Montgomery workers rewarded for saving tax dollars

By Katie Wagner, Staff Writer
   MONTGOMERY — Township employees Alicia Herold and Jack Marold each received monetary awards of more than $1,000 from the township during Thursday’s Township Committee meeting.
   Ms. Herold and Mr. Marold are the first employees to receive awards though the township’s recently implemented Employee Efficiency Incentive Program, which provides municipal employees financial incentives to suggest ideas for improving municipal operations.
   Ms. Herold received a check for $2,077, because of the savings associated with the elimination of the local Construction Board of Appeals that she had recommended. Her department head, Jack Marold, was awarded a check for $1,661.
   The program was adopted by ordinance on March 16, 2006. Its purpose is to enhance municipal services, save taxpayers money, enhance municipal employee morale and secure the township and its taxpayers the maximum benefit from the conservation of township resources. Under the program, the suggestions are reviewed by a committee composed of two township department heads, two non-department head staff and a member of the Township Committee, appointed by the mayor.
   In order to be eligible for an award, the cost savings or cost avoidance must result in actual dollar savings of at least $1,000 during the first year after implementation of the suggestion. Employees who come up with these suggestions receive 25 percent of the actual dollar savings for that year, provided the amount does not exceed $20,000. The employees’ department heads also benefit under the program, receiving 20 percent of the savings, not exceeding $20,000 or a third of the award recipient’s annual base salary.
   Ms. Herold said one of the reasons she suggested eliminating Montgomery’s Construction Board of Appeals was because it was the only remaining local construction board of appeals in the county. All other municipalities were using the Somerset County Construction Board of Appeals and the county does not charge for the service, she said.
   ”I worked with our board and I knew we were at least paying attorney fees,” she said.
   Committeeman Mark Caliguire, who proposed the Employee Efficiency Incentive Program and sits on the review committee, described the program as a way of applying private sector thinking to government.
   Ms. Herold has worked for the township for 15 years. She is a resident of Hillsborough Township.