Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Suburban Trends
STAFF WRITER
Downloads Borough officials are rearranging the local government hierarchy with the borough manager and deputy borough manager swapping roles by the end of this year.
Kelley Rohde turned in her resignation as borough manager on Sept. 27, a decision she announced at the Oct. 19 Borough Council meeting. Her resignation is effective Dec. 1.
According to Rohde, she resigned as borough manager due to personal reasons.
Rohde has been working double duty as borough manager and borough clerk. She will remain in her tenured post as borough clerk.
Rohde suggested she should become deputy borough manager so she can still lend a hand to the projects she launched as borough manager. Initiatives include open space acquisitions, the Passaic County Open Space Grant, and the borough’s bicycle and pedestrian plan.
The council appointed Deputy Borough Manager/Department of Public Works Director Scott Heck as Rohde’s successor, effective Dec. 1. As Rohde will stay on board as borough clerk, so will Heck stay on board as the DPW director.
"It’s been my privilege to serve as borough manager for the past three years," Rohde said. "I believe I’ve grown in many areas in this capacity. I appreciate the opportunity the mayor and council has provided me in serving this wonderful community and being a part of the process of governing this town."
As borough manager, Rohde said she was "particularly proud" of bringing online registrations to residents for recreation programs, as well as water, tax, and sewer payments. She was also proud of her role in overhauling Public Access Channel 77 and the borough website, ringwoodnj.net.
Borough Attorney Richard Clemack said the borough could collect resumes and interview candidates for the position, but the best way to determine a person’s qualifications is to watch that person on the job. Based on the council’s observations of Heck, the council concluded that he was the best fit as borough manager, Clemack said.
"Having watched Mr. Heck (work), he was eminently qualified for the job," he said. "It’ll be a seamless transition."
Heck praised Rohde for the initiatives she started.
"I don’t know if I’d take this position if she didn’t stay on, because she has some value that would be lost if she didn’t stay on as deputy manager," he said.
Democratic Former Councilman Tom MacAllen, who was not at the Oct. 19 meeting, said Heck’s ascension was predictable in a GOP-dominated council. Heck himself is a Republican former mayor and councilman. Critics accused government officials of hiring Heck first as a deputy borough manager, then as DPW supervisor, due to his political ties without advertising either position.
"When you have such a close-knit group, it doesn’t surprise me," MacAllen said.
In a phone interview, Democratic former Mayor and Councilwoman Wenke Taule shared MacAllen’s viewpoint. She also was not at the Oct. 19 council meeting.
"I find it hysterical and par for the course," she said.
Tweaking the salary
The council is also revising its code book and has proposed resolutions in relation to the hierarchy switch-up, including salary.
On Oct. 19, the council introduced a change to the manager’s annual salary, from Rohde’s current $42,004 salary to $33,648 for Heck. This change will have a second reading on Nov. 9. Rohde gets another salary as borough clerk. According to a borough ordinance that was adopted last February, that salary is $76,677.
Council members had different viewpoints on the knocked-down manager salary. Deputy Mayor Linda Schaefer noted the "immediate" savings of nearly $8,400 through the salary modification. Though Councilman William Marsala advocated Heck’s appointment as borough manager, Marsala believed the $8,400 cut wasn’t enough.
"We as a council should save more," Marsala said. "I think it sends the wrong message, and not enough savings of taxpayer dollars."
Marsala was the only council member who voted "no" on the introduced revision of the manager’s salary.
According to Councilwoman Donna Anderson, Rohde’s predecessor Ken Hetrick made more than $127,000 for his borough manager position alone. When Heck was hired as the DPW director, his salary was $95,000 with $10,000 plus benefits as deputy borough manager.
"We are thinking about our community and trying to save. I think this is a great thing for us," she said.
MacAllen was councilman when Hetrick was borough manager. According to MacAllen, the Borough Council hired Hetrick for $105,000 with an annual salary increase of 4 percent.
Likewise, Taule was also on the council when Hetrick was borough manager. She confirmed that Hetrick was making $127,000. However, she said that when Councilman Walter Davison preceded Hetrick as borough manager, Davison was making $130,000.
