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Residents accuse township of favoritism in clerk hiring; council and mayor respond
Summary
At the Feb. 25, 2025 Rockaway Township Council meeting residents raised allegations that a recent municipal clerk hire lacked required certifications and received an unusually large conditional bonus; the council heard OPRA-statistics claims and discussed follow-up but took no immediate personnel action.
Several residents used the Feb. 25, 2025 public-comment period at the Rockaway Township Council meeting to raise concerns about a recent municipal clerk hire and town transparency.
Kelly Tucker, a resident who identified herself at the meeting, alleged the hired candidate had "zero zero experience in that position" and "didn't have the required certifications," and said the township offered the candidate a $95,000 salary plus what Tucker described as a $110,000 bonus contingent on obtaining certifications. Tucker contrasted that pay package with her account that a deputy clerk previously performing similar duties had been paid $66,000. Tucker also presented statistics on Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests, saying "6% of all the OPRAs ... were filed by you Mr Kelly," a claim directed at an individual named in the room.
Michael Alard and other residents raised additional community concerns during public comment, including inconsistent council meeting text notifications, garbage and recycling containers left for days on properties, and localized road-safety hazards near a spillway that may need an extended guardrail.
Council and administration responses at the meeting were limited to procedural acknowledgement and follow-up commitments rather than immediate personnel action. Mayor Jackson later praised the newly hired clerk, saying, "Miss Wadley is our new clerk she is doing an excellent job," and reiterated that the administration would provide Mobile DMV dates and follow up on several items residents raised. The meeting transcript records discussion and factual claims but does not show the council taking formal action on the hiring allegations during the Feb. 25 meeting.
Status of claims: allegations about pay and conditional bonuses and the claim that a particular person filed 6% of OPRA requests were presented by residents and are disputed/unresolved in the meeting record; the council did not reach a formal finding or take disciplinary or corrective action during the session. The council did approve unrelated routine items earlier in the meeting, including minutes and consent-agenda resolutions, and appointed Alen Harowitz to the Board of Adjustment.
