JACKSON — In response to concerns raised by two residents about the appointment of Clara Glory as a board member of the Jackson Township Municipal Utilities Authority (JTMUA), one member of the Township Council said he saw no problem with the move.
Council President Robert Nixon said he did not agree with the residents’ claim there was a conflict of interest that should have caused one or more members of the governing body to abstain on the vote.
At a meeting in January, Glory, who served as the campaign manager for Nixon, Barry Calogero and Ken Bressi in the 2012 election, was appointed to a five-year term as a JTMUA board member. Glory is now serving the board as treasurer and will be paid $3,500 per year, with no additional benefits, according to JTMUA Executive Director David Harpell.
Nixon, Calogero and Bressi were elected to the council, and Nixon is now serving as the council president.
Nixon, Calogero, Councilwoman Ann Updegrave and Councilman Scott Martin voted to appoint Glory as a JTMUA board member.
Bressi said he did not vote on Glory’s appointment due to a conflict.
Speaking about Glory’s appointment, resident Peter Grezlak said, “This looks like a direct payback. It wasn’t just a [campaign] worker or a casual relationship. [Glory] directly got [Nixon] where [he is].”
Resident Ray Cattonar said it appeared, in his opinion, that Nixon’s vote to appoint Glory “could be a potential conflict of interest.”
Nixon responded, saying, “I don’t think there is any suggestion of a conflict. I will say [Glory] is a person … [who] is overqualified for the position. [Glory] has prior MUA experience, she is a business leader, she understands the needs of the ratepayers, and it is a vote that I am sure everybody up here is comfortable making. If I put [Glory’s] résumé against anyone else’s, she’s going to come out on top.”
Richard Borys, whose term as a JTMUA board member expired on Feb. 1, said he has filed a conflict of interest complaint with the state Department of Community Affairs.
Township Attorney Jean Cipriani said the issue of whether Glory’s appointment fell within the guidelines of a potential conflict of interest depended on the type of relationship between the parties involved.
“In conflict law, a spousal relationship is looked at very differently and scrutinized much more carefully than the kind of relationship” between a former candidate and a campaign manager, Cipriani said.
Serving with Glory on the JTMUA board are William Allmann, Vicki Rickabaugh, Carol Blake and Geneva Clayton. Joyce Cladek and Peggi Sturmfels are alternate members.
— Andrew Martins