Is Jacqueline Ascione about to become the latest Howell township manager to be dropped through the figurative trap door into which her most recent predecessors have passed?
Two Howell police officers, one a township resident and the other a spokesman for the department’s Policeman’s Benevolent Association (PBA), addressed members of the Township Council during a June 12 meeting about rumors of the impending termination of Ascione from the position she has held for one year.
PBA Vice President Harry Mottershead told members of the council he was attending the meeting in his official capacity with the PBA to inform the council that if there is any truth to talk that the council is "looking to get rid of Ms. Ascione, it would be a grave mistake."
"We (PBA members) feel that Ms. Ascione is doing an excellent job and we support her 100 percent," Mottershead said.
Officer John Tucker, who introduced himself in his public remarks as a township resident, reiterated Mottershead’s sentiments, adding that if there were any truth to the talk of changing township managers, "then all I can say is, here we go again."
Tucker went on to call Ascione’s possible termination "Howell politics again." Besides agreeing with Mottershead that Ascione is doing an "excellent job," Tucker also observed that it would cost the town "a ton of money to buy her out."
In January, Ascione instituted a new work policy welcomed by the rank and file officers that, in effect, paid them for working out. Under the new directive, officers may make use of the department’s exercise and workout facility and equipment while on active duty, either at the beginning or end of their shift.
This policy did not sit well with Chief Ronald Carter, who was himself recently embroiled in a matter that would have firmly established Ascione as his boss through her naming as police director.
The proposal appeared to have the tacit approval of a conspicuously neutral rank and file, while representatives of the Superior Officers Association publicly stated that they were taking no position on the issue of the appointment of a police director.
The initiative was finally defeated at the behest of the council that had originally proposed it, but not until after much public outcry about granting Ascione such additional power.
When asked about Ascione’s job status, Mayor Timothy J. Konopka said he didn’t want to "jump the gun."
"There are some council members who are concerned with some of her management decisions so far and we are continuing to discuss them with her in executive session," the mayor said.
Asked what were the matters of concern for these council members, Konopka would only say, "we have expressed some areas of displeasure and hopefully they can be worked out."
Reached Monday, Ascione said her only comment for now is that she agrees with Konopka’s assessment.
Councilwoman Kimberly Alvarez was more forthcoming about the matters involving Ascione.
"The issues brought up by the other council members have nothing to do with Ms. Ascione’s responsibility and accountability as manager," Alvarez said. "This has all been generated by rumor and has nothing to do with her performance. She has proven time and again that she can do an outstanding job with employees and negotiations and a broad scope of problems that have faced this township.
"If it’s up to me, she stays. As a taxpayer I’m not going to stand for this constant changing of the manager where the ball gets dropped between each manager and it takes a year to get acclimated in this town again," the councilwoman said.
Alvarez reiterated that she wants it understood that "the problems brought up by the other council members have nothing to do with Ms. Ascione’s responsbiblty or accountability as township manager, but rumors regarding her personal life and that is unacceptable."
Councilman Barry Segal, on the other hand, told the News Transcript he wants Ascione "out."
"I was against hiring her from the start and I haven’t liked her performance so far," Segal said.
Asked to be specific, Segal would only say his dissatisfaction with Ascione is due to her management style and added, "that’s all I’ll say for now."

