Livingston Council Wants To Fire Town Manager Michele Meade

LIVINGSTON, NJ — Livingston Township Manager Michele Meade’s tenure in town may be nearing an end.

Livingston Mayor Alfred Anthony and the Township Council passed a preliminary resolution terminating Meade’s employment during a meeting at Town Hall on Oct. 26.

“The council is diligently moving forward with plans to hire a consultant who will assist in the search process for our next town manager,” Town Council members stated in a joint news release.

The preliminary resolution from the Special Labor Counsel listed the following alleged reasons for Meade’s proposed dismissal:

• Failure to timely keep the council informed of issues concerning the township
• Meade’s prioritization of budget items based on her preferences rather than the preferences of the council
• Meade’s lack of responsiveness to residents
• Failure to effectively pursue shared service agreements with other communities
• Failure to effectively manage the township’s employees

Meade’s LinkedIn profile states that she’s an alumni of NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and has previously held positions with the Township of Maplewood, Township of Freehold and City of New Brunswick.

According to the LinkedIn profile, Meade has served as International Committee Chair with the ICMA and president of the New Jersey Municipal Management Association, which previously named “Young Professional of the Year.”

In 2014, Meade was found not guilty of assault charges connected to a police exercise outside the Livingston Senior/Community Center the previous year. Multiple accounts of what happened that day emerged; some reports indicate Meade as exhibiting “uncontrolled rage” during the entire incident and being "nothing short of abusive,” while another reported Meade was assaulted.

• See related article: Lawyer Says Town Manager Will Be 'Vindicated' of Charges

TOWN MANAGER DUTIES

According to the municipal website, the township manager is the chief executive and administrative official of the municipality and is responsible for:

• Executing the laws and ordinances of the municipality
• Directing the day-to-day operations of all municipal functions
• Appointing all personnel with the exception of the Township Clerk
• Negotiating contracts, subject to Township Council approval
• Executing contracts and improvements
• Preparing the municipal budget for submission to the Township Council
• Advising the Township Council on the financial condition of the municipality

Michele Meade: Patch File Photo

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