Willingboro Township Mayor Samantha Whitfield made another attempt this week to dampen fallout from a councilwoman’s off-the-cuff ode to Mexican landscaping skills at their meeting April 7.
At that meeting last month, Councilwoman Rebecca Perrone commented on the best way to handle roadside grass maintenance.
“There’s certain cultures of people that just know what they’re doing, and Mexicans know what to do with grass,” Perrone said. “I’m not kidding with you. Hire a firm. Get a firm. They know what to do with grass.”
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Whitfield noted that council’s meeting Tuesday, May 5 was Cinco de Mayo, a day celebrated by some in Mexico.
“I understand that many people were hurt and disappointed by the remarks that were made by what followed afterward,” Whitfield said to open the meeting. “I want to be clear that those comments do not reflect the values of this township or the views of the council as a whole.
“In Willingboro, we believe in treating all people with dignity and respect.”
Williingboro Township Mayor Samantha E. Whitfield. 2026.
In her comments on Mexicans, Perrone apparently didn’t realize how her remarks were landing. She had continued on April 7 by saying how impressed she was at workers — she believed them to be Mexican — who were taking down an imposing tree near her home.
“And they’re not tall people,” Perrone said.
“They know what to do with vegetation, grass. Whether it’s in the middle of the road, on the side of the road, on a corner. Hire them. Get them paid. We’ll have green grass. We’ll have tulips.”
At the council meeting April 21, the mayor opened with a prepared statement stressing that Willingboro was a “diverse and welcoming township.”
Statements that can play to stereotypes about people “do not reflect the values of respect and inclusion we strive to uphold,” Whitfield added.
Perrone followed with her own prepared statement, augmented with other comments. The two-term councilwoman, who noted that she’s partly of Guatemalan ancestry, said her words were being misconstrued.
Perrone criticized how the township approached roadside maintenance, calling it a basic municipal government responsibility. She then turned to a breakdown of ethnic groups working in landscaping, citing statistics for Hispanic and Latino groups.
“They are identified as essential industry pillars,” the councilwoman said. “The U.S. landscape industry would be significantly smaller and less developed without the contributions of Hispanic workers.”
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Perrone characterized her comments about Mexicans as complimentary and factual.
“There is nothing that I said about anything insulting to any race or people or anything like that,” she said.
At this Tuesday’s council meeting, Whitfield said she was looking for officials to remember the makeup of the township.
“My hope is that we move forward with greater understanding, accountability, and a commitment to bringing people together rather than dividing them,” she added.
According to United States Census data, approximately 15% of Willingboro’s population identifies as Hispanic or Latino.
Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey almost four decades ago, concentrating on housing, politics, real estate, business, and development. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.
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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Willingboro in damage control over councilwoman’s comments on workers
