Intro to How Our Municipal Corporation Works, Part V

WEEKLY REPORT BY MAYOR JOHN L. MADDEN

AN INTRODUCTION TO HOW OUR MUNCIPAL CORPORATION WORKS, PART V

This is the fifth report in a series of reports on how our local form of government works and some of our key municipal employees. 

To recap, our borough is an incorporated municipality which operates similarly to any large, public corporation.  You, the residents, are our shareholders.  The Council is the Board of Directors who meet from time to time to vote on various topics that involve policy, budget, and revenue.  As Mayor, I act as Chairman of the Board, run the meetings and am the figurehead of the Board.  Our Municipal Clerk, Linda Chismar, by state statute, serves as Secretary to the Corporation.  As Clerk, she is also the Chief Administrative Officer of all elections held in the Borough, the Chief Registrar of Voters in the Borough, Secretary to the Governing Body, and is also the Administrative Officer.  Middlesex Borough’s Chief Executive/Chief Operating Officer is the Borough Business Administrator.  Our CEO/COO is Marcia Karrow who is responsible, by State law and municipal ordinance, for the day-to-day operations of our local government.  She oversees personnel, the budget and all operations.  The Administrator reports directly to the Mayor.  Every major corporation has a Chief Fiscal Officer.  Our CFO is Caroline Benson, who, prior to becoming our Acting CFO late last year, was our Treasurer.  As CFO, Ms. Benson oversees all things financial in the borough including Custodian of all Public Funds, Assist in Preparation of the Annual Budgets – Operating & Capital, Maintain & Monitor Financial, Develop Fiscal Policy, File Continuing Financial Disclosures, Certify Availability of Funds, Manage Pensions & Benefits, Oversee Payroll, Salary Ordinances, Quarterly Tax Filing, Annual Financial Reporting, Maintain Fixed Asset List, Monitor Adherence to Collective Bargaining Agreements, and Ensure Compliance to all State Purchasing Guidelines. 

Every corporation which occupies corporate facilities has a physical plant and staff that oversee it.  In the case of a local government, facilities include not only municipal buildings, but also all publicly owned property.  Our physical plant is staffed by our Department of Public Works (DPW).  Our corporation has a series of public buildings including the Municipal Building, the Police Department Building, the DPW, the recycling center, the Public Library and the Recreation/Senior Center.  We rent the Rec/Senior Center from the Rescue Squad and maintain our rental space.  Although the Library is a Commission – “in but not of” our local government -- the Borough owns the library building and our DPW maintains it.  Further, our DPW is responsible to maintain all Borough-owned parks, playgrounds and playing fields.  It is also responsible for an enormous network of public streets and public easements, as well as publicly owned trees within public rights-of-way.  Finally, our DPW runs our sewer system and Recycling Center and is responsible for trash and bulk removal from residences.  All these jobs fall under the responsibility of the Superintendent of Public Works, Robert Teutsch.  Mr. Teutsch has been with Middlesex Borough for more than25 years. His second in command is the DPW Foreman, who has several managers that supervise specific areas: parks, sewers, roads, and sanitation.  Our DPW makes sure all critical infrastructure remains open and safe during storms and snow, ensures public health safety with sanitation removal and sewer operation, and keeps our parks and fields manicured and clean. 

Next week, in Part VI of the series, I will be covering the job of the head of our corporation’s security, the Chief of Police.

Keep Safe and Be Well,

Mayor John L. Madden