ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS HERALD
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BODY POLITIC by Jack Archibald, Atlantic Highlands Councilman

Contact Jack Archibald jack@ahherald.com View archive

DONOGHUE TEAM AND THE BOTCHED BACKROOM DEAL

Before ascending to power, the Donoghue team in Atlantic Highlands promised to end “the backroom deals” that they alleged existed under Republican control of borough hall. Isn’t it ironic then, that a Republican appointee had to bail these same Democrats out after their latest botched backroom deal?

The team has provided another example of their inept administrative ability with the recent appointment of Michael Marcinzyk. On New Years Day, Mayor Donoghue and his team were beating their chests and comparing their new code enforcement officer to Mr. Bernie Frotton. The Mayor personally vouched for his latest appointee and defended his decision to pay Michael Marcinczyk the top of the salary range. Over Republican objections, the Mayor asserted that he had done the interviewing and he had decided that Mr. Marcinczyk was the right man for Atlantic Highlands – despite the fact the man is not licensed for fire inspections and would not be readily available to meet all Atlantic Highlands’ inspection needs.

Unfortunately, neither the Mayor nor Mr. Marcinczyk, nor any of the Democrat council members decided to inform his current employer about the sweetheart arrangement. Within five days of his appointment, Atlantic Highlands received the resignation of Mr. Marcinczyk and our borough was left in the cold. As has happened so many times before, Bernie Frotton stepped up to the plate and offered his services as zoning/code enforcement officer to the borough on an interim basis.

If Mayor Donoghue and his team had conducted an open interview process by including the entire personnel committee in the discussion, they could have been spared their latest embarrassment. The original plan was to have Mr. Frotton train his replacement and ensure a smooth transition. Instead, in their zeal to appoint their guy and without conducting a complete search, the Democrats hatched a deal for a critical position in our borough without thinking it through.