Ideas for improved record-keeping were under way before Di Falco
By: Susan Riley
I returned from a week’s vacation to read, with amusement, of Councilman Robert Di Falco’s self-proclaimed knighthood.
For the last few years it has been acknowledged, by all members of Pennington Borough Council, that we have asked our borough clerk to do the work of three people. But, as anyone who has served in municipal government for any length of time knows, change comes slowly — and the Pennington Council has established a reputation of making decisions only after careful and considerate reflection.
In the past four years, the council has hired a new planner, land-use administrator, building inspector, borough engineer, court clerk, administrative assistant, CFO, auditor, and director of Public Safety. Hardly a menu ascribable to a passive council. Council identified the need for a borough administrator several years ago and after carefully planning for the new position and conducting an intense search, hired Karen Waldron to be Pennington’s first general administrator. It has been under Karen’s very capable direction that solutions to some of our problems have been identified and carried out by the entire council. It was upon her (Karen’s) recommendation that council hired auditor Bob Morrison, who not only identified the problems, but provided the means of rectifying them. Ideas for improving our record-keeping practices were well on their way toward being implemented long before we appeared before the State Finance Board, and indeed, before Mr. DiFalco was sworn in as a member of council.
I have every confidence that the entire council will continue to work with our newly-hired professionals, as well as our extremely competent long-standing department heads, to ensure the future health of Pennington Borough.
Sorry Bob, but you’re gong to have to earn those wings before you fly.