I have invited Newark South Ward runoff candidate Patrick Council but he has not responded yet. All runoff council candidates, please call 973-622-1111 or 973-280-7547 to schedule an interview.
Dhiren Shah: Congratulations on being part of the runoff election. What will be the changes between the previous election process and the runoff for you?
Terrance Bankston: This time we’re going to announce some endorsements. In the first round, I wanted to focus on the voters and building my organization to get through the election. We’re expanding our ground operation. We have ambassadors that we will be placing in the key districts.
55% of the people said no to the mayor’s choice, and that was on the first ballot. So that’s giving us an idea, because when you add up all the no votes, it’s almost 2-1 in every district against the mayor’s candidate. Whereas for us, we have another 1,300 votes just amongst the 55% that I believe are our votes.
DS: What are the duties of a councilperson?
TB: Legislate, appropriate, and investigate, which has not been happening. We don’t really have legislators representing, especially in the South Ward, who’s actually putting forth or addressing policy and looking into the problems that we have in our community, which needs to happen. I think we need someone who’s actually going to do that job when I think about the budget or police resources or recreation. Someone has not been doing their job. Because the South Ward always get the short end of the stick, yet we are the largest, we’re supposed to be the best, we have the most schools and most people.
And yet, we get the least amount of resources because the council people are “yessing” everything. The purpose of check and balance is to actually check and balance, and you can’t do that if you’re making back room deals and you know that you’ll be getting some turkeys in a couple of months, and you’ll vote yes no matter what more across your desk. That has not been good for government, and it allows a lot of corruption to go on. I think about code enforcement; another department the mayor’s choice oversaw before he was demoted by the mayor. Corruption runs rampant in the code enforcement department. Drugs are sold in the rec center because we don’t have folks who are on their job, and that’s enforcing and creating or implementing policies that there to protect the interest of those particular departments.
DS: You have run for public office several times before unsuccessfully. What is your motivation to keep running?
TB: Everyone is not meant to win the first time they run for office. Running unsuccessful is irrelevant depending on what you goal is. My goal was to build a political brand, understanding that the only other person who has done that here is the current mayor. Mayor James built a legacy or brand that extended over time. Mildred Crump is the only other person who’s had that, and she’s from Detroit.
Part of it is like sports. In order to be in the Finals in the NBA, you have to put points on the board. Just because I lost this game, doesn’t mean I can’t win the Finals. When I ran for Freeholder, I brought attention to Freeholder seats. No one knew what that was, particularly my generation. But it allowed me for at this moment to be the South Ward councilman, to build a base of supporters, which helps with name recognition, and the next time, I was there to help Anibal Ramos. He needed a credible black face. Although he was unsuccessful in running for mayorship, but part of being in this business is sometimes it’s – whether it’s expanding your name or getting it out there – completing a void. In that particular interest, not that I wanted to be an at-large councilperson on Anibal’s ticket, but that was something that was needed for the larger team. Then I transferred to Shavar Jefferies team. I was needed for that team.
I’ve made alliances and collaborated with people to give them credibility. If I don’t put my name out there or on the board, people will ask, “Who is he? He doesn’t have experience.” Now, people can’t say that in 2022. I’m a seasoned candidate. I think that reflected in my campaign.
DS: If elected, how will you help citizens of Newark who right now are feeling the pinch to leave because of high costs?
TB: We have to look at the inclusionary zoning law the mayor has put forth. It goes back to legislators not legislating. Those policies have loopholes, and those loopholes and greed involve the same developers who renege on affordable housing are the same developers who appear on folks elect reports. Any given day in my campaign office, I have people come in looking for affordable housing because they can’t find it. This is a mess.
Again, there is a major housing issue, not just affordable housing, but we’re still dealing with foreclosures in the South Ward. We ask for jobs and careers but the jobs we are being provided do not pay enough. I think the mayor came in talking about a rent moratorium, but what happened with that? People are being priced out. The article came out that 51% of our city is owned by white corporations and our elected officials pretended like they didn’t know this was happening.
DS: After the election results, Mayor Baraka will remain in charge and six of the city’s nine council positions are occupied by people from his ticket. How will you work with the mayor and council to achieve your goals, especially if they disagree with you?
TB: It’s just like any worksite, and I’m a professional. Unlike them, I don’t have a mayor checking me about what I can do and what I can’t do. I’m not a puppet, and I’m not saying the six elected people are that. I go to work to produce, not to bicker, not to argue, not to be your best friend. I’ll work with people like I have in all five of my directorships. You have to be focused on the goal, and I don’t know what we would disagree about if the goal is to move the city forward, then the at-large people should be yielding to the Ward councilperson. We have to bring structure back to the government. It should not be nine council people waiting to be told what the mayor wants to do. We have a job to do every day, and that is collaborating with the mayor, not being controlled by the mayor.
DS: How will you overcome the big machine politics of Newark and Essex County?
