Marotta seeks 133 percent pay increase
VERNON — Vernon Mayor Victor Marotta is seeking a 133 percent pay increase in the township's proposed 2014 budget.
During a budget discussion at Monday's Township Council Workshop, Marotta proposed a 2014 annual salary of $70,000, a large increase over his 2013 salary of $30,000 per year. The mayor's salary was set at that level in 2011 when the form of government was changed to a Mayor-Council Plan starting July 1, 2011.
Under the current form of government, the mayor acts as the town's chief executive officer, responsible for the day-to-day operation of the township.
"You can call it anything you want," Marotta said. "If you look at the code and statutes that created this form of government, it was intended for the mayor to be the chief executive officer. If you read the responsibilities of the mayor in our own administrative code and go into the administrative codebook and read the responsibilities of a town manager, lo and behold, they are virtually the same."
Councilman Dick Wetzel, re-elected in November to a four-year term, said he was in favor of the mayor's raise.
"I have seen the work the mayor has done," he said. "We've been to all types of conferences together. I have seen him here on the move at different functions, whether it's Boy Scout functions or senior citizen functions, you always see the mayor here. When we're open, you'll find the mayor here. I think he's well-recognized in the public and I think he's well-appreciated in the public.
Newly elected councilwoman Jean Murphy objected to the 133 percent increase, wondering how it would be viewed in the public. She said some people thought a salary of $50,000 per year was too high and thought even more would object to a $70,000 annual salary.
In November 2012, voters turned down a ballot question that would have raised Marotta's salary to $50,000 per year.
"He's an elected official and therefore going from $30,000 to $70,000 a year is outrageous," she said.
Marotta said he had Township Business Administrator Bill Zuckerman compile a list of township managers with comparable populations to Vernon's 24,000 people and said the numbers were higher than his requested salary.
"The mayor is lowest paid employee in township and he is responsible for a nearly $23 million budget, responsible for the salary count of 119 employees," recently re-elected councilman Patrick Rizzuto said. We look at what's being paid within the community. We had a superintendent leave at $215,000 and an interim superintendent at $167,000. This is what is being paid for management."
Murphy also questioned the legality of giving the mayor a raise above the salary range previously voted on by the public, and whether a judge was ruling on that.
Marotta said the judge was ruling on whether the election restricts the township to a two-year moratorium on salary increases, saying the township can't carry on its business based on what a judge may decide.
"If the judge rules it's allowed, it's in the budget to be expended," Council President Brian Lynch said. "If the judge rules it's not allowed, he can't get it."
Lynch, who was elected council president at the township's reorganizational meeting refused the $4,000 stipend due him as council president for 2014 and asked instead that he be paid $3,000, the same amount as the other four council members. He requested the change be made in the budget to reflect his request.
The council also discussed requests from the Police and Building Departments. It has scheduled another work session for Thursday, Jan. 9 to discuss the budget requests for the Tax Collection, Tax Assessment, Land Use, Municipal Court and Department of Public Works.