May 3, 2004 Public Works RussellScam Part I

Ocean County Politics .com

Snow Job Without The Snow

"Acting" Public Works Director Tim Russell ($100,000 Including Benefits) Quits After Two Months On The Job

Timothy Russell

Mayor Paul Brush

Russell, Participant In Political Payoffs Via New Mayor, Returns To His Old Job As Recycling Foreman ($94,000 with Benefits) After He Helped Name Secare (Lawyer) And Larsen (Auditor) To Patronage Positions With Fire District Where He Is A Commissioner

Husband Of GOP GreedClub Officer Picked To Replace Russell

Toms River: Only two months ago, District #1 Fire Commissioner Timothy Russell was appointed "Acting" Director of Public Works by Mayor Paul Brush.

Last week, Russell tendered his resignation from his new "Acting" Director job.

Russell will return to his former public works job of "Recycling Foreman" which he held for several years.

Robert Tully

Tully Will Replace Russell

Russell's replacement "on an interim basis" as "Acting" Director will be Deputy Public Works Director Robert Tully, a close apostle of GOP Boss Richard Clement, a fixture in the Republican GreedClub and husband of Clement's corresponding Secretary and former Municipal Chairperson Patricia Tully.

Mayor Paul Brush says he will name a permanent replacement with the advice and consent of the Township Council, according to an article by Ocean County Observer reporter Matt Porio.

Apostle Of Boss Clement - Made A Deal With Democrats

GOP Boss Clement

Russell is a Republican and was, for years, also an apostle of GOP Boss Richard Clement.

But, a couple of years ago, Russell, a Fire Commissioner in District #1, saw an opportunity to pick up some interesting political IOU's.

So he joined new Democratic fire commissioners and supported Democratic lawyer Stephen Secare as a replacement for incumbent fire district attorney and creative submitter of fire district payment vouchers Robert Shea.

Russell Supported Democrats Larsen And Secare

Russell also gave his support to Democrat Richard Larsen as the fire district's new auditor. Two Clement-Republicans were elected in February's 2004 fire district election, so Russell's vote for auditor and attorney was even more critical this time to break a potential 2-2 tie on the "non-political" five member fire commission.

Boss Clement Relative Fredd Clayton Was
Retiring As Public Works Director

Democratic Boss Sal Mattia

Newly elected Democrat-Independent Mayor Paul Brush and newly coronated would-be Democratic Boss Salvatore Mattia offered to make Russell the next Public Works Director in the wake of the retirement of Boss Clement relative (cousin or nephew?) and short term incumbent Public Works Director Fredd Clayton.

Clayton Selected Over More Qualified Applicants?

Clayton was appointed Director by the old Republican township committee a couple of years ago after Boss Clement selected him over allegedly more qualified employees when former Public Works Director Jack Dietzel retired.

Russell Was Appointed; He Voted To Name Larsen And Secare

Expensive Dem Auditor
Rich Larsen

Expensive Dem Attorney
Steve Secare

Russell accepted the offer by Brush and Mattia, and Secare and Larsen, no strangers to aromatic political deals that end up costing the taxpayers, were reappointed in one of the great coincidences of all time with Russell's third and decisive vote as the fire commissioners reorganized.

Director's Job Paid Only A Little More Than Extravagant Foreman's Salary, And Now Russell Had To Run The Whole Political Cesspool, Instead Of Only One Puddle

Russell's Director's job carried a price tag of more than $100,000 including benefits. Now, after two months of trying to run the political cesspool that is the Public Works Department in Dover Township, Russell has tendered his resignation and will return to his old job as Recycling Foremen, also a politically lubricated position that pays almost as much (about $94,000 including benefits) as the Director's job, without anywhere near as much hassle.

Excessive Compensation?

Public Works Foremen In Dover Township, appointed through the influence of Boss Clement, may be among the most excessively compensated public employees in Ocean County.

Everything Screwed Up At Public Works? After All, It's The Same Place Where Former Mayor Wnek Was "Coordinator"

Former "Mayor" Paul Wnek Created Lasting Morale Problems With Appointment As Superfluous Public Works "Coordinator"

But then, everything is out of whack in the Pubic Works Department, where, under a directive from Boss Clement, the governing body created a worthless $80,000 "Coordinator" job for former Mayor Paul Wnek, a double dipping decision that further destroyed pit bottom morale in a department that is an administrative nightmare because all of the appointments, until now, have been ordered by Boss Clement who is not exactly committed to the highest standards of qualifications and cost effectiveness.

No One Knows Exactly Why
Russell Quit After 60 Days

No one knows exactly why Russell quit only a few weeks after delivering on his pledge to Mattia and Brush to reappoint Secare and Larsen, so OCP will continue to cover this developing story until all of the facts are out, or hell freezes over, whichever comes first.

This article prepared for May 3, 2004.

For previous articles covering the activities of the Dover Township Public Works Department, please select As Follows:

Snow Job From 2/21/03, Click Here

DMUA Snow Helpers From 2/23/03

Snow Job III From 2/27/03

Snow Job IV From 3/09/03

Much, much more on this issue as time plods majestically forward on OceanCountyPolitics.

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