Republican Candidate Hired as Berkeley's Full-Time Administrator

The Berkeley Township Council has unanimously approved the appointment of a Forked River attorney to serve as the next full-time administrator.

Berkeley Council members agreed to hire Christopher Reid, 44, at a salary of $120,000 a year. He will not receive any benefits, Berkeley Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. said.

Reid, a Republican, recently filed a petition to run for an open seat on the Lacey Township Committee.

Berkeley Chief Financial Officer Frederick Ebenau had also served as administrator since Amato took office back in January 2012. The council routinely approved him continuing in the position each month last year and for the first quarter of this year. He received no additional pay for the extra duties.

"Fred graciously took on the role and did an outstanding job," Amato said. "It's a lot of work. Berkeley is a huge municipality, with 42 square miles and 42,000 people."

But the workload for both positions is too much for one person, especially since Superstorm Sandy devastated the waterfront sections of the Berkeley, Amato said.

"I need Fred to focus on finances," he said. "We have millions of dollars at stake here. Fred is going to be an integral part of our administration. The three of us are going to be a good team. We are really at a crossroads here. The three amigos have a lot of work to do."

Reid is actually replacing former longtime township administrator Leonard Roeber, who served under former Mayor Jason J. Varano, Amato said.

Reid has a doctorate in law from Michigan State University College of law, with a concentration in taxation. He has a bachelor of science degree in finance from the University of North Carolina. He also has a school business administrator's certificate, according to his resume.

He is a past member of the Lacey Township and Manchester Township zoning boards, and has represented a variety of Ocean County municipalities as a hearing officer and public defender.