PHILLIPSBURG MAYOR STEVE ELLIS’ STATEMENT ON FAILED RECALL EFFORT

Mayor Says Opponents Have No Evidence of Recall Support

PHILLIPSBURG, NJ (February 5, 2019)—Phillipsburg Mayor Steven Ellis issued the following statement in response to news reports of a failed attempt to recall him from office.

“As a lifelong resident of Phillipsburg with a deep love for this city, I ran for office because I could no longer sit by while our city sank further into decline. Instead of business and investors flocking to our waterfront location on the Delaware River and our City generating tourist revenue and thriving as a jewel of the Lehigh Valley, our downtown business district was abandoned, our infrastructure was crumbling and our city was squandering away the economic opportunities that could be bringing jobs to our area and providing a brighter future for our residents and our community.

“Instead of joining me in the effort to attract investment and economic opportunity to Phillipsburg, my political opponents have instead devoted their energies to besmirching the reputation of our City through their relentless campaign of personal attacks, baseless accusations and acts of retaliation against me, my family and young children, as well as hardworking City employees and private citizens who inadvertently found themselves caught in the cross-hairs. Each and every one of these attempts has proven to be without merit, and continue to be proven without merit, as they are addressed through the appropriate channels.

“This is also true for this latest recall attempt. There is no evidence at this point in time that the organizers collected even one verifiable or valid signature, as they have not filed the recall petition and have not made the petitions available for verification. Reports that any signatures were collected are not supported by any verifiable evidence. With the deadline now passed, there is no way to verify how many signatures, if any, were collected.”

“I want to assure the citizens of Phillipsburg that as their mayor, I continue to devote my energy toward economic development, attracting investors and businesses, creating local jobs, and doing everything I can to make Phillipsburg the thriving regional hub I know it can be. Our City is on the brink of an exciting and prosperous future and I hope the residents of Phillipsburg will join me in moving our city forward.”

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