File Photo/Newly appointed Margate Municipal Administrator Ken Mosca signs his employment agreement as Commissioner John Amodeo and Municipal Clerk Johanna Casey look on.
By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
MARGATE – Mayor Michael Collins confirmed Thursday that the city is ready to hire an administrator and has taken steps to get the word out about the open position.
Applications have been advertised for the position, which has been vacant since former Administrator Ken Mosca resigned in January after just a year on the job.
A resolution to terminate Mosca’s contract on the Jan. 18 Board of Commissioners agenda that stated the separation was in the best interest of the municipality was pulled from the agenda and not voted on. Ten days later, the board approved a resolution terminating the contract, gave Mosca three months’ severance pay and both parties signed a confidentiality agreement. He served at the pleasure of the board at a salary of $125,000. He is currently working as external affairs lead for the Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind.
Margate’s prior administration, which included Mayor Michael Becker, Commissioner John Amodeo and current Commissioner Maury Blumberg, appointed Mosca to the post on Jan. 19, 2023. He replaced Richard Deaney, who served as the city’s part-time acting administrator for 12 years through a professional services contract with Jersey Professional Management. Deaney had 52 years of experience as a municipal administrator and worked in Ocean City for 17 years before he started working in Margate. Mosca was selected after interviews with two of the nine candidates who applied. Prior to being hired in Margate, Mosca was public affairs manager for Atlantic City Electric, served as administrator in the City of Linwood for seven years and in Ocean Township for two years.
“We had planned to hire an administrator all along, but we agreed there was no major rush,” Collins said.
Instead, the mayor, who just completed his first year of incumbency, asked department heads to step up.
“Our department heads are great and do well communicating with each other, especially in emergencies,” Collins said referring to a water main break July 4 that closed city streets on a holiday. “It was all hands on deck, and they all kept us in the loop. We are very lucky to have such dedicated employees and department heads.”
The last six months has given the administration a chance to assess municipal operations.
“We took the time to step back and look at our roles, and we didn’t miss a beat,” Collins said. “Not hiring someone right away gave us the opportunity to identify what we need in a candidate.”
Resumes have already started to come in, he said. Applicants have until July 26 to apply by sending a letter and resume to Collins at the municipal building or by emailing Municipal Clerk Johanna Casey at
[email protected].
“We are hoping to interview great candidates,” he said. “We want to hire the right person who will focus on human resources and personnel issues. That’s what we need.”
According to an advertisement, responsibilities of the successful candidate include fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation and accountability, promoting efficiency and transparency, negotiating contracts, performance management and employee relations.
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