HOLMDEL – The all-Republican township committee had a busy meeting last Tuesday when elected officials voted 3-1 to censure the mayor and also approved a new township administrator.
Both moves follow months of investigation into township employees to find out who authorized costs related to a turf field project at the Holmdel Swim Club without township committee approval. Former administrator Donna Vieiro and current mayor Eric Hinds now face criticism for their suspected involvement. Tensions came to a head with Hinds’ censure at the Oct. 22 meeting, which he did not attend.
“It changes nothing. I will continue to fight for Holmdel taxpayers,” Hinds, also a Republican, later told The Two River Times. He called the move a “very planned attack” and said that “obviously” the three committee members who approved it are working with his opponents.
A resolution for the censure was brought by committeeman Rocco Pascucci. He, committeeman Gregory Buontempo and deputy mayor Mike Nikolis approved it; committeeman Tom Critelli voted against it. Critelli called the censure “ridiculous” and “political” and said it was done to harm Hinds, who is running for reelection. He also said it was “interesting” that it came about two weeks before the election when it had been “discussed or chatted about for some time now.”
Several residents spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting for and against the censure. Directing his comments to Pascucci, resident Terence Wall said the reasons behind the censure were “fraudulent” and wrong. “I certainly hope that there is an appropriate apology for you jacking up a man and his family and this municipality with your false allegations.”
Resident James Yannello disagreed and said the idea that this is a political witch hunt is “a sham.”
“Time and time again when our mayor has wanted to locate a turf field, the process was not done right.”
At the same meeting, the committee hired a new administrator for Holmdel. The township hired an outside firm to help fill the position and, after vetting 40 applicants and going through several rounds of interviews and meetings with department heads and elected officials, they chose Cherron Rountree for the position. She officially begins the job Nov. 12.
Buontempo said “with certainty” that Rountree is “single-handedly the best candidate that we have ever interviewed,” and that he was happy to adopt the contract. Pascucci, Critelli and Nikolis also voiced their approval of Rountree at the meeting, but Critelli shared frustration with committee members for not respecting his and Hinds’ request to reschedule a second round of interviews when they said they could not attend.
His comment received pushback from Pascucci.
Rountree is currently the township administrator in Eatontown. According to the employment agreement prepared by attorney Michael Collins, Rountree will earn $175,000 in her first year, $180,000 in the second, $185,000 in the third and $190,000 in the fourth.
“I am very excited to join the Holmdel team. From everybody I’ve met so far it seems like a wonderful community,” said Rountree.
Pascucci suggested that the township have a welcome gathering for Rountree at the town center so residents can enjoy refreshments and meet the new administrator. Nikolis agreed and said they would set a day and time for it.
