McHose to vacate Assembly seat

By Nathan Mayberg
FRANKLIN — Assemblywoman Allison Littell McHose (R-Franklin) made waves on New Year's Day when she was appointed as the new administrator of Franklin Borough.

The decision has sparked a scramble among politicians to fill her Assembly seat which will become empty once she retires from the positions.

The seat represents all of Sussex County, 11 towns in Warren County and Mount Olive in Morris County.

Officially, McHose still holds the dual title of Assemblywoman and Franklin administrator.

McHose, who has been assemblywoman since 2003, said on Wednesday that she intends to resign from the seat soon.

She has already begun her duties as Franklin administrator. McHose can hold both jobs although she doesn't intend to.

"I am really thrilled and excited to have this opportunity to serve the residents of the borough of Franklin," McHose said.

McHose said she chose to take the job to be "close to home" and to her family. The part-time job of assemblywoman entailed a lot of travel around the three-county district and two-hour trips each way twice a week to Trenton, she said.

"It was a lot of hours for part-time work," she said. There was a lot of late night work and "unusual hours," she said.

Franklin Mayor Paul Crowley said that he intended to reappoint the town's administrator Jim Kilduff, but did not have support from the borough council.

Crowley said he reached out to McHose after he became "aware that Mr. Kilduff was not going to be reappointed."

Kilduff had worked for the borough for the last 13 years, with four years as administrator.

Crowley called Littell-McHose a "really good match for the borough."

According to Crowley, Kilduff earned $92,000 or $93,000, but couldn't confirm an exact figure.

McHose will earn $98,000 as administrator, exactly double her $49,000 salary as assemblywoman.

McHose is backing Sussex County Freeholder Gail Pheobus to replace her. Former Green Mayor Marie Bilik also has announced interest in the seat.

The Republican committees in the three counties of the district will have to hold a convention within 30 days of the date McHose announces her resignation. At that meeting, committee members from all of the voting districts the assembly seat represents, will vote for McHose's replacement.

There are more than 300 committee members with voting power in the district.

New Jersey law does not allow for a special election for the seat.

Whoever is appointed, will have to run again in November for the two-year seat.

McHose is the daughter of the late Robert Littell, a longtime state legislator who also served on the Franklin Borough Council and died in November.

McHose's grandfather Alfred was mayor of Franklin and her great-grandfather Watson was a member of the first Franklin council.

Reporter Nathan Mayberg can be reached at comm.reporter@strausnews.com or by calling 845-469-9000 ext. 359.