Middle Township Committee Reorganizes; Gandy Sworn, Krauss Named Administrator

COURT HOUSE – Annual municipal reorganizations offer the ceremonial swearing-in of newly-elected governing body members and usually a long list of resolutions that set contracts, appointments, meeting dates and committee assignments for the coming year.
In Middle Township reorganization can mean much more.
The township’s committee form of government is structured as partisan. Party affiliation drives the election cycle and the seats on the governing body.
That means that reorganizations can involve significant shifts in players in key administrative and professional roles.
On Jan. 2, Middle Township residents turned out to see what incoming Mayor Timothy Donohue called an “exercise in democracy,” the transition of power from one party to another.
Theron “Ike” Gandy defeated Jeffrey DeVico in November, and three years of Democratic control of Middle Township Committee ended with Republicans once more in the majority (2-1) on the governing body.
Changing Roles
Donohue, beginning his eighth year on the committee, returned to the mayor’s seat with Gandy as deputy mayor. Michael Clark, mayor during the period of Democratic control, reassumed the role of committee member.
Change did not stop there. Change in control provides an opportunity for the majority party to pick its team.
Marcus Karavan replaced Frank Corrado as township solicitor.
Three years ago Corrado had replaced Karavan in a similar shift in majority control of the township committee.
Elizabeth Terenik was out as business administrator, a position she held since May 2017.
One of the many resolutions on the agenda terminated her employment contract.
Donohue thanked Terenik for her service and praised her efforts in a number of areas. Two weeks ago, however, he made clear that the new Republican majority wanted someone in that key position that was dedicated to advancing their agenda.
The replacement for Terenik took the form of an unusual arrangement in which Township Clerk Kim Krauss will combine her position of clerk with that of business administrator. 
Krauss had served as deputy business administrator, a position that will be eliminated. 
In situations when Krauss is absent, Police Chief Christopher Leusner will be designated as the acting business administrator.
Donohue explained that one goal in the shift was to make the business administrator more visible and accessible to the public.
Krauss will be located on the first floor instead of in the traditional office upstairs. She will continue to direct the Clerk’s Office but will have additional support as she structures the merger of the two positions.
Donohue was quick to point out that even with the expected additional staffing; the combining of the positions will result in cost savings.
In November, Krauss was elected to her first term on the Middle Township School Board. She said that she does not envision any situations in which her position on the school board and her roles in the township administration will present a conflict of interest.
In their remarks, the members of the governing body committed to work together for the betterment of the township but all also hinted at their differences.
Gandy admitted that taking a seat on the township committee represented a new undertaking for him.
“I am embarking on a political career, but I don’t consider myself a politician,” he said. “I am ready to do the hard work,” he said, as he spoke of putting the township “back on the path of fiscal responsibility.” 
The latter remark returned to a campaign theme in which he criticized the Democratic majority for raising taxes two years in a row and engaging in a controversial process for awarding engineering contracts.
Clark symbolically extended his hand, pledging to work with the majority and congratulating both Gandy and Donohue. Clark spoke of working to continue some of the advances made in the last few years, referring to, among other things, the efforts to use state redevelopment statutes to aid in the economic development of the township.
Donohue thanked both Clark and DeVico for their leadership and spoke of opening “a new chapter for Middle Township.”
Meeting Business
One ordinance introduction and 40 resolutions took up the business of reorganization with most of the resolutions amounting to the housekeeping chores necessary to set up the upcoming year.
These included approving mobile home park and campground licenses, lease agreements, annual appointments, professional services contracts, payroll dates and meeting times for the governing body.
A temporary budget of $5.2 million was adopted to keep the township running while the formal budget process begins.
Donohue responded to a question on the Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA) charges that have caused havoc with the township budget for the last two years. He said that township officials were working closely with the MUA to identify the causes of spikes in township flow that are partly responsible for the additional costs.
“We are paying particular attention to the pumping stations to see if we have problems of water infiltration that could be causing the spikes,” he added.