Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Transparency topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident presses Wall Township Committee to disclose inquiry into administrator and reads social-media allegations
Summary
At the March 12 meeting, resident Betsy Cross urged the committee to say whether a prosecutor is investigating the township administrator, read a social-media post alleging misuse of township property and gifts, and questioned continued pay for an administrator on leave; the attorney cautioned members not to discuss personnel matters in public comment.
Betsy Cross, a Wall resident, told the township committee on March 12 that taxpayers deserve to know whether the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office is conducting an investigation into the township administrator and cited a social-media post alleging improper conduct.
Cross said the municipality is continuing to pay a suspended administrator and named figures she said were being paid by the township: "we're paying him $18,000 a month right now and we're paying Mr. Gross ... $10,000 a month," and she read a Facebook post by Chad Clark that said, in part, "great. Now, we need to look at the concert tickets and the dinner gift cards the township administrator may or may not have received from the developers." She also cited allegations that the administrator used a township vehicle for private contracting and to pick up building materials while on township time.
The remarks came during the public-comment portion of the Wall Township Committee meeting. The committee’s municipal attorney reminded members and the public that personnel matters are sensitive and advised governing-body members not to comment on personnel issues during public comment.
Keith Huninger, another resident who spoke earlier in the public-comment period, welcomed acting business administrator John Gross and expressed interest in volunteering with local addiction-awareness efforts. Committeewoman Mangan directed would-be volunteers to Kristen Miler, the Wall Township Alliance coordinator, who handles grant-funded community programs.
The committee did not provide an on-the-record response to Cross’s questions about an investigation during the meeting. Later in the agenda the committee voted to enter executive session to discuss affordable housing litigation and personnel; officials announced they did not expect to take action on return to open session.
The public comment raised two distinct issues for the committee: requests for transparency about any ongoing investigative or legal processes involving municipal employees, and allegations reported on social media about use of township property and gifts. Committee members declined to discuss personnel matters in public at the meeting and moved the matter into executive session.
Next steps: The committee entered executive session to discuss personnel and litigation; no formal public action related to the allegations was taken during open session.
