Last night’s Medford Township Council meeting marked the official end of Chris Schultz’s tenure as township manager. However, a few residents were persistent in asking council for more information on his resignation and the accompanying separation agreement.
Following a 30-minute executive session, council approved an employment separation and release agreement for Schultz. This came after Mayor Chris Buoni declined to comment on the agreement repeatedly during the public comment portion of the meeting.
When resident Mike Reilly asked Buoni to clarify social media rumors, Buoni declined.
“I’m not commenting on the terms of the agreement until it is executed,” he said.
Some of the public’s concern revolved around Schultz’s severance package. Resident Joan Schifferdecker asked how much pay Schultz would be receiving. Buoni confirmed he would be receiving three months pay following his resignation, citing state law.
“In almost every circumstance, he would be paid for three months,” Buoni said.
Another resident, Mike Panarella, questioned whether Schultz should receive any pay at all if he left voluntarily.
“If someone voluntarily leaves their position, they shouldn’t be paid,” Panarella said.
Buoni declined to respond when Panarella asked him if Schultz indeed left voluntarily or was forced to resign.
Township officials have declined to comment on the reason behind Schultz’s resignation. The township hired Verita LLC in June to conduct a workplace investigation, but has not confirmed whether Schultz’s resignation is related to the investigation in any way.
When Schifferdecker asked about why the township needed to hire an outside firm, Buoni said the situation made it necessary. However, when asked further about details of the investigation, Buoni said they will not be released to the public, citing the township could be sued for libel if the information was to get out.
“These records don’t deserve the light of public scrutiny,” he said.
Township clerk Katherine Burger is serving as the acting township manager. She was named to the position during a special council meeting on Aug. 12. Buoni said Schultz has helped develop a plan of transition to the next manager and will continue to be consulted following his resignation.
“What we do not want to do is plunge this organization into chaos,” Buoni said.
Earlier in the meeting, council listened to a presentation from Bob Casey, a representative from the New Jersey League of Municipalities. Casey, a former manager and administrator for multiple municipalities in the state, gave council an outline of what it should look for when hiring a manager, emphasizing the importance of finding a direction for the township.
“You need to find out where you are, where you want to go and how you’re going to get there,” Casey said.
Casey said the process for hiring a new manager can take about three months if done well.
