Kevin Bannon's 30-day leave would be with pay
MERCER COUNTY -- The executive director of the Mercer County Park Commission is voluntarily taking a temporary leave of absence amid a state attorney general's investigation into the nonprofit he helped start.
The Friends of Mercer County Parks, which raises money for the park commission, is the focus of an investigation over allegations of official misconduct, corruption of public resources and theft by extortion. Agents on Tuesday raided the county's historic Hunt House and tennis center.
Kevin Bannon's decision followed a meeting County Executive Brian Hughes had on Friday with Drew Worek, the chairman of the park commission, and Amy Wargo, one of three trustees on the nonprofit's board.
"We had a good meeting ... but it was really after the meeting that I came to the realization that the park commission's mission was really being distracted by what was going on and that's when I asked my chief of staff to talk with Kevin," Hughes said in an interview with NJ Advance Media. "He decided that he wanted to take a voluntary leave of absence."
Bannon has been in the position since 2004 and makes $135,275. His 30-day leave would be with pay.
The park commission is a semi-autonomous agency and appointments to the executive director position fall under the purview of the commission's nine-member board.
Since the county administration does not have jurisdiction or power over the process, Hughes called on Worek to have an emergency meeting to accept Bannon's leave offer.
"My call to Drew was really about speeding up this process so the park commission could move forward with what it needs to do to get ready for the summer without the distraction that is obviously surrounding the commission right now," Hughes said.
He said that for the time being, he would like county Deputy Administrator Aaron Watson to head the park operations.
Hughes on Thursday had also called for a forensic audit into the 2013, 2014 and 2015 finances of the Friends of Mercer County Parks to get a clearer picture.
"We have not decided on who would do the audit or when it would be accomplished, but I would like to see it done as soon as possible," he said.
Hughes says that the county's park system is the best in New Jersey.
"I have a great respect for the way the parks look, the way the parks are being run and I'm thankful for the Friends and the support they've given the park over the years," he said.
Before Bannon joined the county, he was the head basketball coach at Rutgers. He was fired in 2001 after failing to lead the team to the NCAA tournament in his four years and renewed negative publicity over an incident in 1997. He had ordered two players and a team manager to run sprints in the nude after losing a free-throw shooting contest. He previously coached at Rider University and then-Trenton State College.
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find NJ.com on Facebook.