Chatham Delays Committee Member Vacancy Decision Until July 8

UPDATED: 9:16 p.m., June 25, 2021

CHATHAM, NJ — The Chatham Township Committee was planning to appoint a new member on Thursday night but the process has been deferred after two committee members from the opposing political party told the committee and public they couldn’t do so in executive session as planned.

The Township Committee’s Executive Session resolution shows the group intended to head into Executive Session to talk about the township committee appointment that’s needed, since former Mayor Tracy Ness resigned on June 11.

At Thursday’s meeting, the Committee planned to have Ness’ replacement picked among three candidates from the Democratic Party, but she told the public on June 10 - the meeting the day before her resignation was effective - if that didn’t happen, the party would select her replacement in July.

From there, the committee will decide on who will be chosen mayor and deputy mayor.

Committee Members Ashley Felice and Mark Hamilton, the two Republican Members, disagreed on it being in Executive Session, creating the delay.

“The residents of Chatham Township had their Mayor vacate her position without any notice,” Felice wrote to Patch on Friday. “This role abandonment was planned secretly and we can't match that with additional improper conduct behind closed doors in executive session.”

Felice said the potential appointees should be heard publicly to answer questions “before they become the only unelected official who will be the deciding vote on the Township Committee.”

She cited “multiple applicable cases,” for not choosing a successor for Ness in executive session, but named Gannett Satellite Info. Network, Inc. v. Bd. of Educ. of Borough of Manville, as one example.

"Obviously, we're disappointed by the actions of Committee Members Felice and Hamilton at last night's meeting," Chatham Democratic Committee Chair Phil Ankel wrote to Patch on Friday.

Christina Mott, the group's vice-chair, is the campaign manager for Kathy Abbott, who Ness endorsed in April when she decided not to run again. Abbott was the sole Democrat on the ballot in the June 8 primary, who will run for the seat against Republican Daniel R. Bevere, who also was solo on the Republican primary ballot.

Neither the township’s administrator nor its clerk responded to a request for comment by email on Friday from Patch.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at jennifer.miller@patch.com.