The mayor's business administrator pick left a school board over plagiarism in 2005, and was charged with DUI in 2014.
A case of plagiarism that embroiled a Morris County school board more than a decade ago could change the way Phillipsburg picks its municipal staff.
The town's business administrator, appointed in May, stepped down from the Madison board of education in 2005 after copying a columnist's graduation speech -- a fact that Phillipsburg Mayor Stephen Ellis said was unknown to him until he was asked by a reporter on Wednesday.
A DUI charge, which was eventually dropped, also didn't come up before she was appointed.
Phillipsburg Mayor Stephen Ellis (Erin Gallagher | For lehighvalleylive.com)"The credentials were there. There were no indication to worry about her character. ... She was doing a fine job," Ellis said later after talking with Business Administrator Melissa Elias.
The mayor said background checks are not done for all appointed positions, but may soon be instituted as a result.
"We're going to be in discussion about this," Ellis said. "I'm not ready to make a decision yet on the future of our municipal staff here, in general."
Selection
In Phillipsburg, the business administrator oversees office functions within the municipal building. Elias, 60, of Madison, was appointed after a months-long selection process involving interviews with six or seven candidates, the mayor said.
The three-person interview team of the mayor, attorney Christopher Troxell and planning board Chairman Kent Corcoran rated resumes and questionnaires, then voted on their recommendation, which was presented to the full town council May 17. Troxell and Corcoran could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.
At the May meeting, Council President Todd Tersigni asked for reassurance that Elias was thoroughly vetted.
"I believe there needs to be discussion about her at the next open meeting," Tersigni said Wednesday.
Background
In a brief statement, Elias said she is "a competent and dedicated longtime volunteer in Madison." She is also the executive director of the County College of Morris Women's Shelter.
In 2005, she resigned from the Madison school board over an allegation of plagiarism. She publicly apologized for not crediting columnist Anna Quindlen in a graduation speech that year, according to The Star-Ledger's archives. Reports from the time show Elias' speech closely mirrored one by Quindlen in 1999.
In 2014, Elias was charged with driving under the influence and related counts after crashing into a utility pole in Millburn Township, Essex County, and continuing into adjacent Madison.
Millburn court staff on Wednesday said Elias was guilty of leaving the scene of an accident, resulting in a six-month license suspension and $439 fine. Other charges were dismissed.
Council compromises on attorney appointment
Elias is well-respected in the Madison community, officials there said, and was appointed last year to the local zoning board.
Madison Borough Administrator Raymond Cody said Elias was "honorable" in her resignation because the plagiarism accusations came at a time when the district was going through a multimillion-dollar referendum.
"Her track record otherwise tells me she was a good choice for the position" in Phillipsburg, said Madison Mayor Bob Conley.
What's next?
Phillipsburg Mayor Ellis said he plans to meet with attorneys and other officials starting Thursday to determine how to handle the situation, and how to institute background checks on mayoral appointments.
Though the revelations were a surprise, he said there is nothing there that would prevent Elias from doing her job.
Tersigni said he would like to see at least two council members involved in the interview process going forward. Ellis said he would be agreeable to the proposal.
"We are going to look into it further and probably be a little more diligent going forward," the mayor said.
Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and find him on Facebook.