Carlton defends actions

Manager takes time during public meeting to respond to accusations, By Jennifer Knocha Vernon — Township Manager Melinda Carlton fired back at the Vernon Township Taxpayers Association during her report at a recent township council meeting, breaking down their 24-item list of accusations point by point. The Taxpayers had previously presented a list of grievances against the Manger and ultimately called for her resignation. At the borough’s Nov. 5 meeting, while Vernon Mayor Austin Carew tried to quiet Taxpayer Association representative Tom McClachrie, members of the public shouted for him to continue. Several of the claims involved the Ameripay payroll issue, including the failure of the township to get a proper contract with the company. “I have already admitted that the contract didn’t exist,” Carlton said. “I take full responsibility for this failure.” She used time at the Nov. 30 meeting to respond to the charges leveled against her. Neither the mayor nor council members commented. Admitting some errors Responding to the claim that the town contracted with ADS Payroll Services after the fall of Ameripay without getting approval or bids, Carlton said: “This was an honest mistake, and one I regret. My biggest concern was that I didn’t want the township to be in violation of payroll law.” The manager has been signing all purchase orders, even when township had a CFO, but Carlton said that as the manager, she is in on the purchase order process. It’s her job to make sure that purchase orders are in comport with the budget. The group also claimed that the manager signed multiple contracts with various vendors without council approval. According to Carlton, she makes every effort to keep the council informed of what the town is doing. Investigating a councilman Carlton also signed a contract with Potters and Della Pietra LLC, to investigate former Councilman Glenn McLaughlin without prior public discussion. This point was the subject of much discussion at the Nov. 30 meeting among the council, manager and lawyer, Michael Witt. It was agreed that this issue had been discussed in executive session in September and that all further discussion on the matter was also done in executive session to protect McLaughlin’s privacy. The Taxpayers Association questioned the hiring of Brian Palaia, in the role of assistant manager, who came to Vernon from Connecticut. According to Carlton, she hired the most qualified candidate. “Out-of-state hiring is common,” she said. “Brian is doing an excellent job and learning New Jersey law very quickly.” The Taxpayers group also had issues with the hiring of new Chief Financial Officer William Zuckerman, saying that the process took too long and that Carlton hired Bob Beneke as a part-time CFO, even though she was told on Sept. 25, 2008 that having a part-time CFO was in violation of state law. “The hiring process turned out to be very difficult,” Carlton said, in response to this accusation. She also claimed that from July of 2008 through February of 2009 she was working on a shared services agreement with the county to share financial management services, which caused the delay in hiring the new CFO. Once the county made it clear that this would not happen, she moved to hire a CFO. As for claims that she has made the township building a “terrible place to work,” Carlton said she has an “open door policy, and many employees have taken me up on that. I have never ever created an environment of fear.”