It appears that former Belmar mayor Matt Doherty will continue to serve as business administrator in Bradley Beach.
The Borough Council planned to hire Doherty at its March 18 meeting, but hours before the meeting began, Doherty told the council that he would complete his term as acting business administrator through the end of March before leaving for another job.
However, Doherty later said that the other offer had been withdrawn and that he would be happy to serve as permanent borough administrator in Bradley Beach after all.
Mayor Al Gubitosi and the council would have to approve a resolution to hire Doherty, a step they are likely to take at their next regular meeting on April 1.
Doherty has been working in the temporary post since the council reorganized in January and approved a resolution authorizing a “separation of service” with the previous acting business administrator, former councilwoman Meredith DeMarco.
Doherty earlier served as executive director of the state Casino Reinvestment Development Authority. He is the publisher of the online news site TAPinto Asbury Park.
During his tenure as acting business administrator, Doherty played a major role in negotiating a contract between Bradley Beach and its public works employees.
Members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 152 who were working without a contract for more than two years signed a three-year agreement with the town last month.
“The employees here are phenomenal,” Doherty said at the March 18 meeting. “They have been through a lot the last two years, and that was unfair. They are remarkably resilient, they’re hard working, and they care about the community they serve. They have great leadership.”
“I can tell the residents that you have a truly remarkable governing body,” Doherty said at the meeting. “If you have five members of a council, hopefully you have three that are intelligent, hard-working and caring. You don’t have three — you have five. You have an all-star team here.”
“In the short time that Matt Doherty has been with us, he’s really been phenomenal,” said Councilwoman Shana Greenblatt.
The resolution hiring Doherty which the council had hoped to approve on March 18 called for him to be paid $170,000 a year. The resolution also stated that Doherty “shall not engage in any form of outside employment that is inconsistent with or in conflict with the best interests of the Borough of Bradley Beach and shall seek approval of the mayor if he engages in any outside employment.”
“In no event shall Matthew Doherty conduct any outside employment business activity during official Bradley Beach Borough business hours,” according to the resolution which was withdrawn at the March 18 council meeting.
