claims Democrat
insider is in line
for new position
New department plan
draws blast from GOP
Ex-administrator
claims Democrat
insider is in line
for new position
By joyce blay
Staff Writer
Former Jackson municipal administrator William A. Santos, a Republican, has charged the Democratic-controlled Township Committee with planning to create a Human Resources Department that would be headed by Laura Borys, wife of the town’s Democratic Municipal Chairman, Richard Borys, at a salary of up to $78,000 per year.
Borys earned $4,798 as a part-time personnel manager in 2000, the most recent year for which her salary was listed, according to documents Santos obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
"It seems as if there is no end to the Township Committee’s reckless use of our money," Santos wrote in a letter he sent to the editor of the Tri-Town News. "A source high in the Broderick-Kafton administration has said that this new department is being created for the wife of the long-time Jackson Democrat boss Richard Borys. Mr. Borys is the current Democrat municipal chair for Jackson."
Santos alleged that under an ordinance which the committee approved on Dec. 27, 2001, the salary of personnel director was listed at a range between $54,500 and $78,000 annually, which he contends opened the door for a political patronage job to be filled by Borys at that time.
However, Santos said in a recent interview that he believed the position was not filled in 2001 due to public outcry at the beginning of the year following the appointment of then-Jackson Demo-cratic Club President Robert W. Ryley as aide to the mayor at a salary of $55,000 per year, which was followed by a raise approved by the committee in May 2002 to $56,925, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2002.
Ryley also served as campaign manager to Michael Broderick during Broderick’s re-election campaign in 2002, even while he continued to serve in his administrative position as the mayor’s adviser.
According to Santos, an ordinance which had a first reading at the Township Committee’s Dec. 9 meeting would create a Human Resources Department to replace the Personnel Department that Borys currently heads as part-time personnel manager. The ordinance is scheduled for a public hearing, second reading and vote on Dec. 23.
Borys, 49, said she has held the position of personnel manager since 1983, and that she has worked for the township for 32 years. While she does not have a college degree, Borys said she believes she is qualified to head up the proposed department if she is appointed to run it.
"I’m very interested in the job," she said. "I’m very familiar with (New Jersey Department of Personnel) rules and regulations. You have to be in order to perform these duties because we are a civil service community that is overseen by the state."
Borys also said that up until this year she has not supervised any other employee in her department. She noted that Debra Smith, a senior clerk at the municipal complex, was appointed as her assistant just this past year.
"She does typing as well as township medical forms," Borys said.
Asked whether she would consider taking courses that could lead to a business degree in personnel management, Borys said, "I wouldn’t rule out (higher education) if I had to,"
As Personnel Manager, Borys reports to the township administrator, and both Democrats and Republicans — including Santos — have filled that position.
However, Santos remained unapologetic in contesting Borys’ qualifications to be director of human resources, or to earn as much the $78,000 she could be paid to oversee personnel, which he said constituted the largest portion of the municipal budget.
"Certainly I think politics is involved," said Santos. "But if they thought it was a good idea back last year, why did they wait until now to fill it?"
According to Township Committeeman Michael Kafton, it was not only a good idea then, there was also good reason for creating both the job as well as the department.
"The town has grown drastically over the years," he told the Tri-Town News.
Kafton said he did not know how many people would be employed in the revamped department, nor was he aware of any candidates under serious consideration for the job.
"We have no front runner for this position," the committeeman said.
When asked if Borys is a candidate for the position, he said she is.
In other committee business, Director of Public Safety Samuel DePasquale announced the appointment of John Kaiser as the fourth new police officer to be hired under a grant program designed to place resource officers in local schools to interact with students.
Kaiser replaces Raymond R. Scully, who turned down the job offer just prior to the committee’s Nov. 25 meeting.
The officers are scheduled to begin work on Dec. 19, pending a satisfactory background investigation of each candidate. DePasquale did not say whether the belated job offer would delay the start date for Kaiser.