Dems: Admin's Hiring Short-Changed Residents

Democratic Hillsborough Township Committee candidates Michael Goldberg and James Farley criticized what they called an accelerated .

The pair, who are running against current Republican Mayor Carl Suraci and GOP candidate Greg Burchette, said the speed of which Ferrera was hired demonstrates a lack of comprehensive search to fill the position. They also said they believe Ferrera was hired because of his affiliation with the Republican party, as the current committee is entirely Republican.

The following is the statement in its entirety.

As a result of the precipitous actions of the Township Committee, the residents of Hillsborough have once again been denied an opportunity to know for sure that the most qualified individual is, in fact, leading the administration of the township. 

The hiring of Anthony Ferrera within days of the announced retirement of his predecessor made it impossible for any semblance of a comprehensive search for the most qualified individual to have been conducted. 

It was pointed out in a previous article that all of Mr. Ferrera’s experience in local government has been gained as a result of his affiliation with the Hillsborough Republican Party. None of his work experience has been in public municipal administration or management. His appointment to this position was a direct result of the actions of the all Republican Township Committee. 

Our Township Committee obviously believes that hiring a former fellow Republican elected official trumps the need for relevant experience and eliminates the need for any viable search. 

Shown below is a listing for a similar position in a nearby municipality. It calls for a “minimum of 5 years in New Jersey municipal government management.” Why should Franklin Township have this requirement while Hillsborough does not? 

The residents of Hillsborough are being asked to pay a $124,000 salary, contribute to a pension and provide benefits for this individual when we will never know if he was the most qualified candidate available for this position. 

This is a failure of leadership of the Hillsborough Township Committee.

As a point of reference, the listing below was taken from the New Jersey League of Municipalities web site on July 25, 2012:

TOWNSHIP MANAGER – FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, Somerset County. Population approximately 65,000, $55 million budget, 270 employees, 46 square miles. 9 member Township Council. Council-Manager form of government. Seeking experienced, motivated professional with a minimum of 5 years in New Jersey municipal government management to oversee the daily operations including water utility. Must possess excellent written, oral, and computer skills. Must have ability to effectively manage, interface effectively with Township council, employees and professionals as well as meet multiple deadlines. Council may require residency. Interested candidates should submit a 1 page summary of resume, cover letter and resume with 4 professional references and salary history to FTWPMgrSearch@twp.franklin.nj.us .. Information will be accepted via email only. Salary Range $120,000-$160,000. APPLICATION DEADLINE IS July 30, 2012. Entire job posting is available at http://franklintwpnj.org/job_posting.html. Ad Posted July 2, 2012, Ad Removed July 30, 2012