciora didn’t recall the interaction the same way, but admitted growing testy when Rodriguez allegedly attacked two city workers who were “going the extra mile” to ensure the families received three rooms at the Element Ewing Princeton.
“I thought he was being unreasonable, and he insulted the inspector and human resources [employee] by saying they don’t care,” Gusciora said.
Bringing up old hat, Rodriguez blamed the mayor for attacking and antagonizing Robin Vaughn during her infamous coronavirus meltdown last May, in which she leveled homophobic slurs at the openly gay leader.
And Rodriguez claimed Tuesday’s heated call showed Gusciora is back up to his old bag of tricks, urging leadership to crack down on “slumlords” throughout Trenton.
“You are doing nothing for the residents,” Rodriguez said.
“Start doing your job. Shame on you, sir.”
Gusciora claimed officials are doing the work; the owner of the property was issued eight citations after inspectors learned of the circumstances the families were living in.
The city is putting the families up in a hotel free of cost for a couple weeks while they work to find permanent housing.
Gusciora claimed Rodriguez was the one who should be apologizing.
“I think he owes the staff an apology, saying they did not care about people,” the mayor said. “If he wants an apology, I’ll give him an apology. The bigger offense is disparaging city employees.
That’s my consternation.” Rodriguez said by text afterward, “The mayor, as usual, denies what he said.”