DPW head to fill in as manager

ABERDEEN - Public Works Director James Lauro has been named interimtownship manager.

Lauro will serve as manager while the township searches for a replacement for former manager Stuart Brown.

"I am just filling in until they can find someone," said Lauro, who has been an employee of Aberdeen Township for 41 years. "Basically, we are just running the day-today operations along with the department heads and the clerk."

We are just making sure purchases go through and basically keep the building running."

Lauro said that everyone at town hall is helping to keep things running while the township searches for a replacement for Brown, who resigned Feb. 8.

Brown unexpectedly resigned apparently because of discord with the governing body. He served as the Aberdeen Township manager for two years.

According to Aberdeen Township Clerk Karen Ventura, Brown was making an annual salary of $129,000 when he resigned. According to the terms of a severance package, Brown will receive six months pay, 12 months of health insurance and 28 days of unused vacation time, which will be paid in a lump sum.

"According to Lauro, he is not receiving an interim manager stipend in addition to his regular salary of $136,000 a year. For the past 15 years, Lauro has stepped into the interim manager position when the town was between managers, he said.

Lauro said he doesn't knowwhen amanager will be named and quipped, "I hope it's soon."