Former Gcity Mayor Calls for the End of Part-Time City Administrator Job
Sunday, May 11, 2025
GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (May 11, 2025)(CNBNews)---Former Gloucester City Mayor Robert S. Bevan
(Independent) released a statement on Monday, May 11, 2025, calling for the end of Gloucester City's part-time City Administrator role and for the position to be filled with a full-time administrator. Bevan stated that the city administrator position was created in 1987 when the Independent Party held the majority. Due to the sudden departure of City Administrator Jack Lipsett, Police Chief Brian Morrell was appointed as the temporary city administrator by former City Mayor Daniel Spencer, five years ago, at the end of December 2020. Lipsett was named administrator in 2008.
Bevan stated,
"The position of City Administrator was adopted by the Mayor and Council in 1987. This was the key to making one person responsible and accountable for the quality of services provided by all city departments and employees. Under this administrative code, a person was hired not by who he or she knew but their professional and education qualifications who represent the taxpayer on daily basis. Under this administrative code, responsibilities included rendering disciplinary action including suspension and removing of employees not performing their duties.
"No longer have department heads been able to “pass the buck” to another department for not doing their jobs. Under the powers of the administrator, he or she negotiates contracts for the provisions of city services along with making day to day business and administrative decisions for the effective operation of the city. No way can this most demanding job be performed by a part-time employee. To ask our present Chief of Police to also act as a full-time City Administrator is asking too much of one person!!
"This has been going on far too long. The people deserve a full-time employee in the position of city administrator who is responsible for managing our city budget of $25 million dollars a year!", Bevan said.
In March of 2021, CNBNews reported that a special committee was formed to interview candidates for the administrator's job. It consisted of department heads, including Police Chief Morrell, the mayor, the council, and external executives; 20 applicants were interviewed. But the committee was unable to find a suitable candidate. Five years later, Morrell continues to serve in the roles of part-time police chief and part-time city administrator. When he was initially appointed, a reporter asked how he could manage both positions, to which Morrell responded that he would rely on his police staff for assistance. His salary for the police job is $185,000, and $45,000 for the administrator role. Presently, Morrell's compensation for the police chief's position exceeds the average pay for a police chief in New Jersey and nationwide, as per the ZipRecruiter database. Morrell manages 37 officers and two secretaries in the police department and oversees 100 full-time city employees.
RELATED:
CORRECTION regarding the Gloucester City Police Chief/City Administrator Brian Morrell
Gloucester City's Police Chief Receiving $52K More Than the Average Chief in NJ and Elsewhere