Last weekend Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller announced that he won’t be seeking re-election after five years as leader of the Town Council. While Spiller, who is also president of the New Jersey Education Association, had long been rumored to be planning a gubernatorial run, those plans may seem more like pipedreams, given the heat he has taken over a series of ethical breaches during his mayoral tenure. These include refusing to answer questions, under his Fifth Amendment right to not incriminate himself, about why he took health benefits that he wasn’t entitled to, signed off on illegal no-bid contracts (stench of Newark here), allegedly launched a “retaliatory investigation” against Montclair’s chief financial officer, and, according to the Star-Ledger Editorial Board, “refus[ed] to acknowledge glaring conflicts of interest between that role and his job as NJEA president.”

On the other hand, this is New Jersey, land of corrupt back-room deals and a incurable pay-to-play culture. Spiller has amassed an enormous war chest, courtesy of NJEA teachers’ dues, and certainly has the clout to stage a gubernatorial contest, especially in an enormous Democratic field that currently includes Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, former Senate leader Steve Sweeney, U.S. Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, and Congressman Josh Gottheimer.

One could consider the letter below, from Spiller to Montclair residents, to be either a farewell to arms or a shedding of political baggage to best position himself for higher office. After all, voters tend to have short memories.

Dear Friends,

Montclair is more than just a place, it’s a home, and one I have been proud to serve for 12 years. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has been rewarding to serve the town that we all share. It’s a great place to live and my wife and I are thrilled to be raising our children here.

As Mayor, I’ve sought to achieve what I think we all want – a vibrant, diverse, safe community that supports residents of all ages and means – with great schools and services, vibrant arts and culture, good jobs and easy commutes and affordable for all.

We are a community bound together by an abiding affection for our township and an enduring commitment to our shared values.

Montclair has earned our reputation as one of the leading progressive communities in the state and the nation, but we have also quietly paved roads, replaced sewer lines, removed lead pipes, and reduced our debt by millions of dollars.

As public servants we are stewards of this great town

It has meant investing in areas often overlooked, tackling quality of life issues, and also leading during a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. It requires leaning on relationships to handle emergencies that threaten our water supply and working to remove state-required red-tape for small businesses while also providing them local dollars during a health crisis.

And through all that, we are entrusted to protect our values and to strengthen the foundations for our township.

So, while Montclair has become one of the most desirable places to live, we have also taken unprecedented steps to protect our diversity and affordability. Despite previous unsuccessful efforts, we enacted a rent control ordinance for Montclair that protects renters and specifically limits increases for our seniors.

We created an ordinance that allows for accessory dwelling units that further allows for seniors and others to afford to call Montclair home. Also, as we continue to meet and exceed our affordable housing requirements, we were permitted by the courts to offer affordable housing opportunities to Montclair residents first.

Over the last four years we have charted a course that has set Montclair on a trajectory for a prosperous and sustainable future, while remaining firmly rooted in our progressive ideals and our diversity.

While we have accomplished much, adding multiple new parking decks to alleviate parking challenges, bringing in new arts and cultural events that bring our community together and draw national attention, and launched initiatives to provide safe paths for bicyclists and pedestrians, there is still more to be done.

But, by reducing our debt by more than seventy-five million dollars, we have created savings for taxpayers that allow us to make continuing investments in our township.

Montclair is experiencing exciting growth and prosperity.

New businesses are opening and calling Montclair home.

From Bloomfield Avenue to the South End, from Walnut Street to Watchung Plaza to Valley Road, our commercial districts are flourishing.

Our economy is thriving and we have made the investments and passed the protections needed to keep Montclair diverse and vibrant for years to come.

In the coming months, new development and creative repurposing of municipal property will breathe new life into underutilized buildings, providing Montclair the physical space needed to serve residents well into the future.

Our township’s solid foundation and commitment to progressive values allows us to be a model, not only to communities throughout the state of New Jersey, but across the country.

Montclair represents an ideal, an example of how to stand up to extremism, bigotry, inequalities, injustice, and to do so while responsibly governing in so many other ways.

Together, we have navigated difficult times and our differences and set our township on a course for continued prosperity grounded in a sustained commitment to the ideals for which Montclair stands.

I am grateful for so many who volunteered their time to serve on task forces to address pandemic challenges and for those who volunteer on countless committees and commissions. Also, I appreciate our talented and dedicated township employees who do so much every day for our township. Together, we have been part of a team to serve this community and I say thank you to all of you.

As I prepare to pass the baton of stewardship to the next elected leader of our community, I am more confident than ever that Montclair will continue to embody the values we hold dear.

Critical work remains ahead and I look forward to continuing to work alongside each and every one of you in service of our shared home.

I am so honored to have led Montclair as your Mayor and to serve for these past 12 years. I could not be more proud of all we have accomplished together.

With deepest gratitude and unwavering optimism,

Mayor Sean M. Spiller