Brick Board Approves Business Administrator's Contract, But Not Without Debate

The Brick Township Board of Education approved a new contract for business administrator James Edwards at the board’s meeting last week, but it wasn’t without some controversy.

Edwards’ contract originally was put before the board at the July 23 meeting, but was not approved as the board voted 3-3, with board members Michael Conti, Frank Pannucci Jr. and John Barton voting in favor, and Sharon Cantillo, Karyn Cusanelli and Susan Suter voting against it.

The contract includes a salary increase of slightly less than 2 percent, from $171,560 to $174,991, and a provision for Edwards to receive a payment of $4,250 from the district in lieu of health care coverage if he chooses to go onto his wife’s plan. That money would be prorated depending on when he switched plans and is payable at the end of the school year, according to the contract.

But those two provisions generated negative comments at the July meeting.

On Thursday, when the board began to consider the human resources portion of the agenda, Cusanelli questioned whether there had been any changes to the contract, and when Interim Superintendent Richard Caldes said there had not been, Cusanelli objected, saying there should have been changes made.

“It was a 3-3 vote,” Caldes said. “I negotiated it with Mr. Edwards and I felt it was fair. I didn’t see any reason to change it.”

Cusanelli continued to object, saying the fact that the board did not approve it in July meant changes should have been made, but Caldes stood firm.

During public comment, Vic Fanelli -- a frequent critic of the board and the school district -- reiterated Cusanelli’s comments. Fanelli then turned his attention to Vito Gagliardi Sr., who was appointed to the board earlier this month by Executive County Superintendent Todd Flora, criticizing Gagliardi and saying he should not have a say in Edwards’ contract because Gagliardi wasn’t voted into the seat by the public and because he wasn’t one of the nine people who originally applied to fill the board vacancy.

Fanelli had railed at the board in June when it failed to appoint someone to fill the seat vacated when John Talty resigned in April due to health issues, saying the board members had a duty to see to it that decisions were made within the district, and that echoed in his comments Thursday, where he made it clear he does not see Gagliardi as having a legitimate role on the school board.

Gagliardi told Fanelli he did apply when the matter was sent to Flora to decide who should fill Talty’s seat, but before he could respond further, Cantillo intervened, telling Fanelli his statements about Gagliardi were inappropriate.

When the board finally voted, Gagliardi, Conti, Pannucci and Barton voted to approve it, with Cantillo voting against it and Cusanelli abstaining. Suter was not present at the meeting.

Edwards, who came to the district in 2007 from the Plumsted School District, had to wait until October last year for his contract to be settled.