Tinton Falls clerk to retire after 23 years

Tinton Falls clerk to retire after 23 years
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer

TINTON FALLS — After serving the borough for more than 23 years, Borough Clerk Karen Mount-Taylor will retire before the holiday season.

Mount-Taylor said in an interview last week that her last day with the borough will be Oct. 29.

“It is bittersweet, but it is a happy time for me because this is what most people work for,” she said. “I am very happy.”

Mount-Taylor said she initially put in for retirement two years ago but kept putting it off until she finally felt like it was a good time to leave.

“Two years ago I put it on the record that I put my retirement papers in,” she said. “I placed it on the record that I was seriously considering retirement and that I was going to go next year.

“I then decided to move it up so I was going to be home for the holidays Thanksgiving and Christmas,” she added. “Normally I do those [preparations] at night and I’m still wrapping presents Christmas morning.”

Mount-Taylor said the council held a special executive session Aug. 25 to interview candidates for the job.

She also said that about 10 résumés were sent for the clerk’s position and that she will largely be staying out of the process of finding her replacement.

“I actually think it’s better that council interviews the candidate because that is [who] they will have to work with,” she said. “They did have me review the résumés that were submitted.”

Mount-Taylor started with the borough in 1987 and has performed her job through four sets of mayors.

She also said that her favorite part of the job has been swearing in new members of council.

“You know what I really love doing? I love swearing in people, new council members,” she said. “It gives me a sense of pride that someone takes that much to be swornin in public.

“I’ve had a lot of best moments so I really couldn’t narrow it down to one,” she added.

She also described some of the more difficult parts of the clerk’s job.

“The hardest part is keeping up with all the different statutes that change and then you have to be able to comply with them,” Mount-Taylor said. “Making sure everything is up to date and kept accurately.”

One of the things Mount-Taylor will do after she retires is help her husband, who owns and operates a landscaping and lawn care company.

“It is time, I am looking forward to it,” she said. “I’ve been doing this a long time and I’m going to go home and help my husband in his business.

“I am going to give him maybe a couple of extra hours during the evening to help him with his paperwork.”

She also said that she would do a lot of volunteer work once she retires.

“I’m really looking forward to doing charity work,” Mount-Taylor said. “With my church, we feed the homeless, we do things like volunteer for a Bible school.

“I can think of so many things … go to the soup kitchen and work, or pass out mittens in New York with my church.”

While she is leaving her post with the borough, Mount-Taylor said she expects to remain involved and active in Tinton Falls.

“Maybe I’ll take a sabbatical, but I have plans for staying involved because I am a taxpayer in Tinton Falls,” she said. “Maybe not twice [council meetings] a month.”

According to the Tinton Falls website, the duties of the municipal clerk include: chief administrative official of elections; prepare meeting agendas for Borough Council and attend all meetings with the responsibility of recording the minutes of the meetings; custodian of the original copies of all ordinances, resolutions, minutes, performance bonds, contracts, borough deeds and easements; administrative officer responsible for licenses and permits (liquor and raffle licenses); and custodian of financial disclosure statements.





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