Supervisors question hiring process after manager introduces new staffer

The Robeson Township manager introduced a newly hired staff member, Nisha, to the Board of Supervisors and said she started on Monday but that he was not asking for formal approval that night.

"I started her on Monday," the manager said, adding he had discussed the hire with the solicitor and that the employee was subject to board approval and probationary status. He said he could provide the job description at the next meeting: "I can have it to you at the next meeting." (Speaker 1)

Several supervisors said they had not been notified of the hire and raised concerns the board had not approved the salary or formally voted on the appointment. One supervisor said the ordinance requires hiring and compensation be approved by majority vote in public. "We hired an employee, and we're paying an employee when that must be approved in a township meeting in public or it's a sunshine law violation," the supervisor said. (Speaker 6)

The manager deferred to the township solicitor, who read from the ordinance and said the manager may hire probationary employees but that hiring and compensation remain subject to board approval. The exchange left supervisors divided over whether the actions to date complied with the ordinance; the manager said he would supply the job description and any needed documentation at the next meeting and the matter remained unresolved at adjournment.

The article draws exclusively from statements made on the record during the meeting and does not infer any disciplinary outcomes or legal determinations beyond what was said during the session.