HILLSDALE—Mayor John Ruocco told residents in an email the night of Friday, Jan. 21 that two key personnel have announced their resignations.
Borough Administrator Christopher Tietjen has announced his resignation with an expected departure date in mid-February, and Superintendent of Public Works William Haffler has announced his resignation with an expected departure date at the end of January, Ruocco said.
He added, “The Mayor & Council will be taking steps to fill these open positions as expeditiously as possible.”
The email was sent at 7:20 p.m. and signed flatly “Mayor John J. Ruocco.”
Haffler started as superintendent in April 2018.
Tietjen started as as BA in December 2019 at a salary of $115,000, taking over for interim admin Robert Gallione, who had been filling in after the resignation of Jonathan DeJoseph.
On Jan. 22, Ruocco told Pascack Press, “It would not be in the best interests of the borough for me to comment extensively on their departure. I am working closely with our labor attorney to identify possible courses of action as well as potential replacement candidates for the council to consider.”
Noting recent bylaw changes that deny him ex-officio status on standing committees, and a change in the speaking order at meetings that sees him now speaking first rather than last, Ruocco said, “It is ironic that this responsibility falls to me now, after the council majority has restricted my ability to effectively participate, as any other mayor normally would, in the budgetary and planning processes of the borough.”
He said, “However, as a professional with years of managerial and financial experience, it is incumbent on me as the mayor to do the best I can in the interests of the tax-paying residents. And I will do so.”
We will continue to update this story.