Administrator Michael Rogers, a key player in Morristown’s rebound, hired by Summit

Michael Rogers, the administrator who has played a central role in Morristown’s revitalization over the last decade, has been hired by the city of Summit.

He starts there on Sept. 8, 2015.

“I’m very excited about it. Definitely, things are going on there that are exciting for me, professionally,” said Rogers, 43, citing a chance to push beyond his “comfort zone” and build on expertise honed in Morristown.

“Some guys knock it out of the park. We got a sense of his commitment,” said Summit Council President Dr. Robert Rubino.

“He had the knowledge, he had the experience, he had the personality. He seemed like the perfect fit. We liked everything about him,” added Summit Councilman Albert Dill Jr.

Rogers, a Morristown resident, was chosen from dozens of applicants, during a four-month process to replace Christopher Cotter, who retired in June.  The appointment was approved unanimously by the Summit council.

Summit hopes to build a park similar to the High Line in New York City, and Rogers seems “pretty prolific” at obtaining grants, Rubino said.

“In a small city, you need an engine for getting things done, to push things forward in a nice way. He has all the marks of a leader. A real leader doesn’t say, ‘You go,’ but rather, ‘Let’s go!'” Rubino told MorristownGreen.com

Rogers’ people skills have been proven under two mayors with strong personalities.

He has helped orchestrate five straight zero-increase budgets for Mayor Tim Dougherty, who praised him as the finest administrator in the state when he introduced this year’s $47.3 million spending plan.

“He will be sorely missed. He’s a very close friend and confidant, and will remain so,” Dougherty said on Monday.

Previously, working for Dougherty’s bitter rival, Mayor Donald Cresitello, Rogers was instrumental in launching a landmark tax appeal case against Morristown Medical Center.

A tax judge sided with Morristown in June, ruling that many of the nonprofit hospital’s operations are for-profit ventures subject to municipal taxation.  The ruling could spell millions of dollars in revenues for the town, and may set a precedent that reshapes the hospital landscape in New Jersey.

 While Summit is lucky to gain Rogers’ talent and experience, “we in Morristown are lucky that he will now be ‘just a neighbor’ who happens to know what it takes to get things done at Town Hall,” said Morristown Council President Rebecca Feldman.  “Michael has worked hard for the Town of Morristown and I wish him all the best in his new role.”

Summit and Morristown share some similarities. The city is slightly larger — about 21,500 residents compared with approximately 18,500 in Morristown– and both have vibrant downtown business districts in which parking is crucial.

“He’s familiar with parking situations,” Dill said of Rogers, noting that Summit is considering building more parking facilities. “He has a very good knack with people… has a good handle on budgets, and had very good ideas. We enjoyed interviewing him.”

Rogers will assist Morristown during the transition, said Dougherty, acknowledging the Summit job as an “incredible opportunity” for his friend. “As mayor, I’ll miss him a lot. But I couldn’t be happier for him.”

At the same time, Dougherty expressed confidence in town Chief Financial Officer Frank Mason, and he vowed to work with the council to find an administrator who brings “new energy” to town hall.

Never one to crow about his achievements, Rogers did permit himself to observe that South Street is a more inviting place than it was when he started here.

“I think I’ve played my part in bringing financial stability to this town,” he said, adding that he is proud of a project that brought solar panels to the sewer plant.

Like Morristown, Summit is a “premiere community” with a strong sense of community, said Rogers, who studied business at Arizona State University and earned a master’s degree in public administration from New York University.

With only three administrators in the last 30 years, Summit also offers prospects for a stable run, he said.

“In my eyes, this was a rare opportunity, given the longevity of previous administrators.”

And there is more financial security for his family. Rogers said he’s getting more money but referred salary questions to Summit officials, who could not immediately provide details.  Briefly, his salary became an issue last year in Morristown.

Warning that the town could ill afford to lose him, Mayor Dougherty proposed a 10-percent raise, to boost Rogers’ pay from $122,000 to $135,000, which he said was the average for municipal administrators in Morris County.

Councilwoman Raline Smith-Reid opposed the increase, noting that other town employees were getting raises of 2 percent or less. She also cited concerns in her Second Ward about traffic and street-cleaning issues, and suggested Rogers should have handled code enforcement duties given to a newly hired town official.

Alison Deeb, the only Republican on the council, also voted against the increase, asserting that the rosy budgets benefited from an accounting change that split off library taxes.

Feldman, the council president, hailed Rogers for his fiscal diligence, however, and Michelle Dupree Harris, the council’s longest serving member, also spoke in his favor.

“He has the history of Morristown. You want to keep someone who knows what he’s doing,” Harris said last year.

The raise was approved.

Yet Rogers said money was not the main reason for his departure. Other places have made sweet offers, he said, but the fit wasn’t right. Nor was he disenchanted by last year’s political back-and-forth.

“If you want to be an administrator, you have to stay out of that,” Rogers said. “It’s about listening to elected officials, and acting in accordance with that.”