Riverdale Councilman Caldwell's New Administrator

A Republican councilman of Riverdale for the past decade, Paul Carelli was unanimously appointed Tuesday night as Caldwell's new borough administrator, while Margaret Cherone was appointed and hired as chief financial officer and treasurer.

Carelli, an engineer for 26 years at Clark-based L'Oreal USA Products, Inc., where he is the director of technical package development, has been a council member in Riverdale—a Morris County borough of approximately 2,500 residents—for the past 10 years and won re-election in November.

The father of three replaces Maureen Ruane, who was given 90 days notice in January and leaves this week after 14 years with the borough.

"To say that it's been an extensive search would be an understatement. I couldn't begin to tell you the number of resumes I've received from places as far away as Maine and Michigan for this position," said Councilman Richard Hauser, chairman of the personnel committee.

"I think we've found somebody who will represent some of the things this council has been looking to do, which is to blend a combination of somebody with private sector experience along with some government experience."

With an engineering degree from Rutgers University, Carelli has received some experience as an administrator during his years as a councilman.

"The unique thing about that experience is that Riverdale does not have a borough administrator and in a number of areas, Mr. Carelli has been acting as the borough administrator for that town," Hauser said. "I'm quite pleased, frankly, that Mr. Carelli along with our new CFO, personality-wise, are going to be a great fit for the town."

Cherone will begin as the borough's new CFO and treasurer on Wednesday and will earn $45 an hour, but cannot exceed $1,080 or 24 hours a week, according to Municipal Attorney Greg Mascera, who said there could be exceptions of longer hours during her initial transition.

However, since a formal offer has not yet been presented to Carelli, terms of his contract could not be revealed, Mascera said.

"There's protocol and we don't have a final signed agreement with the gentleman and until we have a final signed agreement with the gentleman, it is not appropriate to announce the terms of the contract," Mascera said.

"A formal offer has not been made. There has been dialogue and until now, you're engaged but you're not married." 

Instead, council unanimously passed a resolution to appoint Carelli, "subject to the finalization of a contract," Mascera said.

"The extensive nature of the search and finding Paul and Paul's enthusiasm and energy will transcend throughout the borough and throughout borough hall and for the betterment of the community at large," Councilman Joseph Norton said.

The governing body also plans to hire a municipal clerk, a position also currently held by Ruane.

According to members of council, Ruane's growing responsibilities—including as the borough's unofficial acting CFO—led to several mistakes and to her termination in January.

Her dismissal, voted 5-to-1 following an executive session on Jan. 26 at about 1 a.m., was opposed by Councilman Kay Slattery, who read a prepared statement about Ruane's departure during Tuesday night's council meeting.

"Maureen's dedication and work ethic are exceeded by no one I have ever known. For many years, she has performed multiple jobs that require far more than any one individual can successfully execute. This condition certainly led to unwitting mistakes," Slattery said.

"Maureen never tried to stop correcting any errors known to her. The failure in this instance lies with the council—and when I say council, I include myself 100 percent. The failure lies with the council and not addressing and correcting the circumstances of her employment."

Ruane's future became uncertain during the fall when some council members questioned why proceeds from the 2007 Mayor's Gala Ball were not yet given to the Caldwell Public Library. In addition, Ruane admitted some of the proceeds were not deposited in the bank and remained locked in a safe in her office.

During the Jan. 26 regular public meeting, Ruane was criticized by Councilman Gordon Lawshe for not providing appropriate information to all members of the governing body.

"Somebody here in this building is not doing their job," Lawshe pointed out that night.

Later that night Ruane and Assistant Borough Administrator Beth Bush, who has also been terminated, were criticized for failing to invite members of the borough's shared services committee to a meeting with surrounding municipalities.

Lawshe told Ruane Tuesday night "we've had our differences," but pointed out he's always understood the amount of pressure she's faced.

"The first week after I was sworn in I came up here and said to Maureen, 'You need more help here. There's no reason why you should be answering the phone as the borough administrator of this town,'" Lawshe said.

"I said that it was terrible that previous mayors and council people could not see this. I know Maureen did the best she could under the circumstances. She didn't have a heck of a lot of help. I do give her credit for working as hard as she did, but unfortunately, I think if she had some help and prior councils and prior mayors had really looked to see how hard she worked and the time she was putting in, she might still be our borough administrator."

Mayor Susan Gartland held herself accountable for the excessive workload and said while Ruane may no longer be an employee, her presence will continue to be felt throughout the borough.

"It's something I will take responsibility for if she was in fact overworked. I know she's been overworked," Gartland said. "She's been a dedicated, hard-working individual for 14 years. It's certainly been a pleasure. She's always has had a smile on her face. She's a resident. She grew up here and I know she will remain an intricate part of our community."