At the 2023 Township Council Reorganization Meeting, the Council voted down the reappointment of Liza Porteus (Viana) as Township Administrator. We ask the Council to take action to approve this appointment, for the benefit of all residents of Berkeley Heights.

In November, Mayor Devanney was reelected as the Mayor of Berkeley Heights by more than 57% of voters.  This is a clear vote of confidence for her management of the town and her administration.  The Township Council’s decision to remove Liza is contrary to the desires of their constituents and a bad decision for the Township of Berkeley Heights.

Over the past 4 years, Liza has shown herself to be an effective manager, creative problem solver and responsive public servant for Berkeley Heights.

• Throughout the pandemic, Liza in partnership with Angie and the entire administration, worked tirelessly to ensure citizens had access to timely information, testing and when available vaccines.
• Liza has leveraged different media formats to improve communication to Berkeley Height residents.  Her timely responsiveness to inquiries and infrastructure concerns is a huge improvement.  
• Liza has effectively managed the inherited townwide development projects, including the Town Hall.  The cost overruns and issues with the contractor were a result of decisions and contracts made by the prior administration and Council. Through Liza's diligence and oversight, the building is open, and the contractor is being held accountable for delays and construction issues. 

In addition to her defined job duties, Liza has gone above and beyond. She has worked to obtain grants, increasing the Township’s investments in infrastructure without raising taxes. She has also acted as a temporary CFO when the need arose. 

The action of four council members has left our township without an administrator. This was an irresponsible action by people elected to serve the residents of Berkeley Heights. 

For all these reasons, we support the reappointment of Liza Porteus (Viana) as Township Administrator.