The Mt. Olive Twp. Council approved its first ordinance for 2024 which is to increase salaries for the council members, mayor, township administrator and purchasing director.
The council voted 5-1 in favor of the ordinance. New Councilmember Mary Lalama voted against the ordinance and Councilmember John Mania was absent.
With the ordinance passing, the mayor will receive a $4k increase from $20k to $24k; council president will receive a $2.2k increase from $11k to $13.2k; and council members will receive a $2k increase from $10k to $12k.
As far as the business administrator and purchasing director, they will receive an increase based on a salary range. The business administrator’s range is set from $150k to $225k; and the purchasing director’s range is from $90k to $115k.
“The range means that we have a range from 1-100 as an example this way we don’t have to keep changing the ordinance each time,” explains Mayor Joe Nicastro. “So, if we hire someone and if it falls within that range, we don’t need to have a separate ordinance. Ranges are generally set on what the high and low salaries are for those positions.
Andrew Tatarenko, for example, will receive a salary jump from $150k to $195k for 2024, says Nicastro.
“Mayor and council which is voted on by the council received a 20% increase which sounds like a lot but comes out to $2k average,” he explains.
Lalama was the sole councilperson to vote the ordinance down.
“The council's proposed raise was based on the significant amount of time they dedicate to their job,” she explains. “They invest countless hours attending meetings, addressing residents' concerns, and handling various town issues. Additionally, the council generously contributes to local organizations and supports community projects on a regular basis.
“Considering these factors, it is clear that the council deserves recognition and compensation for their hard work and contributions,” she continues. “However, I personally voted against the raise because I have not yet had the opportunity to invest the same amount of time as the other council members. Nonetheless, I am committed to devoting considerable time to the position in the future.
“It is important to note that even if there is a slight increase in taxes, it would be insignificant compared to the benefits provided by the council,” she adds. “I take pride in our council and deeply appreciate the dedication they have shown in serving our residents.”
The few residents who spoke up against the salary increase at the council meeting voiced their concerns since officials have also announced a suspected municipal tax increase, the first in 11 years.
“For ordinance #1 you are giving yourself a 20% increase and there was no discussion about this,” says Irene Sergonis of Budd Lake, who ran for Mt. Olive Council this past election. “We saw in a recent newspaper that we’re going to expect a tax increase this year. Giving yourselves a salary increase is not the correct tone. You’re going to ask your department managers to do less. This first ordinance of 2024 is a large salary increase. I have an issue with that!”
A resident for just more one year now, Ron Ghoshal of the Hackettstown section of Mt. Olive, also spoke out at the meeting.
“Ordinance #1 involves large increases in compensation from 20 to 50%,” says Ghoshal. As someone who has worked for ADP and helped craft salaries for major corporations, “When were these salaries vetted? They’re huge increase. Some have said police and fire budgets have been reduced.
“Recently we had a vote on a referendum to increase taxes to improve school for kids, like my daughter,” he adds. “They voted against increases.”
Dr. Antoine Gayles of Budd Lake, former president of the Mt. Olive Twp. Board of Education, also questioned the salary increases, after he thanked Nicastro “for an honorable and good race,” as he ran against him for mayor in this past election.
“I didn’t expect to hear that the 1st ordinance was going to be a raise,” says Gayles. “It’s glaring. The team ran on not raising taxes. Not only did I hear you’re going to give yourselves a raise, you’re possibly going to experience a tax raise.
“Mr. Roman, you personally advocated against the referendum that would’ve benefitted many of our school children,” continued Gayles, “but yet here we stand with you saying, ‘well a few $1,000 ain’t much.’ There are a lot of people suffering and struggling in Mt. Olive, but you saying $1,700 may not be much to you and me, but there are a lot of people it might mean a lot to.”
Continues Gayles, “For good as a campaign that you ran, I think it’s kind of misleading now to say we’re not going to do some things and now you’re doing some things that are going to create some hardships for folks. I know you do a lot of work; I did that kind of work for nine years as a volunteer. I ask you to think about that. You can do the work you do without giving yourself a raise and then turn around and give us a tax increase this year, next year, because who knows what kind of impact that’s going to have on the residents of Mt. Olive.”
Council President Alex Roman justified the salary increases. He says percentage-wise that sounds “egregious.” The total increase amount for mayor and council’s salary is $17,700.
He agreed that “we are looking at a possible tax increase this year,” to cover an extra $971k. “For there to be no tax increase, we will have to cut a million dollars from the budget.
“The mayor and council raises will have no impact on whether we’d have to increase taxes,” adds Roman. “I know the work being done behind the scenes. The compensation is well worth it for the work that they do.”
Nicastro also clarified the comments. He says no cuts will be made to fire nor police operating budgets. Those budgets “will stay the same when it comes to safety. Safety will not be cut, that was important to keep there. Other operating budgets will be cut.”
He says the salary increases “in no way affected the budget as we were about $970k short in our budget because of loss of revenue and increases in salaries, benefits and just cost of living increases in utilities and expenses.
“We have gone over 11 years without a tax increase but the rate of inflation has taken its toll,” says Nicastro. It’s “unfortunate I’m the one that has to figure out that decision.”
The council and mayor planned to meet Saturday, Feb. 3, for its budget hearing “and then we will go over and see what the final number will be if we have a tax increase. I am trying to keep it as low as I can given the current financial environment.
“The last time we raised salaries was four years ago,” shares Roman. “In 2020, the former mayor was paid below of what he accomplished.”
At that time the mayor’s salary jumped from $10.5k to $20; council president from $8.5k to $11k; and council members from $8k to $10k.
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