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| Three department heads terminated and replaced, a fourth demoted |
| By nj.com - Jason Laday |
| Published: 04/18/2012 |
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NJ -- The Cumberland County freeholders during their work session on Tuesday laid off and replaced three department heads, demoted a fourth, and took the juvenile detention center away from the jurisdiction of the department of corrections and the warden. With Democratic Freeholder Bill Whelan absent, the board split along party lines, 4-2, as the Republicans successfully terminated the employment of Office on Aging Director Dale Finch and CATS Director Theresa Van Sant, and demoted Public Works Director Don Olbrich. Mental Health Division Head Jack Surrency was also terminated, but by a unanimous vote. None of the Republican majority commented publicly on the series of resolutions — a rare occurrence during a work session. Only Democratic freeholders Tony Surace and Carol Musso spoke, both lodging complaints about the entire process. “I felt very strongly that the people in those positions found their jobs in jeopardy without justification — there was nothing I’ve seen written that questioned their job performance,” said Surace. “We need to have a process and follow that process when it comes to evaluating at-will employees like these, because to my knowledge there’s no reason to terminate them.” Musso stated that despite being liaison to two of the affected departments, she did not find about the shake-up until reading the meeting agenda Tuesday. “That’s my main concern, the way that I had to find out,” she said. “There are people who in my eyes do not qualify, and I feel as though it’s the people of Cumberland County who will suffer.” All three terminations are effective at the end of this month. Olbrich will continue on as department head until May 6, when he will be terminated, according to a resolution approved along party lines. The next day, he will be hired as head of the Division of Public Works, under a reorganized Department of Public Works and Engineering. The director of public works and engineer have previously been two separate positions in the county. The current county engineer, Dan Orr, will not see his contract renewed when it expires at the end of May. The freeholders voted in March to begin seeking replacements for Orr. The new county engineer and department head of Public Works will be William Rafferty, hired Tuesday by the freeholders — again, by a 4-2 vote along party lines. In his resume, Rafferty writes he has 35 years experience in road, drainage and bridge construction, as well as maintenance and repair. He has previously served as Cumberland County engineer and Atlantic County Director of Public Works. The freeholders made four other appointments Tuesday night. After breaking off the Cumberland County Juvenile Detention Center from the department of corrections — currently headed by Cumberland County Jail Warden and county Democratic Party Co-chair Bob Balicki — the freeholders voted 4-2 to put it in the hands of former Republican Sheriff Michael Barruzza. Read More. |
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