The Washington Township Council voted against hiring a part-time acting Chief Financial Officer during their meeting Monday.

Former CFO Jacqueline Do retired as of November 1.

The township had advertised the position online and in newspapers for about a month, officials said. After a couple interviews, Mayor Janet Sobkowicz recommended a candidate who has worked for the township's tax department and is certified as a CFO, she said.

The position would have been part-time and paid $50 per hour, though the recommended candidate would have worked some irregular hours and weekends.

Council Vice President Joseph D'Urso said that the candidate's credentials had not been shared with the council prior to Monday's meeting and he would prefer to find a full-time CFO to replace Do.

"I think that the person should be here during the day," D'Urso said. 

Councilman Glenn Beckmeyer and Council President Richard Hrbek voted in favor of the hire. Councilmen Steve Cascio, Fred Goetz and D'Urso voted against.

Sobkowicz expressed frustration after the vote.

"So what you're telling me is, we're not going to have a budget," Sobkowicz said.

The CFO is typically responsible for preparing the first draft of the municipal budget, which the council then reviews before adopting.

Sobkowicz said she planned to speak to township attorney Kenneth Poller to see if there was another way to hire a CFO.

D'Urso said he believed the township should reach out to surrounding communities to ask for help from their CFOs while a permanent replacement is sought.

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