By Alex Zdan and Jenna Pizzi

TRENTON — Boxes were stacked up inside the mayor’s office at City Hall when George Muschal walked in this afternoon.

Less than an hour earlier, Muschal had been sworn in as the city’s acting Mayor following the removal from office of disgraced former mayor Tony Mack. The lettering carrying Mack’s name remained on the “Office of the Mayor” door even as photos of the ousted Mack were being taken down all over City Hall.

Concerned someone may have been trying to take city property for Mack, a felon whose conviction on six federal corruption charges Feb. 7 triggered his removal by a judge today, Muschal cautiously opened the unlocked door.

“Hello,” he called, leaning across the threshold of what is now his office. “Is somebody in here?”

An administrative secretary greeted the new acting mayor and told him she and two women from the city clerk’s office were inside, boxing books, binders and personal items left by Mack to be shipped off to storage or reclaimed by the former mayor. Satisfied, Muschal introduced himself, thanked the women and left.

For Muschal, a 65-year-old retired Trenton police officer who until today was the president of city council, an ascension to the mayor’s seat had been on hold for 19 days as the convicted Mack fought his removal in court. At a news conference today, Muschal promised strong leadership to erase the corruption, malfeasance, and ineptitude of the Mack administration.

“Today is a day, I think, a lot of people were just waiting for overall for closure and a day where we can move forward,” Muschal said. “It is a relief that the city is not held captive anymore.”

Today, he planned to review city affairs with Business Administrator Sam Hutchinson, and said he would follow it up with a full cabinet meeting tomorrow at 10 a.m.

“The city is basically down, it’s been unattended, directors running rampant,” Muschal said. “The game is over.”

Muschal declined to comment if he will fire city employees, but several Mack holdovers have drawn the ire of Muschal and authorities such as the state Department of Community Affairs. Gov. Chris Christie said last summer he had “nothing to say” to the then-indicted Mack. Muschal said he will ask Christie to contribute aid so the city can hire 50 more police officers.

“I think he will change, being in a new administration,” Muschal said of Christie.

Mack was stripped of his office by Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson at 12:33 p.m. By 2:20, Muschal had sworn to “solemnly, faithfully, impartially and justly perform the duties of mayor of the city of Trenton, New Jersey.” He was sworn in during a semi-private ceremony inside city council chambers by Municipal Court Judge Gregory Williams, and flanked by Councilwomen Kathy McBride, Phyllis Holly-Ward, Verlina Reynolds-Jackson and Marge Caldwell-Wilson.

Amid a small group of friends, family and city workers, Muschal placed his left hand on a clerk’s office Bible, which was held by his wife, Theresa. When Williams said he was sworn in, the group applauded, and Muschal kissed his wife. The couple hugged and kissed again, with Theresa clearly emotional.

The Muschals have functioned often as one unit the past four years, with Theresa running the family business, the Wishie Washie Laundromat on Lalor Street, while Muschal attends to council business.

In brief remarks after he took the oath, Muschal explained why he wanted a small, quiet ceremony.

“I didn’t want to make this a big entertainment area,” he said. “This is a sad day.”

Memories of Mack were being erased from City Hall even before Muschal arrived this afternoon. The locks were changed on the second-floor mayor’s office almost immediately after Mack’s removal. His city-owned SUV sat in a side parking lot, and a security guard trudged across the atrium carrying a large, framed photo of Mack that had been removed.

Within an hour of being sworn in, Muschal went from office to office in City Hall with Caldwell-Wilson and Holly-Ward, introducing himself as the new mayor and asking employees how he could help.

“I want to know what you need to make it better,” Muschal said in the IT unit.
In the basement, Muschal walked in on public property director Harold Hall as Hall had a Tastykakes snack. Hall is a close friend of Mack’s, but the two men shook hands and chatted amiably.

“I was sworn in today, just coming in see what was going on,” Muschal told Hall.

When Hall asked Muschal if he had a moment for a private meeting in the office, Muschal said he had to continue making the rounds.

The group found no one in the recreation department, and got an irate response from Nate Jones, an administration employee, when they arrived at his office with a reporter and took a picture.

“That’s inappropriate,” Jones said.

He walked with Muschal into Hutchinson’s office to complain. Muschal remained calm, but Caldwell-Wilson became angry when Jones repeatedly called Muschal “George.”

“It’s ‘mayor’ now,” Caldwell-Wilson said.

Hutchinson kept Jones in his office, and Muschal greeted people in administration before heading downstairs. He received a much warmer welcome in the office of Inspections Director Cleveland Thompson, who wrapped Muschal in a bear hug and gladly had his photo taken with the new acting mayor.

At his news conference, when Muschal was asked if he would run for a full four-year term in this spring’s mayoral elections, his answer was a flat, strong “no.”

“Right now we are in turmoil and I feel in my heart I can bring this out and put the city of Trenton on the right track for the right person to take over and I will be a strong supporter of that individual as the time comes,” Muschal said.

Muschal will serve as acting mayor for up to 30 days or until city council votes to appoint him or someone else as interim mayor to hold the office until noon July 1, when a newly elected mayor will be sworn in. Muschal said he believes it is legal for him to serve as acting mayor, South Ward councilman and council president at the same time.

As a boy growing up in the city, Muschal said he never envisioned serving in the city’s highest office. But as his 39-year police career entered its last decade, Muschal said he became increasingly dissatisfied with leadership in the city.

“I always told my wife, once I retired I want to run for office,” he said.

And walking through the hallways of City Hall, the new mayor remembered his friend Dion Clark, a longtime community activist who died last summer. Muschal said his opportunity to be mayor would have pleased Clark, who became a close friend and supporter after Muschal was elected.

Muschal won his council seat the first time in November 2009, filling an unexpired term. In that election and in his landslide re-election in May 2010, Muschal’s motto was “Safe, Clean, Prosperous.”

Now, he has a new saying for the capital city.

“Here it is: I’m acting mayor right now, and I want to make change,” he said. “Accountability, honesty, loyalty, integrity and unity for the council and myself.”

Contact Alex Zdan at azdan@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5705.

Contact Jenna Pizzi at jpizzi@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5717.

On mobile or desktop:

• Like Times of Trenton on Facebook

• Follow @TimesofTrenton on Twitter