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Politics & Government

Township Council Hires New Municipal Clerk

Agenda meeting includes a discussion of a new way to distribute state education funds.

With interim clerk Carol Kehoe’s tenure ending Friday, the Parsippany-Troy Hills Town Council announced at its Tuesday night agenda meeting that Elesha Johnson has been hired as the town’s permanent municipal clerk.

Johnson will hold the position for the next three years and be compensated pursuant to the township’s current salary guide.

“I just want to say thank you to each and every one of you for the confidence and the personal touch that you put into my interview,” Johnson said to the council. “It made me feel right at home and I hope with everything that I have, that I meet and exceed your expectations.”

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All of the members of the council thanked Kehoe for her time in Parsippany.

Council Vice President Michael dePierro presented a sample resolution to the council—brought forth by Michael Doherty—proposing legislation that will "provide a more equitable formula for public education in New Jersey."

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“This is something that I’ve been trying to talk to legislators about for the past 29 years almost, to no avail,” dePierro said. “If every student in the state received the same amount per pupil, then we would get $6 million more than we’re getting now in Parsippany. That’s how much underfunded we are.”

Councilman John Cesaro was in favor of dePierro’s resolution, explaining that changes need to be made in the realm of school funding.

“The money that goes to the Abbott schools is just killing every other municipality in the state," Cesaro said. "Thirty-one school districts in the state of New Jersey get 65 percent of all school funding and it’s just basically causing the other school districts that don’t get this funding to literally raise taxes on their residents. Something needs to be done.”

In other news, the council approved the hiring of Arnold's Roads, Inc., of Monroe Township, for the reconstruction of curbs and sidewalks at various locations in town, as well as CMS Construction in Newark for the reconstruction of a retaining wall at East Hedding Place in Mount Tabor.

Also, the council unanimously adopted a resolution for a change order for the Sandalwood Drive Drainage Phase I Improvements Project. The project, which is complete, was originally planned to cost $327,712, but a final cost of $341,374.26 shows an increase of 4.14 percent.

“This was attributed to the removal of three additional trees and an adjustment of the alignment of the pipes, due to unforeseen subsurface conditions,” Cesaro explained.

The council also approved a resolution for the Mount Tabor Children’s Day fireworks display to George Philhower for Tabernacle Productions Inc.

The next regular meeting of the Township Council is scheduled for July 19 at 7:30 p.m.

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