TB: You have to become your own machine. I think being in the runoff speaks for itself.
DS: Crime is a huge issue in the South Ward. What will you do to put a stop to it?
TB: When it comes to crime, our biggest issue is gun violence. There’s needs to be a different energy coming from the council office, a different kind of partnership with the police captain that we haven’t had before. First, I’d want to ensure that the person we have in place is the right one for the job. Secondly, I’d want to have some longevity or consistency in terms of leaving a captain in place. I think we’ve had 14 or so throughout this administration. There’s been no continuity to partner up or try new things. As councilman, I would want to know where and how the officers will be deployed in the ward. I plan on partnering with schools and nonprofit organizations as well.
Through an initiative I announced in December that I look forward to executing as councilperson is the South Ward Social Justice and Diversity Academy, and it addresses a lot these things. It’s not just about addressing day to day crime and gun violence, but getting think tanks and stakeholders in the same space so we can address policy.
DS: Who do you think you are a better candidate than your opponent Patrick Council?
TB: One, I have senior management experience. I’ve served in five directorships successfully, and when I say that I can point to things that matter in terms of deliverables that impacted the city and outside the city. As the Newark Youth One Stop director, I increased the literacy rate by double digits, which is higher than the state’s average. For the first time in over 20 years, we had no fiscal findings from federal auditors. We weren’t sending back unprecedented amounts of money that were supposed to be going to our youth.
I created the first and only college transition program and eighth grade bridge programs into high school for our participants. I also created the first high school diploma program, where dropouts could get their state issued diplomas. We don’t call them GEDs anymore. And while they were doing so, they were accumulating credits at Essex County College, so not only would they get a high school diploma, but they were a semester ahead at college, which is something they didn’t even think was possible.
When you go the Director of Constituent Affairs for the mayor’s office, I didn’t just sit there and do what the mayor said – I led. Not only did I structure the office, but I created the open office hours. I created something the current mayor took a page out of, which is the mobile job fair. Terrance Bankston created that back in 2007.
Not just that, but I’m educated. I have a master’s degree in administrative science. I have a bachelor’s degree in public policy. I was built for this. This is my purpose. This is not for a position.
These are things the opponent cannot. Back when he does speak, at the one debate he allowed to be at, he doesn’t have a plan to lead. The South Ward councilman must have a plan to lead, and that plan cannot be “we’re going to do whatever the mayor says.” In terms of my directorships working with young people, we did not have drugs and gangs terrorizing our facilities, or have to worry about putting those young people in dangerous circumstances. Never happened. The mayor’s candidate cannot say the same. I think that the residents should know and be p-ssed off that was allowed to happen, and more importantly, he was not held accountable. And there was no discussion or implementation of policies to keep this from happening again. If this was any other town or any other director, it would be the straw that broke the camel’s back. What kind of council person would that person be?
DS: Other than crime, what do you feel is the biggest problem in the South Ward, and Newark as a whole?
TB: The top issues are gun violence, Covid, services, and housing. Then homelessness, and economic development. My plan to address all of those is on my website: www.bankstonfornewark.com. It’s not rhetoric; it’s leadership that’s waiting to take office and hit the ground running on July 1, and I can assure that the mayor’s choice is not.
DS: If elected, will you promise not to become part of the political machine?
TB: I’m going to be a collaborator. I’m going to work with elected officials. Whether or not I’ll run on a slate or team, I do not know. What I don’t see myself doing is being a part of perpetuating a system that a mayor should be able to pick council people. The first person to have a ticket coming out of the gate is Cory Booker. The difference than was that he was suing the sitting council people. If you’re doing that, you’re obviously need to run with a leadership team. That was more about bringing a new regime.
I don’t see myself being a part of the BS or corruption. I do myself working effectively with the county to bring back resources for my city.
DS: If elected, will you promise not to hire a bunch of family or friends?
TB: I don’t do that period. I’ve had the authority to hire a lot of people in many different positions. Terrance Bankston does not hire friends and family.
DS: Do you have a message for your constituents?
TB: I want to thank them for engaging in the process. Whether you voted for me or someone else. I think that’s commendable. I want to encourage them to take a second hard look at me and my candidacy. I want them to interview us, do your research, scrutinize us. Make a conscious choice. Vote your circumstance, and ask “Who’s the best choice to lead our ward?” Not who the mayor thinks is the best choice. You are the employers. You are the taxpayers. You are the voters. You dictate to the mayor. You dictate to the council. Tell him who you want him to work with on June 14th. Send that message clearly.
Terrance Bankston is the best choice. He’s the most qualified. He’s the most compassionate. He is a collaborator. And, he knows how to do the job. Pat has not done the job. He can’t even do his job. The mayor demoted him for screwing up a snowstorm. That’s not slander, that’s facts. Look at the quality of your services. Are you satisfied with that? Is that who you want as your next councilperson? I think not.
