Tonight is the first City Council meeting since the citywide elections and if you thought the will of the people would be reflected after Reform’s victory retaking the majority in the town’s legislative body, you’d be wrong.

With the official changeover July 1, it’s witch-hunting season for the Beth Russo duo of council members Beth Mason and Mike Russo.  Mason even with an unknown fortune spent since last fall barely squeaked by avoiding a runoff with her main challenger Tom Greaney by 10 votes.

Mike Russo has seen a series of bad tidings recently losing his honorary council title of Vice President, his role as chair on the Budget and Finance subcommittee and seeing not one but two family exposes.   His father was flagged in an audit receiving illegal health benefits into early this year, benefits for which he does not qualify.

Then came the FBI surveillance Bribe Tapes proving reality every bit opposite of what MIke Russo claimed it was, showing him not only willing but eager to trade on his office accepting a series of bribes with a developer he was meeting for the very first time.

Tonight’s last resolution is a late addition targeting two city employees and their emails with about a dozen local media and political campaigns: Juan Melli, the communications manager and Dan Bryan the confidential aide to the mayor.  Earning just $120,000 between them in pay, their cost to the city is less than ex-mayor Peter Cammarano’s created role of Chief of Staff at $125,000. 

They are the direct replacements for two other positions eliminated in the mayor’s office, part of a significant savings lowering the budget of the mayor’s office from more than half a million annually to at least 20% less last heard.

It’s matching suits and matching agendas for Mason411.  With the swift and sure ejection from Council Presidency shortly to follow, the scorched earth McCarthyite tactics are front and center in the hopes to destroy two city employees working for the mayor pushing a resolution in a witch-hunt of their emails.

Even worse, they are effective and hold positions coveted by Beth Mason’s minion who had hoped to take a Public Information Officer job according to former Mason mayoral campaign sources.  With her second defeat for mayor in the fall of 2009, the goal for both remains ever elusive.

Nothing left to do for the uber-Mason backer but propagate hate and endless smears ghostwriting on Hoboken411 while receiving unknown compensation from the self-proclaimed Queen of Transparency who has yet to reveal her true expenditures as required by law in the last council election.

Now with just a few meetings before she is bounced out as Council President, her reign of error will be preceded by still more petty, vindictive terror. 

The real question here is does Councilman Nino Giacchi want to go out with this stain as he departs the institution?   Grafix Avenger has a story wondering the same and recounting her great time chatting on Election Day spent with his lovely mother.

Tune in here tonight @ 7:00 and we’ll get the answer.

Talking Ed Note:  The basis claimed in the Beth Russo resolution for obtaining the thousands of emails of the mayor’s staff is the city website is wasting taxpayer money and is too political ipso, facto: they must obtain all the staff’s email.

It’s unclear how the city’s legal department will view this but that’s an odd legal argument.

Update: Some commenters are asking for a comparative breakdown.  Here it is:
Dan Bryan 45K and Joe Garcia 125K (both receiving benefits)

Juan Melli 75K (no benefits) vs. Paul Drexell and Bill Campbell (both on salaries and benefit.)

Not sure on the last two salaries but both would be in the ballpark of what Juan Melli is paid.