Clerk to assume administrator role

Hightstown Borough Clerk Candace Gallagher proposed to take over the borough administrator position.

By: Scott Morgan
   HIGHTSTOWN — The Borough Council last week appointed Borough Clerk Candace Gallagher as its acting administrator — a move that has been questioned by Councilman Eugene Sarafin.
   In October of last year, Borough Administrator and Chief Financial Officer Phil Del Turco resigned, leaving Hightstown with an important space to fill. Soon, the borough advertised for a replacement, but, as Mayor Bob Patten explained in an interview this week, the timing of the advertisement (and the resumes that came in because of it) coincided with the end of one administration and the start of another. In November, Mayor Amy Aughenbaugh lost her reelection bid to Mr. Patten, a situation he said made it difficult for either administration to give serious attention to the 25 resumes the borough received through the remainder of the month.
   "We wanted to make sure everything got settled," Mayor Patten said.
   As a temporary solution, Ms. Gallagher, at the request of Mayor Patten, submitted a proposal to fill in as acting administrator until a true replacement could be found. According to the proposal’s objective, which was green lighted by the Borough Council Jan. 6, Ms. Gallagher will act as borough administrator for up to three months, at an additional salary of $1,500 per month. By the end of three months, the council will need to either have hired a new permanent administrator, hired Ms. Gallagher as the administrator, or extended her temporary status.
   Borough Treasurer Arlene O’Rourke has been acting CFO in Mr. Del Turco’s absence. Ms. O’Rourke is receiving an additional $2,080 annually for her added work.
   The trouble for Mr. Sarafin — the only council member to vote against the appointment — begins with his contention that the borough did not follow proper hiring procedures when they hired Ms. Gallagher. In a lengthy communication to the Windsor-Hights Herald, Mr. Sarafin stated he has not yet seen the 25 resumes. He said also that he is concerned that none of the resumes have been acknowledged by the council.
   Mayor Patten said the council will begin studying the resumes now that his administration has gotten off the ground.
   "I definitely believe in process," Mayor Patten said. "But all we’re doing is giving ourselves some time."
   But Mr. Sarafin said he also is concerned with the numbers. As advertised, the position for borough administrator stated the successful candidate could expect an annual salary of $50,000 to $90,000, depending on experience. As borough administrator/CFO, Mr. Del Turco was paid $87,000 per year.
   Under Ms. Gallagher’s proposal, she would receive, if hired as the official borough administrator in 90 days, an additional $20,000 on top of her annual $62,000 salary. Ms. Gallagher’s proposal also outlines a $21,000 salary for a part-time "floater," who would help Ms. Gallagher and Deputy Clerk Leona Baylor in their various duties. Also, the proposal asks for an additional $2,000 for Ms. Baylor, should Ms. Gallagher become the borough administrator.
   All this adds up to $43,000, a total Ms. Gallagher cites in her proposal as a savings of $44,000 from Mr. Del Turco’s $87,000 salary. She adds, however, that this is a base salary comparison.
   Mr. Sarafin said he is concerned that benefit costs and other compensation (including additional compensation for Ms. O’Rourke to continue as CFO) could cause the numbers to soar out of control.
   Ms. Gallagher countered that a new administrator feasibly could ask for an assistant, which would raise costs — and if such a request is denied, the borough could face a state-mandated severance pay out to a resigning administrator, equal to a quarter of his or her salary.
   Mr. Sarafin’s largest point of contention, however, is that the Borough Council already has made up its mind. In his letter, Mr. Sarafin writes that he attempted to explain his concerns with Ms. Gallagher’s proposal to the council during an executive session, but that his words fell on deaf ears.
   "The decision was already made (to appoint Ms. Gallagher) by three out of six councilpersons," Mr. Sarafin said.
   Whether Ms. Gallagher will be the official borough administrator is yet to be decided. Between now and the end of Ms. Gallagher’s "trial" session, Mayor Patten said, the council will consider the resumes it has received and determine the borough’s best option.