Politics & Government

Deputy Mayor: Council Close to Decision on Town Manager

Deputy Mayor Greg Gallo said they could very likely hire next month.

Members of council interviewed the last of the remaining township manager candidates Wednesday, but still have not made a selection.

Deputy Mayor Greg Gallo, who along with Councilman Chris Chiacchio took charge of the search early on, said council has “gone from a big stack (of applicants) … down to a very small number of candidates.”

Gallo would not say specifically how many, but indicated the number was indeed very low.

“We’re close to the end of the process,” he said.

He said council started with between 40 and 50 resumes, which were whittled down to about 15, which were whittled to six or seven who were brought in for interviews. Those candidates have now been narrowed down even further, according to Gallo.

He said the township is in the process of conducting background and reference checks on the remaining candidates.

Council is being particularly careful in its selection, he said, because the person they hire will have a full plate from Day One, with projects like the municipal complex to handle and another lean budget year ahead.

“You’re always going to be busy as a town manager of a town our size,” Gallo added.

He said the timetable to find a manager remains “ASAP,” which could be as soon as next month.

But “we’re not going to put somebody in just for the sake of it,” he said, stressing council’s desire to find someone for the long-term. “That’s a goal you have with any position.”

Former deputy town manager Tom Merchel, also the township’s financial officer, has been serving as acting town manager since former manager Chris Schultz , after about six months on the job.

Schultz was preceded by Jack Terry, who served as manager for 23 years.

During a special council meeting Monday morning, a handful of residents praised Merchel’s hard work and professionalism during his tenure as acting manager.


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