Boro seeks to fill vacant tax assessor position

EATONTOWN — Borough officials are seeking to fill the vacant position of tax assessor after council voted to terminate the employment of Thomas Lenahan, who had been working for the municipality for the past 12 years.

Council voted unanimously, 6-0, at the July 23 public municipal meeting to approve a resolution calling for Lenahan to be dismissed as the borough's part-time tax assessor.

"The borough takes these actions based on the reason that the existing tax assessor, Thomas Lenahan, has made himself unavailable to perform his services and has neglected to do so for an unacceptable period of time," the resolution states.

Lenahan's termination will require a hearing and action by the director of the New Jersey Division of Taxation.

"[Lenahan] had some personal problems and could not satisfy his commitment to Eatontown," Mayor Gerald Tarantolo said Monday.

According to the resolution, Lenahan, who has served as the borough's tax assessor since 1996, missed two weeks of work in April and May without excuse.

The council had voted in May to temporarily suspend Lenahan without pay after learning that he was in Florida and would be missing four weeks of work.

Following his suspension, the council sent Lenahan a letter requesting that he meet with them in order to discuss his suspension and his continued employment with the borough.

Lenahan did not respond to the council's request for a meeting, according to the resolution.

The resolution further sates that on July 9, borough officials were advised that Lenahan could be incarcerated for approximately six months.

According to the Monmouth County Sheriff 's Department Web site, Lenahan was arrested on July 7 by Wall Township police on charges of drunken driving and was remanded to the Monmouth County jail.

The borough currently has a deputy tax assessor who will work in Lenahan's place until a new assessor is hired.

The borough is seeking applications to fill the vacant position, which can be sent to Borough Human Resources Manager Kathee Stauffer at Eatontown Borough Hall.