E-mail: edmond@northjersey.com
Borough officials are rearranging the local government hierarchy with the borough manager and deputy borough manager swapping roles by the end of this year.
Kelley Rohde turned in her resignation as borough manager on Sept. 27, a decision she announced at the Oct. 19 Borough Council meeting. Her resignation is effective Dec. 1.
According to Rohde, she resigned as borough manager due to personal reasons.
Rohde has been working double duty as borough manager and borough clerk. She will remain in her tenured post as borough clerk.
Rohde suggested she should become deputy borough manager so she can still lend a hand to the projects she launched as borough manager. Initiatives include open space acquisitions, the Passaic County Open Space Grant, and the borough’s bicycle and pedestrian plan.
The council appointed Deputy Borough Manager/Department of Public Works Director Scott Heck as Rohde’s successor, effective Dec. 1. As Rohde will stay on board as borough clerk, so will Heck stay on board as the DPW director.
"It’s been my privilege to serve as borough manager for the past three years," Rohde said. "I believe I’ve grown in many areas in this capacity. I appreciate the opportunity the mayor and council has provided me in serving this wonderful community and being a part of the process of governing this town."
As borough manager, Rohde said she was "particularly proud" of bringing online registrations to residents for recreation programs, as well as water, tax, and sewer payments. She was also proud of her role in overhauling Public Access Channel 77 and the borough website, ringwoodnj.net.
Borough Attorney Richard Clemack said the borough could collect resumes and interview candidates for the position, but the best way to determine a person’s qualifications is to watch that person on the job. Based on the council’s observations of Heck, the council concluded that he was the best fit as borough manager, Clemack said.
"Having watched Mr. Heck (work), he was eminently qualified for the job," he said. "It’ll be a seamless transition."
Heck praised Rohde for the initiatives she started.
"I don’t know if I’d take this position if she didn’t stay on, because she has some value that would be lost if she didn’t stay on as deputy manager," he said.
Democratic Former Councilman Tom MacAllen, who was not at the Oct. 19 meeting, said Heck’s ascension was predictable in a GOP-dominated council. Heck himself is a Republican former mayor and councilman. Critics accused government officials of hiring Heck first as a deputy borough manager, then as DPW supervisor, due to his political ties without advertising either position.
"When you have such a close-knit group, it doesn’t surprise me," MacAllen said.
In a phone interview, Democratic former Mayor and Councilwoman Wenke Taule shared MacAllen’s viewpoint. She also was not at the Oct. 19 council meeting.
"I find it hysterical and par for the course," she said.
Tweaking the salary
The council is also revising its code book and has proposed resolutions in relation to the hierarchy switch-up, including salary.
On Oct. 19, the council introduced a change to the manager’s annual salary, from Rohde’s current $42,004 salary to $33,648 for Heck. This change will have a second reading on Nov. 9. Rohde gets another salary as borough clerk. According to a borough ordinance that was adopted last February, that salary is $76,677.
Council members had different viewpoints on the knocked-down manager salary. Deputy Mayor Linda Schaefer noted the "immediate" savings of nearly $8,400 through the salary modification. Though Councilman William Marsala advocated Heck’s appointment as borough manager, Marsala believed the $8,400 cut wasn’t enough.
"We as a council should save more," Marsala said. "I think it sends the wrong message, and not enough savings of taxpayer dollars."
Marsala was the only council member who voted "no" on the introduced revision of the manager’s salary.
According to Councilwoman Donna Anderson, Rohde’s predecessor Ken Hetrick made more than $127,000 for his borough manager position alone. When Heck was hired as the DPW director, his salary was $95,000 with $10,000 plus benefits as deputy borough manager.
"We are thinking about our community and trying to save. I think this is a great thing for us," she said.
MacAllen was councilman when Hetrick was borough manager. According to MacAllen, the Borough Council hired Hetrick for $105,000 with an annual salary increase of 4 percent.
Likewise, Taule was also on the council when Hetrick was borough manager. She confirmed that Hetrick was making $127,000. However, she said that when Councilman Walter Davison preceded Hetrick as borough manager, Davison was making $130,000.
E-mail: edmond@northjersey.com