MIDDLE TOWNSHIP – The Township Committee made no changes to its governing body appointments for 2025 at its reorganization meeting Jan. 7: Former Police Chief Chris Leusner was selected by his colleagues to serve another one-year term as mayor, and Theron “Ike” Gandy was chosen to again serve as deputy mayor.

Gandy won another three-year term on the governing body when he ran unopposed for reelection in November.

In the township form of government the positions of mayor and deputy mayor are filled annually by the governing body from among its three members.

Reorganization meetings are by their nature usually routine and loaded with resolutions that set the table for the coming year. The agenda for Middle was no exception.

Bills were paid, appointments made, a temporary budget was established, and professional services contracts were renewed for another year.

Since the Township Committee possesses both legislative and executive powers, an important task at the reorganization is the allocation of department oversight among the committee members. Here again, Middle stuck with what worked in 2024.

Leusner retains oversight of public safety, finance and human resources, Gandy sits atop public works, sewer and water, construction, engineering and economic development, and the committee’s third member, James Norris, heads tax collection and assessment, recreation, senior citizen affairs and open space projects. Norris was first elected to the governing body in 2019.

The township retained Blaney, Donohue and Weinberg as municipal solicitor, Paul Baldini as labor solicitor and Ford Scott & Associates as municipal auditor.

Four ordinances were introduced, all of which will have public hearings at the committee meeting Monday, Feb. 3, at 6 p.m.

One of the ordinances sets certain compensation levels, another establishes subdivision and lot approval fees for support of the tax map and GIS database, the third sets the tax map change fee as part of application for development fees, and the final ordinance sets limits on gallons of trash for single-family residences.

The ordinances are available as part of the agenda for the reorganization meeting and are available here.

Contact the reporter, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.