New Salary Ranges Adopted by Twp. Committee

Last week, the Manalapan Township Committee adopted an ordinance altering salary rates for employees of the Township, something which is adjusted every few years. A public hearing on the ordinance was held at the on March 14 where some local residents spoke out against the rises in maximum salaries for local government workers.

Manalapan resident Gloria Close expressed her distress over the new maximum payment amount of $7,500 for Township Committee members, an increase of $418 since last year and equivalent to the Mayor’s possible maximum salary.

Mayor Susan Cohen explained that the $7,500 is just a maximum, which does not suggest what the Committee members are actually being paid, but rather the most they could possibly be paid. Cohen said that none of the Committee members are currently receiving a $7,500 stipend and that the Mayor last year was not paid the maximum of $7,500.

Close said she made some phone calls and took a small survey of the stipend maximums in surrounding towns. According to Close, the Mayor of Colts Neck and their Council members receive a stipend of $1,500, the Howell Mayor and Council receive a stipend of $5,500, and the Marlboro Mayor and Council receive a $3,500 stipend. Close also commended the Freehold Borough for denying council members access to health benefits and a stipend, which the Borough Council unanimously approved last December. 

At a previous meeting, Close had asked the Township Committee to consider following in the footsteps of Freehold Borough, a response which she said she felt was ignored. Last week, Close asked the Committee if they would at least consider lowering the maximum to be comparable with the stipend rates of surrounding towns.

Township Administrator Tara Lovrich said that no salary minimums were increased in this ordinance, but some of the maximums were increased due to certain contractual obligations or agreements. Additionally, some maximums were not raised at all, but nothing was increased by more than 2 percent, Lovrich said.

“There’s no formula for it,” Lovrich said. “There’s no certain amount that everything was increased or decreased.”

The Township offers health insurance or a stipend to the Mayor and Committee members, but not both. This year, Andrew Lucas is the only Committee Member to have opted for health insurance benefits rather than the stipend.  According to Lucas the health insurance benefits are paid in full by tax dollars, just as the stipends are.

Manalapan resident Ray Kalanikis said he thought it was unfair for the taxpayer to pay the entire amount of health insurance for Lucas and his family, valued at approximately $21,000. Kalanikis said he had assumed that the cost for the health insurance would equate to the stipend, and when he recently inquired about the cost he said he was "very, very surprised."

Lucas explained that he previously gave up his full stipend when the economy turned and Committee members were still permitted to have both. And now, Lucas is opting for the health insurance instead of the stipend, which the Township permits.

The Township Committee unanimously adopted the ordinance fixing and determining certain salaries. For a full list of the government positions and their current salary ranges, click here and click on “Ord.#2012-01”.