Deputy Clerk Helen Gormley, along with other staff in Little Silver, will pick up the duties of administrator Michael Biehl. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi; click enlarge)
By DUSTIN RACIOPPI
As far as the payroll is concerned, Michael Biehl is still Little Silver’s borough administrator and clerk. But Biehl, who is recovering from what Mayor Suzanne Castleman called a “very serious surgery,” won’t be returning to borough hall.
“He will actually still be the administrator, but he has finished his active employment with the borough,” said borough Attorney John Bennett.
After 22 years, Biehl has stepped down from his everyday duties and is on terminal leave until December 31, meaning co-workers will have to fill his many duties by committee in 2011.
And that’s the way the council wants it.
“At present time the council doesn’t want to fill it, and they’ll go and see how that works, and then make a decision sometime after that,” Bennett said.
Picking up the slack will be Deputy Clerk Helen Gormley and other qualified borough employees,Castleman said.
Biehl served as both clerk and administrator, but also performed a myriad of other duties at borough hall, Bennett said. With more than two decades of service, Biehl accrued enough leave time to take the year off, plus some, he said.
“He has more sick time accumulated than it would take to get through the year,” Bennett said. “He actually gave days back.”
Bennett didn’t have Biehl’s salary information available Monday night, but said he earns multiple paychecks for the different roles he filled.
It’s not clear if the council will go the entire year without replacing Biehl. But certainly for the near future, it will be a team effort to fill his shoes, officials said.
“I think we can do that because of the loyalty of the existing employees who can step up and do what Mike has done for the last 20 years,” Councilman Robert Neff said.
