Hilary Hyser
Ewing Republicans lambaste township for hiring former council president Hilary Hyser
Although the November elections just ended, the Ewing Republicans have already fired off the first salvo of next year’s campaign.
GOP officials are questioning the hiring of former Ewing Council President Hilary Hyser for a job within the township, claiming that she was rewarded with the high-paying position just because she is a local Democratic official.
Township officials, meanwhile, maintain that Hyser’s hiring was simply good business — choosing someone for the job that they knew was a well-qualified candidate.
Hyser resigned from council in October after she was hired as Ewing’s director of personnel. Last month, council voted unanimously to appoint Sarah Steward to serve out the remainder of Hyser’s term.
Hyser, who holds a master’s degree, was the owner of her own physical therapy business and, most recently worked in the insurance industry.
She also holds a certification in human resources management and has an active insurance license.
In addition to her service on council, Hyser was the vice chair of the Ewing Township Redevelopment Agency and was involved in the Olden Avenue redevelopment project.
A Democrat, Hyser was first elected to council in 2012, running on the same ticket at Mayor Bert Steinmann.
In a prepared statement shortly after Hyser was hired, Ewing GOP Municipal Chair Judith Peoples alleged that the hiring is a textbook case of political patronage by the Democrats.
Although the appointment was carried out legally and with state approval, “It sure does not pass the smell test,” Peoples said.
The Republican also assailed the administration for not advertising the job nationally and alleged that it was continuing the practice of previous Democratic regimes of handing out high-salaried jobs to members of the township governing body of the same party.
“This is not the first time that elected council/committee members have resigned to serve in paid administrative positions. The positions of clerk, court administrator, finance officer, township administrator and senior program administrator have all been staffed by previously elected officials in the past,” Peoples claimed. “The council and administration did not even have the decency to go through the motions of a normal search to fill the vacancy.”
Township Business Administrator James McManimon pointed out that council actually played no role in Hyser’s hiring — it was solely an administration decision and did not require the advice and consent of the governing body.
McManimon said he and Steinmann had long been aware of the need to fill the personnel job and that Hyser’s background as a licensed insurance agent — along with her knowledge of worker compensation and related personnel issues, as well as her skill in handling the council presidency — qualified her uniquely for the administrative job.
“I didn’t think we needed to (advertise) when we had what we needed right here,” said McManimon in an interview with the Observer. “She was qualified, and I certainly wasn’t going to bring in someone I didn’t trust.”
McManimon said the $88,000 annual salary for the job is in line with other cabinet level posts in the administration and that Steinmann had the right to hire her on his recommendation.
“I approached her and the mayor approved,” he said, adding that he also made sure that the appointment passed state Civil Service criteria.
Hyser was unable to comment on the issue. According to McManimon, the township’s chain of command policy prevents Hyser and other township employees from talking to the press. “It’s either me or the mayor,” he said.
Steinmann spoke highly of Hyser in recent media reports. “We decided to hire her as personnel director because of her work ethics, her contributions on council and contributions she’s made to ordinances and her passion for getting everything right. It was a perfect fit,” he was quoted as saying in the Trentonian. The mayor was unavailable to comment to the Observer by deadline due to a personal matter.
McManimon dismissed as baseless Peoples’ contention that the Democratic administration was continuing a practice of taking care of their own and questioned the validity of the Republican municipal leader as a critic of the administration.
“It’s because she (Hyser) just happens to be a Democrat,” McManimon said.
While Peoples’ criticism was unsolicited by the newspaper, the Observer did seek comment from former Republican Mayor Jack Ball, who was ousted by Steinmann in the 2010 municipal election and is “definitely still thinking about” a 2014 mayoral rematch.”
“When you have an important position like that, why don’t you advertise it? It makes one wonder,” Ball said. “I guess I think more about (running again) when I see things like this happen.”
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