Dover hires ex-corrections official to help sort out ‘mind-boggling’ mess at town hall

A former New York and New Jersey jail official is coming to Dover with orders to help correct "mind-boggling" issues regarding security, staffing oversight and other administrative problems that Mayor James Dodd says are are crippling the town's budget.

Following a closed-door executive session Tuesday, the town council approved Dodd's resolution to hire Ronald Edwards to a new position as director of professional standards, accountability and cybersecurity.

Edwards most recently served as a deputy commissioner of administration for New York City's Department of Corrections. Before that, he oversaw Hudson County's 2,100-bed jail in Kearney.

Dodd said he decided to create the position after uncovering so many "mind-boggling" organizational and financial failures facing by the town that "I don't have the capacity to address them."

"I'm not afraid to say it," said Dodd, a Democrat who returned to the post in January after a four-year hiatus. "I don't have extensive experience in those areas. And we need someone who does."

Dover received a sobering report in February from an auditor who said its 2022 financial reports were in " by far the worst financial condition of any records I've ever seen." Dodd and the council voted to borrow $3 million earlier this year to help plug a deficit in a budget that reached $30.2 million last year.

Dover hire stirs debate: 'We are not a jail'

Following Tuesday's executive session, Council Member Karol Ruiz motioned to table a vote on the resolution to hire Edwards, saying the council was not given sufficient time to review his background.

"This council received a resume about 10:30 p.m. for Mr. Ron Edwards and there's a committee that had been meeting him exploring him," she said. "This council wasn't provided with any minutes from that interview. I don't know what questions were asked. Just about 30 minutes ago, we just learned about this candidate and this resume."

"Dover is a community," she said, adding that the county and state already provide oversight of whether local officials are complying with professional standards.

"This is a municipality," Ruiz said. "We are not a jail."

Council Member Sadra Wittner echoed the same concerns but no one seconded Ruiz's motion. Dodd's resolution passed 7-1-1, with Ruiz voting no and Wittner abstaining.

More: Jai-Alai, Dover's beloved family restaurant, won't reopen after devastating 5-alarm fire

Mayor defends his new hire: 'extensive' experience

The mayor defended Edwards "extensive" resume, reading off a list of qualifications including staff and research management, operational oversight, policy development, strategic planning and more.

"We didn't need to come here tonight," Dodd said. "Mr. Edwards could have been hired by the administration without coming in front of this governing body. I did this as a courtesy. You may not be happy with some of the decisions that I have to make up here as mayor. I make my decisions based on how I feel. My heart goes into this job."

Edward's career began at the Hudson County Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, where he served as a corrections officer and K-9 handler, according to a news release issued by the New York City Department of Corrections when it hired Edwards as a deputy commissioner.

Edwards was promoted to deputy director of corrections in Hudson in 2016 and to director of corrections in 2017. As director, he oversaw the daily operations of the 2,100-bed correctional and rehabilitation facility while managing 500 law enforcement officers, 150 support staff and 100 contracted employees, the New York release states.

He was hired in September 2022 as deputy for administration in the New York City agency, which employs more than 6,100 corrections officers on a budget of $1.4 billion .

Edwards holds a bachelor's degree in public administration and a master's degree in administration science from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Town Hall shakeup continues

Edwards was to begin work "effectively immediately," according to the Dover resolution. On Thursday afternoon, acting Administrator Tara Pettoni said the details of the contract letter were still being finalized. Edwards' salary has not yet been set, she said, adding the range for the full-time, at-will position is $50,000 to $125,000.

The Edwards hire continues the mayor's push to transform the town's administrative hierarchy. Dodd, who served three previous terms as mayor, won the job back in the 2023 election, defeating Carolyn Blackman , who had ousted him from office in the 2019 election.

Pettoni, who was hired as town clerk in January, continues to work as acting administrator after BettyLou DeCroce, a former state assemblywoman, was suspended from the position last month and placed on 30 days paid leave.

DeCroce awaits the council's public discussion and final decision on her employment status at a future council meeting. Personnel matters are typically discussed in private session, but DeCroce exercised her right to call for a public forum, her attorney said.

Police Chief Jonathan Delaney , who also has been criticized by the mayor, also opted for public discussion regarding a reprimand he received for speaking out at a public meeting.

William Westhoven is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today .

Email: wwesthoven@ dailyrecord.com Twitter: @wwesthoven

This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Dover hires ex-corrections official to help sort out ‘mind-boggling’ mess at town hall