The Alternative Press

NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ - In a lengthy mass email to New Providence residents on Friday night (see entire email below), New Providence Mayor Brooke Hern responded to an email anonymously circulated earlier in the day accusing him of being a deadbeat dad among other personal issues. Hern responded in significant detail and told residents that his personal life is not a distraction from his mayoral duties. Issues regarding Hern's personal issues first arose in a story broken by TheAlternativePress.com.

"Although lengthy, nothing you are about to read is a distraction from my duties as mayor. Most of it is about past challenges, now overcome.  The rest is about my ex-wife and the choices that she made for herself since our divorce..." the mayor writes. In his email, Hern says he continues to "fully pay child support" and is "not in arrears on child support." He also says that he intends to repay all of the debts that have accumulated, including taxes. He writes, "I believe that paying taxes, even though I could discharge them, is the right thing to do." 

Later, Hern goes on to say that he has had a successful first year in office and has championed causes, like the liquor license referendum, which will benefit the Borough.

Finally, he asks residents to support him and discourages residents from "disrupting" Monday night's Council meeting "with personal attacks." He concludes, "I hope that each of you will reject these personal attacks, and that you will continue to support me in my efforts to serve New Providence." 

Editor's Note:  The article included emails that were sent by Mayor Hern and an anonymous individual to hundreds, if not thousands, of New Providence residents.  We wrote the article and published the emails because they are newsworthy and a matter of public concern as they deal with accusations made against Mayor Hern and his rebuttal to them.  It is our unfortunate responsibility to do so.  We published the emails in their entirety since that is how they were distributed and so our readers could form their own opinions regarding the issues raised.  As for the article itself, The Alternative Press does not wish to cause any harm to Stephanie Hern, her children, or Mayor Hern, for that matter.  As a newspaper accredited by the New Jersey Press Association, we are reporting on these issues to provide our readers with the information they may need to make informed decisions regarding Mayor Hern and the governance of the Borough.  We take no joy in doing so, particularly as residents of this great Borough.

The anonymous email circulated earlier today:

FACT:  MAYOR HERN DECLARED BANKRUPTCY.  HE CAN NOT MANAGE HIS OWN FINANCES BUT HE IS MANAGING YOURS!!!
FACT:  MAYOR HERN DID NOT PAY HIS TAXES BUT EXPECTS YOU TO PAY YOURS!
FACT:  MAYOR HERN'S HOME IN NEW PROVIDENCE IS IN FORECLOSURE!
FACT:  MAYOR HERN IS A DEADBEAT DAD HAVING NOT PAID CHILD SUPPORT TO FEED AND CLOTH HIS OWN CHILDREN WHO ARE ON WELFARE!

If you care about your community, then come to the council meeting on Monday Feb 13 at 7p.m. 

Here is the full text of the mayor's email:

Dear Fellow Residents of New Providence,

Understanding that you may not wish to be included on this email list, I feel I have no choice but to burden you with a response to an email that you received earlier today from an anonymous person.  As the father of three children in this community, I need to respond to false accusations made by a person who lacks the courage and decency to even sign their name.        

I am, of course, reluctant to discuss the personal hardships that I have endured, which include a failed marriage and a very contentious divorce.  However, it is simply impossible to fully and completely respond to these unfair personal attacks without doing so.  Although lengthy, nothing you are about to read is a distraction from my duties as mayor.  Most of it is about past challenges, now overcome.  The rest is about my ex-wife and the choices that she made for herself since our divorce.  As you will read, I have but one pressing issue in my personal life, which is to get my ex-wife to comply with the law and let me see my children. 

At the outset, it’s fair to ask one simple question:  Why now?  After a successful first year as mayor, why the sudden barrage of unfair personal attacks? The answer is rooted in my failed marriage and contentious divorce.  Since last September, my ex-wife, Stephanie, has refused to voluntarily allow me to see my children, and she has denied me all of the parenting time to which I am legally entitled.  She has wrongfully alienated my children's affections and views toward me, and she has sought to publicly embarrass me by making false reports to the police.  After months of trying to resolve this with Stephanie, I finally filed a family-court motion in January to enforce my right to be with my kids.  That motion is currently scheduled to be heard on February 24th.  Quite simply, the anonymous email you received, and other recent attacks, is an ex-wife's response to a family court motion that she is certain to lose.  In order to retaliate against me for taking her to court, Stephanie has recruited the efforts of those who want to hurt me personally and politically.  I grew up without a dad, and I’m determined not to let that happen to my kids.  My children deserve a father, and I will not be deterred by these or any other unfair personal attacks.   

Contrary to the false claims that were made in the anonymous email that you received, I have and continue to fully pay child support.  To be clear, I am not in arrears on child support. 

The truth is that, in April 2011, one month after our divorce was final, Stephanie voluntarily quit her job at Our House, Inc., which is located on Floral Avenue in New Providence.  It was a good paying job that also provided her with health care benefits.  Because she voluntarily quit her job, she was not eligible to receive unemployment benefits.  Although she likely concluded that she could live on the alimony and child support that she was awarded in our divorce, her decision proved disastrous when I was laid off from my job, only one month later, in May 2011. 

