Thomas Merchel announced his intentions to step down as township manager at the Monday, Feb, 5 council meeting.
Moorestown Township Manager and Chief Financial Officer Thomas Merchel announced at the Monday, Feb. 5, council meeting he will be stepping down as township manager. Merchel will continue on in the role until the township finds a replacement, at which time he will serve solely as CFO.
“I’ve been in the job position for one year,” Merchel said. “I did inform council at the time that I was going to try to do both jobs for one year, and as everyone knows, it’s been two full-time positions basically since the inception.”
Merchel said he is proud of the township’s accomplishments over the last year, but acting as both manager and CFO has been “very demanding.”
“I do believe the township would be better served to have two full-time people again,” Merchel said. “I’ll continue to do the CFO position. That is the job I love, and everybody knows that.”
Mayor Stacey Jordan thanked Merchel for his hard work over the last year. She said Merchel is an asset to the township in his finance position, and she’s grateful he is staying on that role.
“You do an amazing job with our budget and helping us run this town efficiently and effectively, and so I’m glad you’re staying there for that because that would be a huge loss for this town if you didn’t,” Jordan said.
Councilman Manuel Delgado said Merchel was a tremendous help to him during his time as mayor. He said during Merchel’s time as township manager, the township accomplished more than it had in several years, all while contending with water treatment plant issues and the township’s ongoing affordable housing litigation.
Councilman Michael Locatell echoed Delgado’s sentiments. He said he thought Merchel “did the impossible” by doing both jobs while contending with the water treatment plants, the affordable housing and the daily business of running the township.
Locatell said he knows Merchel was deeply devoted to both roles. He said whether he drove by Town Hall early in the morning or late at night, Merchel’s car was almost always in the lot.
“I know the commitment that you have to this town, and that commitment is probably what got to you because you wouldn’t let it go,” Locatell said. “You did everything that needed be done.”
Councilwoman Victoria Napolitano said said she was saddened to see Merchel departing from the role but understood his decision.
“I think we always knew that this was an experiment that we were doing, and that for it to work it would take an extraordinary person,” Napolitano said. “I think you made it work, but it’s proven just to be too much personally for one person to do everything. I feel confident if you can’t do it, no one can, so we need to find someone new to do that position as its own, so thanks for everything you’ve done.”
Napolitano said she appreciates Merchel’s willingness to stay in the role until they find a suitable replacement.
Resident Kathy Sutherland said Merchel has always been available, and when residents wanted something done, they knew they could call him and there would be action. She said she hopes the township can get someone “halfway decent” to replace Merchel.
“Everytime we get a new town manager, it’s like starting at ground zero, but that won’t happen again because we’re doing it the right way this time, and you’ll still be there to help them,” Sutherland said to Merchel.
Locatell expressed similar concerns about finding the right person.
“If the possibility doesn’t exist that we can’t find somebody as willing or as capable or as committed as you as manager, maybe we find a deputy manager that [Merchel] could tutor or mentor as the manager for a couple of years and then have them take the position,” Locatell said.
Jordan said the township will advertise for the job in the near future.
The next Moorestown Township council meeting will take place on Monday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall.
