Washington Borough Manager Richard Phelan reviews first year on the job

WASHINGTON | Last St. Patrick's Day, the pleasure of formally introducing Richard Phelan as Washington's new borough manager was short-lived.

During that same meeting, the borough's auditor explained Washington was running at a deficit.

A year of tough decisions and heated discussions would follow along with a state audit recommending remedial actions.

The debates will continue as borough officials look back on the past year and budget for the next over the coming weeks.

Phelan said he expects to submit a report in the next week or so documenting the actions of his first year heading Washington's day-to-day operations.

Also being developed is a New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller report following up on its May audit. The new report will detail remedial actions the borough has taken after its financial practices were criticized, a comptroller spokesman said.

"This, when I started, was a failing business," Phelan said Monday. "In a short period of time, our community is better now than it was 12 months ago, financially."

Many of the comptroller's suggested fixes have or are being implemented, he said. The borough has new professionals, including its auditor and chief financial officer.

Mayor Scott McDonald said the borough is making better use of the electronic financial tools available to it. He also credited Phelan with setting up reviews of borough employee performance -- something that was never done.

"I think (Phelan) has done a great many things right," McDonald said.