$100,000 Salary to Mayor Buontempo for life???

Many Holmdel residents have been bombarded by mailers, robocalls, and texts with the lie that the proposed change is to give a $100,000 salary to Mayor Buontempo for life.

Let’s take a look at this.

First of all, the Township Committee can do that NOW but has not done so. The Holmdel Mayor is currently paid approximately $5,000 per year. Our next-door neighbor, Marlboro Township, which operates under one of the two major Faulkner Act forms also pays its Mayor approximately $5,000, for the past 14 years!

The new Council decides the compensation for the mayor. This is not a unilateral decision that the new Mayor can make.

This means it will need at least 3 out of the 5 Council members to vote yes to any significant salary increase. Why would four other Council members, who are Holmdel residents, ever want to raise the Mayor’s salary and their own taxes when the Mayor has no additional responsibilities? It makes absolutely no sense!

But you know what? If in the unlikely scenario that does happen for some reason, we will have a petition process for a referendum to let Holmdel residents decide under the new form of government. We cannot do that today.

This is a great example that the new government gives more power to the people and makes it more responsive and accountable!

The opposition’s false claim that the new form of government is to give Mayor Buontempo a $100,000 salary for life is so absurd that it speaks volumes about how desperate they have gotten.

If they are willing to deceive you about this, what else are they misleading you about?

Don’t let their fear-mongering and deceitful tactics mislead you.

Vote YES on Tuesday!

Kin Gee

Chairman

Holmdel Charter Study Commission