No Malice Intended. Just accountability.
At the Public Comment portion of the Upper Township Committee meeting on May 23, 2022, I read the following statement. It is a call to action for the residents of Upper Township to be aware and question the hiring practices of the Upper Township Committee. Get involved.
For the past couple of months there has been quite a bit of public discussion regarding the newly appointed temporary administrator, Gary DeMarzo. My comments tonight are regarding the roles and responsibilities of the Upper Township Committee and its hiring practices.
Mr. DeMarzo may OR may not be the most qualified person for this position, but we the taxpayers, who fund the salaries of township employees will never know if you, our committee, secured the best candidate.
The Administrator position is so critical for a local community that The New Jersey League of Municipalities offers a 28-page recruitment guideline for selecting a local government administrator. And I quote from the introduction; “Recruiting and selecting a local government administrator is one of the most important responsibilities of a local governing body. It requires careful planning, astute evaluation of candidates, and a clear understanding of the relationship between the local government and the administrator. An organized approach and strong, consistent leadership from the local governing body are essential to the recruitment process. Without them, recruitment can damage the image of the local government; divide the local government and the community; weaken the authority of the government; erode the responsibilities associated with the position; and hurt the ability of the local government to attract and retain good candidates for this and other administrative positions.” End quote.
In 2016, Middle Township posted publicly a candidate search with detailed requirements for a full-time business administrator. Shouldn’t we have expected this in Upper Township at a minimum?
The taxpayers should direct their frustration at Township Committee. Except for Mr. Coggins, not one member of the committee demonstrated concern about the need for the position and the hiring of the new administrator, Gary DeMarzo. When pressed by Mr. Coggins and residents during public comments at meetings, Mayor Corson, committee members, Kim Hayes, Jay Newman and Mark Pancoast said little and demonstrated a lack of transparency with this position and the job hiring. Residents were given, NO public posting of the position, no job requirements, and there was no formal interview process. Additionally, no resume or list with Mr. DeMarzo’s qualifications were made available to the taxpayers after his hiring.
What we do know, is what Mr. DeMarzo told us. He got this opportunity due to a referral. We do not know who made the referral and who the referral was directed to. Mr. DeMarzo had an opportunity and he took it.
Upper Township residents have continually requested details about the position and the hiring. Committee has been given ample opportunity to clearly inform the public but has not.
I show-up, I speak-up and I listen. I go home and think about what is being said and done. I have lost faith and wonder what is true and what is not. As residents what resources do we have to get accountability so that we can trust and believe in the integrity of our local government.
There are several state and local agency listings that are available to the public. It is not an easy process and one can easily give-up. I am invested in our community.
I care. I have started the process and have reached out and spoken to a detective from the New Jersey Office of Public Integrity and Accountability. I presented a timeline of committee actions and public concerns. As a summary of our conversation, he recommended contacting the Cape May County Prosecutor regarding the hiring practices in Upper Township.
I hope I am not alone and ask all residents to call into question the hiring practices of Upper Township Committee. The detective provided this phone number, 609.465.1135. Although he was not certain of the exact name of the unit at the prosecutor’s office, he said to ask for the unit contact that handles public corruption.
Since we are not getting the answers at our public meetings, I hope you will turn frustration into positive action and all will speak-up and make a call to restore trust in our government. This is our town, our tax dollars, and our responsibility.
Barbara Leary
Committeeman Coggins described the hiring to the Press of Atlantic City as a breach of trust? Should there be an investigation into the Upper Township Committee and the hiring of Mr. DeMarzo? We will continue to seek accountability, transparency and will reach out to experts as needed to clarify the remaining questions: What are Mr. DeMarzo’s qualifications for the position of Township Administrator and should they be made public? why was no one else interviewed? Who made the referral?
How did Mr. DeMarzo get the job as Township Administrator? The new hire didn’t meet with the personnel department, which Committeeman Mr. Coggins oversees. Apparently when asked who interviewed Mr. DeMarzo, only the Mayor met with him. Hayes, Newman and Pancoast offered no response. So just how did he get this appointment?
(Sorry for the sound quality, this is what the Township posted).
HAYES, NEWMAN, PANCOAST EXIT 20 CAMPAIGN PROMISE. Words matter. "We are going to make Exit 20 happen," Kim Hayes. Your success is our success. We look forward to it getting done.