I would like to welcome Mr. Robert Casey as West Milford interim Administrator. I was present to hear Mr. Casey’s talk to the council on a permanent administrator’s selection process. He explained the process first of setting basic requirements for the position followed by advertising and setting up a committee of mayor and some council members for the resume review and interview process.
Since the administrator’s position is a mayoral appointment and, by law, it requires council consent, the council consent requirement is the checks and balance ingredient needed for a transparent and efficient local government. The procedural consent requirements prevent the potential for favoritism, conflictive and illogical mayoral decisions.
I agree with Mr. Casey’s process and just need to convey to the readers that this exact method, as he described, was utilized until Mayor Bieri chose to eliminate the process completely and do all interviews and selection on her own, without the council’s involvement. How can a councilperson, in good conscience, vote to hire someone without knowing anything? In West Milford’s form of government, under the Faulkner Act, the council consent requirement also relates to department head appointments. The elimination of the department head review and selection process, without council involvement, was also attempted by Mayor Bieri.
However, relating to the appointment by Mayor Bieri of a new DPW head, current council majority would not give consent without knowing the qualifications of the applicant. Finally, after granting and providing a resume to council for review, the council discovered the applicant did not meet the advertised qualifying minimum established by Bieri and the administration. Consent was withheld, leaving Mayor Bieri in a humbling and embarrassing position. Mayor Bieri invited the applicant to sit in at that council meeting, apparently expecting to receive council consent and appointment.
Council consent confirms that a qualified and experienced individual has been appointed to head a specific department. Council acknowledges its duties and responsibility of giving consent and can only do so by being involved in the selection process.
Council cannot make an appointment; council can only approve said appointment. To appoint a department head without proper credentials and experience is an injustice to the employees who will work under him/her and to the residents who deserve and require adequate service.
Joe Smolinski
West Milford