Politics & Government

Council Faces Criticism for New Township Manager Vote

Bernard P. Hvozdovic, Jr., who also served as the South Brunswick Democratic Party Chairman, was appointed as the new township manager last night.

Members of the South Brunswick Township Council said they knew they would face criticism for their choice of the new township manager, but felt strongly enough about their decision to move forward with it anyway. The council voted 4-1 to appoint South Brunswick resident Bernard P. Hvozdovic, Jr., who also serves as the South Brunswick Democratic Party Chairman, as the new township manager last night.

The lone vote against Hvozdovic came from the only Republican on the council, John O'Sullivan. 

"Tonight I am voting against the appointment of Bernard Hvozdovic for the position of township manager," O'Sullivan said. "This is based on information I have seen during the interview process. All interviewed candidates had governmental managerial experience. Mr. Hvozdovic does not have any governmental managerial experience. That is why I am voting against this resolution."

Find out what's happening in South Brunswickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The search for a new manager began after Matthew Watkins informed the township he would be leaving his position effective Aug. 5 to become the city manager for Clifton. Watkins served as manager of South Brunswick for a total of about 12 years in two separate stints and was paid a yearly salary of $158,008, according to Public Affairs Coordinator Ron Schmalz.

Hvozdovic's salary will not be released until the appointment is official and contracts are signed, though the council said his salary would be less than what Watkins earned.

Find out what's happening in South Brunswickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In total, there were 33 applications submitted for the township manager position. Township officials said the job listing stated that a master's degree and managerial experience was preferred, but not required.

The Democratic council members repeatedly stated that the criteria they were judging the candidates on was not based solely on experience in finances or governmental management.

"(Hvozdovic) doesn't have public sector financial experience but I wasn't looking for that," said Deputy Mayor Chris Killmurray.

Hvozdovic holds a degree in finance from Wake Forest University, has worked on Wall Street, is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a civil trial attorney and has a law practice that is primarily litigation based. The specifics of Hvozdovic's resume were not made available because the appointment was not yet official.

However, when it came to the criteria upon which Hvozdovic was selected, the council continued to focus on Hvozdovic's lifelong residency in South Brunswick and his community involvement as the determining factor.

"We thought that he needs to come from town, because if he's not living here then he doesn't see the problems," said Mayor Frank Gambatese. 

The council pointed to the exemplary work of South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond Hayducka as acting township manager during Hurricane Irene. Because Hayducka is a resident, he was able to quickly assess road conditions and other issues around town, and allocate resources as necessary, according to the council.

Council members said a manager living an hour away would not be able to perform at the same level, because they need to be in town to quickly react to issues that arise.

"That's the benefit of having someone from town and who understands the culture of the town," said councilman Charles Carley. "The government did a great job responding (to Hurricane Irene) because the acting manager was from town."

Councilman Joseph Camarota pointed to Hvozdovic's experience representing the township in issues of open space, affordable housing and historic preservation, as keys to understanding the needs and priorities of the township, while operating within South Brunswick's form of government.

Camarota said Hvozdovic has previously worked with every department head in the township and his extensive volunteer work with various boards and commissions provided Hvozdovic with invaluable experience.

"(Hvozdovic) has a good understanding of this form of government and how this community functions," Camarota said. "This community deserves someone who understands the community and its diverse groups.

"He has a passion for this town that no other candidate did."

Gambatese said the strength of township staff would help Hvozdovic quickly acclimate to the new position as he learns on the job.

"We have a staff that can help him go through the learning curve and we can have the manager learn from the people here," he said.

Several members of the public spoke in support of Hvozdovic. They said in their experience dealing with him that he is a man of high integrity and professionalism, who will serve the community well because of his understanding of the issues facing South Brunswick.

"You'll learn as you do the job," said resident Kevin Bifulco. "The manager has to live in town. When he makes a mistake he has to feel our pain."

However, the appointment of Hvozdovic was also met with outrage from members of the public who accused the council of appointing a candidate unqualified for the position based on political ties.

"I find this selection outrageous," said former Republican Mayor Roger Craig. "He has no experience operating a town our size, and (the manager) ought to have that.

"To choose someone from one participating party, to us across the aisle, it gives us pause. I think this is not a good thing."

Resident Stephen Manobianco said the manager position was not a place to get on the job training in public administration.

"(Hvozdovic) has more experience running the Democratic party and not municipal government," he said.

Concerns were raised about Hvozdovic's participation in a recent fundraiser hosted by Sen. Robert Smith (D-17) for Camarota's candidacy for the Assembly of District 16. Camarota said there were no contributions received from Hvozdovic. Hvozdovic is listed as the RSVP contact for the event.

"This has the appearance of the elected officials putting the party ahead of the town by not getting the best candidate we can get," Manobianco said. "I'm trusting my tax dollars, and we're trusting the town's tax dollars, to someone with no experience. If this gets approved it's either gross mismanagement or incompetence."

Council members said they disagreed with the assessment of Hvozdovic's experience.  They pointed to his work with large law firms and management of his own smaller firm as proof he knows what it's like to run a business. Those opposed to Hvozdovic's appointment said there is a large difference between managing a small firm and a township the size of South Brunswick.

To the question of whether the appointment of Hvozdovic was based more on politics than credentials, Gambatese responded that the politics of the council's selection would've been questioned regardless.

"We have a body of government comprised of four Democrats and one Republican," he said. "No matter who we chose we would be accused of that."

Gambatese said Hvozdovic would be resigning immediately as the head of the township Democratic party. He will begin as township manager on Oct. 3, according to Gambatese.

"I think that's the thing to do so nobody can accuse him of using his office as manager to help the Democratic party," Gambatese said. 

The Democratic council members said Hvozdovic has the right temprement to manage the various departments and said he has a strong CFO in place and would be able to balance the different department needs.

"There were a lot of applications with no experience in regards to municipal government," Gambatese said. "We had a manager a few years back who had managerial experience and it didn't work out. (The manager) needs to have a certain personality, we need someone with a calming personality suited to bring people together. There's a lot of tension right now with our municipal employees because things are not good."

Ultimately, the Democrats on council said they knew they would be accused of partisan politics for the appointment of Hvozdovic. Instead of managerial experience, council members said they felt Hvozdovic was the best person for the job based on his lifelong residency in town, his passion for South Brunswick, and his knowledge of the issues facing residents through his volunteer work throughout town. 

"When you make an appointment like this you open yourself up to serious criticism," Carley said. "Is he a superior candidate who's worth the criticism? I think he is. I understand we're going to get criticized."


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here