Board names project director

$125K staff position responsible for county campus renovation

NORRISTOWN >> Montgomery County has added a new senior staff position to oversee the $270 million county campus renovation plan and other capital projects.

The new capital projects program director, Thomas Bonner, began in the role Sept. 12 at a salary of $125,000 per year.

“This position works with the county’s administrative staff and a team of external real estate, design and construction professionals, the Capital Projects Program Coordinator has responsibility for meshing the efforts of internal and external resources and providing a single point

of contact for the County in fostering communication among all parties involved in this complex process,” the job description for the position reads.

The construction of the new justice center, renovation of the courthouse and expansion of Hancock Square are three projects that are intertwined and expected to take about eight years to complete. Bonner will be in charge of the day-to-day aspects of the project and coordinating with the architecture firm Athenian Razak hired by the county.

“He will serve as the primary liaison between consultants, contractors, user groups and the project team,” Montgomery County spokeswoman Lorie Slass said. “Tom brings a wealth of experience to this vital and important new role.”

Most recently, Bonner had served as the director of finance and operations at Christina Seix Academy in Trenton, and had previously worked as the executive director of operations in the New York City Office of the Criminal Justice Coordinator.

Senior staff positions are created when county staff determines a need, which is then evaluated by the chief operating officer, director of human resources and chief financial officer “to assess the need and the budget implications,” Slass said.

During a salary board meeting that included Bonner’s hiring, Commissioner Joe Gale questioned the position before abstaining from the board’s vote on the salary board list.

“I do not understand why we are hiring someone and paying them a six-figure salary a year as a capital projects program director directly responsible for overseeing the new county campus project, when we are already paying Athenian Razak over $1 million for consulting services relating to the same project and we just released an RFP for construction management services for the same project,” Gale said.

He stated that he did not have enough information to vote on the matter.

Slass said the position was necessary as other positions related to the capital projects could not sustain the day-to-day management of an eight-year project.

The salary board vote passed 3-0, with Gale abstaining, though Montgomery County Solicitor Raymond McGarry noted that it was not considered a proper abstention.

“If there is information a commissioner believes they need in order to vote, the better practice is to request that information either before or during the meeting, rather than to abstain from voting,” McGarry said, adding that Gale received the information six days before the meeting. “Thus, it was my opinion that abstention was not appropriate.”

The salary board consists of the three Montgomery County commissioners, plus county Controller Karen Sanchez.