Update: Canning Appointed Montville Township Administrator

Updated 3:00 p.m.

Belleville's township manager has been selected as Montville Township's next administrator.

Victor Canning, a Montville Township resident, officially starts in the new position March 15. He submitted his letter of resignation to the township earlier today.

Canning did not immediately return a call from the Belleville Patch seeking additional comment, but told the Montville Patch he is looking forward to working in the town where he has lived for the past 10 years and is raising his family.

Montville Mayor Tim Braden said Canning's references were impeccable.

"Mr. Canning has served in a volunteer role on the Montville Township Planning Board and the Montville Township Environmental Commission," Braden said. "He starts with an in-depth knowledge of the vision of the future of Montville Township. We are very fortunate to be able to tap his expertise in municipal management and look forward to him furthering the Township Committee's goal to be a premier community not only in New Jersey but in the entire U.S."

Before moving to Montville, Canning lived in Belleville, where he served as a councilman and as mayor before becoming the township's manager. The former Belleville Police Department officer has served in recent role since 2006.

"He brought us forward," First Ward Councilwoman Marie Strumolo Burke said Wednesday morning. "I'm going to miss him very much."

The  approved his appointment Tuesday night and welcomed him to the position. Committeeman Scott Gallopo said he fully supports Canning as township administrator, but cast the lone "no" vote on the resolution because he thought out of principle the search process should have been more thorough.

"I'm happy he's on board," he said, saying the process worked in the township's favor in this case.

Canning is a member of the Montville Township Planning Board, but won't be able to serve in that capacity once he is in the town's top management job.

The township had 34 applicants and conducted five interviews after former administrator Frank Bastone retired in December, Committeewoman Deb Nielson said.

The selection process was unanimously approved by the Township Committee, Braden said. 

Township management specialist Adam Brewer has taken on the township administrator's responsibilities on an interim basis since Bastone's retirement while the search was conducted.

Stay tuned to the Belleville Patch today for further updates on this story.