Members of the Holmdel Township Committee have adopted an ordinance, which restricts the appointment of a person to the position of township administrator if that individual has violated ethics laws.
Mayor Eric Hinds, Deputy Mayor Michael Nikolis, and committeemen Tom Critelli, Greg Buontempo and Rocco Pascucci voted unanimously to take the action during a meeting on Sept. 10.
The committee’s action came two months after Donna Vieiro resigned as Holmdel’s township administrator. Her resignation followed the launch of an investigation into claims she allegedly committed violations in her position.
As of Sept. 12, officials have not provided an update on the status of the investigation.
The ordinance states that “the Local Government Ethics Law establishes ‘standards of ethical conduct’ for local government officers that ‘shall be clear, consistent, uniform in their application, and enforceable on a statewide basis’ … In order to ensure public trust, the Township Committee seeks to restrict the appointment of any individual who has been found to have violated any ethics laws … to the position of township administrator.”
No one who has violated ethics laws governing public office or public employment will be eligible for the position of township administrator, according to the ordinance.
In other business, the committee members adopted an amended ordinance which states that “no person who previously occupied the position of township administrator will be eligible for reappointment as township administrator within two years after separation from township employment …”