A political fault line has cracked open in this South Jersey borough as a longtime commissioner asks a judge to erase an ambulance-services contract, arguing it was approved under the shadow of a conflict of interest tied to the mayor’s husband.
The lawsuit, filed in Camden County Superior Court, centers on the NJ borough EMS contract suit, which challenges Collingswood’s agreement with Virtua Health to provide ambulance services.
Commissioner Claims Conflict of Interest
Commissioner James Maley alleges that Mayor Daniela Solano-Ward improperly voted to approve the contract even after the borough solicitor advised that she should abstain. Solano-Ward’s husband works for Virtua Health, the health system awarded the deal, according to the complaint.
The board approved the contract 2-1 on Dec. 1, and the lawsuit followed two weeks later. A finalized draft of the agreement has not been released publicly, and sharp disagreements flared during the meeting over the scope and structure of Virtua’s role.
“It’s absurd, it is wrong, it’s unethical,” Maley said during the meeting, remarks echoed in the court filing.
Solano-Ward did not respond to a request for comment. Alexandra Jacobs, the attorney representing the borough in the lawsuit, also declined to comment.
