Committee to advance Morristown charter after town representative says manager powers compatible with union contracts

The Government Operations & Military Affairs committee heard testimony on the proposed charter for the Town of Morristown and agreed to place the measure on its agenda for a vote after a municipal representative told the panel that new town manager powers would not conflict with existing union contracts.

Chris Palmero, a municipal representative from Woodstown, told the committee he had provided the panel with the town’s current union contracts with the Morristown Police Department and the Highway Department and that he and another testifier had reviewed the charter language. "Yes, we are comfortable and clear that they are completely compatible, and that there is ... due process protection," Palmero said, adding that the charter clarifies powers and collective bargaining processes.

The testimony addressed a primary question the committee had raised: whether the charter’s managerial authorities to hire, fire and appoint would override or otherwise conflict with existing collective bargaining agreements. Palmero said those agreements remain compatible with the proposed town manager form of government and that one of the contracts currently is in negotiation for general government and emergency medical services staff.

Committee members said the response resolved the outstanding concern. The committee’s presiding member said the panel was "comfortable with the language and ... comfortable in moving forward with approval" and indicated the charter would be placed on the committee agenda for a vote at the next meeting, "tomorrow, if not Friday," but no formal vote was taken during the session.

The session did not produce a formal decision; committee members signaled intent to advance the charter to a forthcoming vote after the municipal representative’s testimony. The record shows the committee sought confirmation that the charter would coexist with collective bargaining agreements and that staff and municipal representatives provided the contracts as context for that assessment.

The committee did not specify a final vote date in the meeting record and offered no additional amendments on the record. Next steps are placement of the charter adoption on the committee agenda for a vote and continued notification to the municipality and community of that scheduling.