Jefferson School Board, Town Council Have Best Relationship in County, VP Says

At the Dec. 4. Jefferson Town Council meeting at the Municipal Building, the governing body and members of the township's Board of Education discussed their working relationship and noted just how much they all appreciate each other, AIM Jefferson reported.

Council Vice President Michael Sanchelli, filling in as presiding officer for an absent President Richard Yocum, said that 16 years ago, the relationship between town and school officials was "ugly." Now, he said, cooperation between town government and school administration is so improved that he finds Jefferson's political climate, which he described as "phenomenal," to be superior to those in Morris County's other 38 municipalities, the article said.

Superintendent of Schools Joseph Kraemer said the sunny relationship extends to the town's Office of Emergency Management, Jefferson Township Police and other municipal entities.

The collegial relationship has manifested itself through collaborations between the school board and the town, which include paving work at the high school, the BOE's cost-cutting takeover of township bus maintenance and municipal work on Ellen T. Briggs Elementary School's paving and water drainage issues, the article continued. The officials present said the close cooperation would continue as they jointly address the budget, public works projects, security, drug abuse and recreation programs.