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BODY POLITIC by Jack Archibald, Atlantic Highlands Councilman

Contact Jack Archibald jack@ahherald.com View archive

CAMPBELL'S DEPARTURE LEAVES VOID AT BOROUGH HALL

Last week in Atlantic Highlands, the zoning officer left. This week, the Chief Financial Officer of the borough packed it in. In one of the saddest moves in recent years, the Mayor and Council accepted the resignation of Catherine Campbell effective Friday January 21.

During her twelve years at the borough, Ms. Campbell proved her worth over and over again. She was an extremely valuable employee and one of the most non- political people to walk through borough hall. Through the years, politicians from both sides of the aisle have praised her work and she brought the highest level of professionalism to the office each day. She will be missed and difficult to replace.

Her departure leaves a huge void for our town in the short term, but the decision still has many First Avenue observers scratching their heads. What caused her to leave after putting in twelve years to Atlantic Highlands? How much did the current turmoil at borough hall contribute to the decision? Was she tired of all the micro managing that the Donoughue Administration brought to borough hall? Was it because the Administration adopted an employee sign in policy that was more grade school than grad school?

We won’t know because she isn’t saying’. Typically, her resignation letter said little while stating personal reasons for leaving and Ms. Campbell wouldn’t go any further- publicly or privately. We do know that when a highly regarded CFO decides to walk without another job, it speaks volumes about the working conditions. Those conditions are set from the top and no matter how the Mayor and his mates might try to spin this one; things aren’t going as advertised or promised in Atlantic Highlands borough hall.