NEWBURGH – A city charter change that will allow the Newburgh City Council to remove any member of the board for just cause was approved on Tuesday by voters.
Mayor Torrance Harvey said the measure was proposed as protection for city residents.
“This gives the city council the authority to render consequences for anyone on the city council, as outlined and defined in the proposed legislation, consequences for what we define and determine as gross misconduct,” he said.
While the council maintains the charter change was not aimed at any one specific council member, supporters of Councilman Omari Shakur say he is targeted by this. Shakur has been censured by the council twice for his confrontational and vulgar outbursts aimed at the police.
