Politics & Government

Scotch Plains Hires Jerry Giaimis as Town Manager

Mayor casts lone dissenting vote in hiring of former Vernon town manager/administrator.

Scotch Plains has hired Jerry Giaimis as the new township manager, filling a vacancy that was left by the resignation of Henry Underhill in March.

The council voted 4 to 1 to hire Giaimis at a salary of $120,000 on Wednesday night, with Mayor Kevin Glover the lone dissenting vote. Glover did not provide his reasons for voting no.

Giaimis, 35, comes to Scotch Plains from Vernon where he was the town manager/administrator. He attended Rutgers Newark where he studied political science and then Central Michigan University where he received his masters degree in public administration. Before his three years in Vernon, Giaimis was the assistant township manager in Randolph. He also served as a councilman in Washington Borough from 2001 to 2004. Giaimis is an avid runner and will be running the NYC marathon this November.

"I'm very excited to be in Scotch Plains," Giaimis told Patch after the decision. "It’s a wonderful community with a long history of good management. I was very impressed with the recruitment process. There were a lot of very good questions from every member of council. I think Scotch Plains is definitely one of the premier communities in the state and I want to carry on that tradition. A lot of town managers talk about jobs that open up – when you see Scotch Plains, you say 'wow.'"

Councilmembers welcomed Giaimis enthusiastically after the vote. 

"I think I’m very much looking forward to your fresh perspective on the issues we have facing us, and I very much look forward to seeing creative and forward-thinking solutions to some of these issues," said Councilman Bo Vastine. 

"This is probably the most exciting thing we’ve done since I joined the council," said Councilwoman Colleen Gialanella. "Jerry comes to us very highly recommended with an outstanding background. I have no doubt he will move the town in a very positive direction."

Mayor Glover said although he didn't support the recommendation he wishes Giaimis success and good luck. 

Giaimis will officially take over the position on July 17 and plans to move to Scotch Plains from Vernon. He says he has studied up on the town as best he can before starting the job. 

"Obviously the major current issues are the sewer utility, police merger, budgetary issues. I've also heard concerns with the health department and the services Scotch Plains is receiving. I studied what I could without having access to all of the information."

Giamis says his budgeting philosophy is a delicate balance of services and costs. 

"You’re always taking a careful approach to budgeting where you are analyzing all of your expenses and look for where you can make savings," says Giaimis, "but you still have to provide a high level of service, a level people have come to expect, and there's a tough balance that goes along with that."

The council began interviewing candidates on June 20. On March 13, Scotch Plains council held an executive session to discuss personnel matters, which was followed by a public meeting where it was announced that previous Township Manager Henry Underhill had put in his resignation.

The resolution to accept Underhill’s resignation was voted on by the council with a 4 to 1 vote, in which Councilman Bo Vastine voted no. The reason for Underhill's resignation has never been released, but in the month's since his departure Councilman Mickey Marcus has argued that he was forced to resign and has been asking for an explanation from Mayor Kevin Glover.

In the months before Underhill became administrator and the months since his resignation, Zoning Officer Robert LaCosta and Township Clerk Bonnie Lacina were co-acting as the township managers. 


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