PRINCETON: Anti-nepotism policy to be discussed

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
   Princeton officials say there was nothing wrong about the township hiring the three adult daughters of then-acting-administrator Kathryn Monzo last year, two of whom now work for the consolidated Princeton.
   The Princeton Council’s personnel committee, however, is scheduled to discuss the Monzo issue at its meeting on Thursday and have a broader discussion on the need for an anti-nepotism policy, said Councilwoman Jo S. Butler on Friday. Ms. Butler serves on that committee along with Mayor Liz Lempert and Councilman Lance Liverman.
   Ms. Monzo, now the deputy administrator in Princeton, said Friday that one of her daughters, Jacqueline Shaddow, went to work in the Building Department in June as a temporary, part-time secretary. When that position became full-time, she was the only applicant for the $38,471-a-year job that was advertised or “posted” internally, according to the town. The position was not advertised in the newspapers. She was hired Dec.14, records showed.
   Ms. Monzo’s other daughter, Meghan Shaddow, started working Dec.11 as an $11-an-hour per diem doing filing work, also in the Building Department, records showed. She still works for the town, records showed.
   A third daughter, Kelly Shaddow, worked as an $11-an hour per diem for scattered hours a few days around Christmas, assigned to a mass mailing for the Public Works Department, records showed. Ms. Shaddow, who had worked for the town a few summers ago, no longer working with the municipality.
   Ms. Monzo said the township personnel policy manual did not forbid relatives of employees from working for the town. Rather, she said, family members “should not be directly supervised” by their relatives.
   Ms. Monzo was the highest-ranking civilian employee in township government for most of last year. She took over from Jim Pascale, who retired. She has transitioned into being deputy administrator of the consolidated Princeton, one step below administrator Robert W. Bruschi, and is seen as his heir apparent.
   For his part, Mr. Bruschi said Friday he believed things were done “above-board” regarding Ms. Monzo’s daughters, although he has not had a chance to discuss the matter with her personally.
   He said that while he understood the concerns some might have, he thinks there are “much more important issues” facing the consolidated town.