TRENTON— Gov. Chris Christie is pushing for former Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne Forrest to lead the troubled Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, according to four officials briefed on the move. Forrest, who helped restore credibility to the prosecutor’s office after his predecessor left in disgrace and committed suicide, is expected to be named executive director at the commission’s June 10...
Former Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne Forrest.TRENTON— Gov. Chris Christie is pushing for former Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne Forrest to lead the troubled Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, according to four officials briefed on the move.
Forrest, who helped restore credibility to the prosecutor’s office after his predecessor left in disgrace and committed suicide, is expected to be named executive director at the commission’s June 10 meeting, said the officials, who declined to be named before the move is final.
The commissioners vote on the selection, but Christie — a former U.S. attorney who has recruited several ex-prosecutors to join state government — has made it clear that Forrest is his preferred candidate, the officials said.
Forrest declined to comment tonight, as did Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak. Commission spokesman Rich Ambrosino could not be reached for comment.
The push for Forrest comes after Christie lambasted the sewerage commission and the $313,000 salary of its former executive director, Bryan Christiansen, as "completely outrageous." Christiansen stepped down March 1. It was not clear tonight what salary Forrest would earn if selected.
Sen. Kevin O’Toole (R-Essex) said Forrest is "uniquely qualified" to lead the agency, which he called the "poster boy for bad behavior" among the state’s independent boards, authorities and commissions."Any leader going into any state authority under Christie is going to have the mandate to bring reform, accountability and a reduced administrative bureaucracy," O’Toole said tonight. "If the PVSC selects him as the executive director, they would be well-served and the taxpayers would be well-served."
The agency, which serves 1.3 million people in northern New Jersey, had 596 employees in 2008, 82 of whom earned more than $100,000. It also drew Christie’s ire for spending ratepayer money on lobbyists to interact with state government. The commission spent $182,000 on lobbyists last year, records show. The commission’s minutes also are not subject to Christie’s veto power, something that would change under a bill O’Toole and Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) are sponsoring.
Weinberg said she is not familiar with Forrest, but "my attitude is, any kind of accountability we can bring there is welcome."
Forrest, 57, lives in Hillsborough and prides himself on political independence. His wife, June Forrest, works in Christie’s appointments office and earns $126,000 a year, records show. Forrest took over in Somerset in December 1997, inheriting an office that was still reeling after former Prosecutor Nicholas Bissell committed suicide rather than face sentencing for federal fraud and corruption charges. Friends and colleagues say Forrest brought stability and structure to the law enforcement agency.