Records Show PR Firm Was in Contact With Rahway Before Council Approved Water Study
A public affairs firm was already advising Rahway officials on the water utility question before the City Council authorized the study, which the administration later cited as a basis for exploring a sale.
(The Central Jerseyan)
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Chris Howell | July 8, 2026
A public affairs firm was in contact with the Rahway mayor’s office about the city’s water seven weeks before the City Council authorized the engineering study that officials would later cite as a major reason for exploring a sale of the utility.
Records obtained by The Central Jerseyan through the state’s Open Public Records Act show Laura Matos and Bill Hildebrand of MAD Global Strategy emailed Katherine Gonzalez, a confidential aide to Mayor Raymond Giacobbe, on March 24, 2025. The subject line was “Water System Discussion with Ms. Matos.”
MAD Global Strategy describes itself as a bipartisan public affairs firm specializing in shaping public opinion and ‘behavior change’ campaigns, according to its website. Its chief executive, Michael DuHaime, is a Republican political consultant. Matos, a Democrat, has advised three New Jersey governors and now chairs the state’s Pinelands Commission. Hildebrand held the title of managing director at the time of the March email and was promoted to partner six weeks later.
This story builds on reporting The Central Jerseyan published in May, which found that Rahway spent more than $200,000 studying a potential sale of its water utility before presenting the idea to the public. Much of that money moved through ratepayer accounts, described in contract language vague enough to give no hint of what it was funding.
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Now, new records push the timeline back further than previously known and show a public relations firm involved almost from the outset. Public records show that T&M Associates submitted its proposal to evaluate Rahway’s water treatment plant on March 17, 2025, and that one week later, Matos and Hildebrand reached out to Gonzalez.
The City Council did not act on T&M’s proposal for another seven weeks. When it did, on May 12, it authorized the contract through a spending resolution capped at $50,000. The measure passed without discussion.
The city brought on its own legal counsel for the water utility matter about a month later. A City Council resolution adopted on June 9 approved a $30,000 contract with the law firm Waters, McPherson, McNeill. That contract drew on the city’s general fund.
That arrangement did not last. A WMM billing entry dated September 3 references a discussion of “MAD Global and WMM 2025 costs.” Five days later, the City Council doubled WMM’s contract to $60,000 and shifted its funding source to the Water Operating Fund, which draws on payments from Rahway water customers.
Later that same month, WMM’s billing records show attorneys reviewing correspondence tied to a much larger transaction. American Water Works Company announced a $40 billion merger with Essential Utilities on October 27, 2025, and WMM’s records show attorneys reviewing related emails the following day. The connection to Rahway would become clearer months later when American Water’s New Jersey subsidiary registered as a bidder for the city’s water utility.
By December, the effort had moved into planning for a public rollout. Mayor Giacobbe, Chief of Staff Robert Landolfi, T&M’s Mike Willis, and MAD Global’s Matos held a virtual meeting on December 1 to prepare for what would become the February council presentation.
Four days later, the city issued a drought warning declaration. Matos emailed Landolfi on December 11 that the declaration was “very helpful and informative for our next steps.”
Those next steps arrived on February 2, when Giacobbe presented the water utility proposal to the public. He told residents that “ongoing drought conditions have lowered flows in our watershed” and that recent storms had “driven up the amount of road salt washing into our raw water supply.” The City Council approved the bidding process during the same meeting.
Interest in the water utility followed quickly once bidding opened. Within three weeks, at least three water companies moved to bid. Veolia registered in early February. New Jersey American Water registered by February 18, and Middlesex Water Co. registered around the same time.
Behind the scenes, MAD Global’s contact with the city continued. Giacobbe was copied directly on an email exchange between Business Administrator Matthew Pukavich and Matos on February 22, the first documented instance of the mayor himself in direct email contact with the firm.
Four days later, following weeks of withering criticism from residents, Mayor Giacobbe announced that he planned to ask the city council to withdraw the request for bids for the water utility. The council did so at its next meeting.
“This action gives us the time to move forward thoughtfully, grounded in transparency and trust,” the mayor said.
On March 9, Matos emailed Landolfi, Pukavich, and city official Anthony Armando, forwarding a news article about storm damage straining municipal budgets statewide. She told them to “make sure you’re continuing to talk weather-induced strains on municipal resources.” Pukavich replied that the guidance was “extremely helpful.”
Reached for comment, a spokesperson for MAD Global Strategy said the firm “works in partnership with clients across a range of industries to navigate complex challenges.” The spokesperson declined to answer specific questions about the firm’s work in Rahway, citing a policy against discussing client engagements.
City officials, including the mayor’s office, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
The Central Jerseyan has filed additional records requests seeking further correspondence between MAD Global and city officials. Those requests are pending.
Editor’s note: The Central Jerseyan is free to read and supported by advertising. If you value this kind of local reporting and want to help sustain it, you can become a citizen supporter on Patreon. Your contribution helps fund continued coverage of local government, schools, and community issues.