Facing one of the worst economies and toughest job markets in memory, I've worked hard to build my own solo law practice and to transition to emerging areas of the law.  After months filled with substantial economic challenges, I've begun to turn the corner and I’m now starting to reap the financial benefits of my hard work. 

However, upon losing my job last May, I experienced a 90 percent decrease in my income.  Since Stephanie had just voluntarily quit her job and was ineligible to receive unemployment benefits, she apparently was forced to support herself by going on the welfare roles.  I would guess that Stephanie is not the typical welfare recipient.  She holds a bachelors degree from Drew University, and she is more than capable of working in a well-paying, full-time job.  Moreover, since she is now a partner in The Grammarie Coffee Shop in New Providence, I would doubt that she continues to be eligible for welfare benefits.  Of course, all this could have been avoided if only Stephanie had not voluntarily quit a good paying job in April 2011.

Contrary to the false claims, I am not living in a home that is in foreclosure.  In fact, I reside in a one-bedroom rental.  As I understand it, Stephanie has not made mortgage payments on the house she was awarded nearly than a year ago in our divorce.  In fact, for more than a year, Stephanie has had complete control over that house, and complete responsibility for paying the mortgage and taxes.  During this time, Stephanie declined the invitations from the bank for a short sale and loan modification.  Although the bank has not yet filed a foreclosure complaint, which I assume is forthcoming since she will not work with the bank, Stephanie has opted to live in the house, free of charge, until the bank forecloses on the property and takes possession.  Although I have no control over her decisions, I would hope that Stephanie would take advantage of the new programs announced by President Obama, pay her mortgage, and avoid foreclosure.

When we first began talking about divorce in early 2009, the extent of our financial challenges became clear to me.  I realized that I should have been more diligent and more active in watching over how our money was managed.  Although we did not even observe our 20th anniversary in July of 2009, we still could not afford to separate until we stabilized our finances.  In June 2010, having received no cooperation from Stephanie, I began having my paychecks deposited in a separate bank account, so that I could pay our debts and make it financially feasible for us to separate by the beginning of 2011.

When I informed her of my actions, Stephanie refused to cooperate with any plan to stabilize our finances, demanded that I leave at once, and began spreading outright lies about the failure of our marriage.  All of the marital debts were undertaken solely in my name, and I was left holding the bag.  Faced with supporting two households, I struggled from June to November 2010 to workout solutions with our creditors.  I was able to satisfy tens-of-thousands-of-dollars of the marital debt.  However, by late October 2010, several creditors either filed or were about to file collection actions. Unable to reach agreements with these creditors, by November I was left with the regrettable option of seeking the legal protections afforded to all by the bankruptcy court.  Right up until the time of filing, I held out hope that it would be unnecessary, and I did not believe that any creditor would see that option as being in their best interest. 

The filing would have proven unnecessary if only Stephanie had cooperated with efforts to stabilize our finances before separating.  Nevertheless, I intend to repay all these debts, including taxes, as I continue to rebound.  With respect to our joint tax obligations, I remain obligated and committed to paying these taxes, because I voluntarily consented to a provision in our judgment of divorce requiring me to do so.  I believe that paying taxes, even though I could discharge them, is the right thing to do.

As I said at the start, this long narrative is about past challenges, now overcome.  It’s also about decisions that my ex-wife made for herself, after our divorce.  None of these things presents a distraction for me in my duties as mayor.  I have turned the corner in my career, and these challenges are far behind me. 

I love New Providence, and the people who live here.  I love being mayor.  These past struggles have made me stronger, and they've made me better able to serve with an informed sense of the challenges that each of us faces in these very difficult economic times.  In fact, many of you reading this have likely gone through some of the same things I have, such as a divorce or a loss of employment.

I was elected to serve because of my vision for New Providence.  Along with our dedicated Borough Council, I have worked hard and achieved success in my first year in office.  Working as a team with our top-notch finance committee and CFO, we are about to deliver our second consecutive budget that stays well under cap without cutting services.  Moreover, at the beginning of my first year, I called for two referendums that will change New Providence in very positive ways.  First, I called for a referendum to issue consumption liquor licenses and help revitalize our downtown. Second, I called for a referendum to use open space funds to improve the condition of our athletic fields and meet the great demands that are placed on them. Through the work of many dedicated people, these referendums -- on previously contentious issues -- were overwhelmingly passed without controversy. I've also worked hard to market New Providence and bring new businesses to our downtown, and our Borough is now in the midst of an economic revival. 

Most importantly, since I was elected, public policy has been decided through consensus, rather than controversy.  Major decisions are put to referendum, and important business is carried on through a deliberative process that considers and respects diverse opinions.   

I believe in our town, and in our people.  Notwithstanding a failed marriage and past economic challenges, I believe the good and decent people of New Providence have and continue to evaluate me, not based on slander, but upon my hard work and success as mayor. 

Although it is always appropriate to attend a Council meeting and comment on the business of our local government, it is always inappropriate to disrupt a meeting with personal attacks.  Answering the call from those who would hurt me personally and politically will only distract our elected officials from the important work they do for our town. 

I hope that each of you will reject these personal attacks, and that you will continue to support me in my efforts to serve New Providence. 

Sincerely,
J. Brooke Hern