By Greg Forester, Staff Writer
WEST WINDSOR — A majority of Township Council members this week said they support increasing their own salaries by about 50 percent, as they continue work on a proposed $35.4 million budget for fiscal year 2008.
The proposed increase would bring the compensation for a member of Township Council up to $7,500. Currently, council members are paid about $5,000 annually, in addition to being eligible for reimbursements for certain expenses.
For Council President Will Anklowitz — one of the supporters of the salary increase — the raise will better compensate council members for their workload.
”Right now, we don’t even come close to breaking even on our expenses,” Mr. Anklowitz said.
He said it also represents a shift to more transparent government.
”It combines all reimbursements into a single salary,” he said. “It keeps it clean.”
The current system makes it difficult to sort out council work that is genuinely in support of the community, versus political events that council officials should not be reimbursed for, according to Mr. Anklowitz.
Councilman Charles Morgan also pointed to what he sees as difficulty in making decisions on what expenses should be recouped from the township, and what expenses should not.
”This gets away from those political arguments, about whether our travel is for political purposes,” said Mr. Morgan. “I think it is impossible to make those choices, so we should just compensate people for their expenses. This is open government, by exposing to the world what we’re really being paid.”
Councilwoman Linda Geevers is the only council member to openly oppose the increase. She said she questions the prudence of such a move in a time of economic troubles and tax increases for the general public.
”I do not want to add to the taxpayer’s tremendous burden by raising council’s salaries,” said Ms. Geevers. “We should be cutting expenses to the bone and not adding on fat.”
The proposal would not only affect the salaries of Township Council members, but Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh as well.
The same proposal calls for Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh’s salary to be increased, although the mayor has said he does not support and will not accept such a change.
Mayor Hsueh questioned the move, which he said comes at a time of shrinking state aid, economic downturn, and a budget proposal that would carry an extra $200 in taxes for the average West Windsor homeowner.
”It is an honor to serve the community,” said Mayor Hsueh. “When I ran for the position, I knew what I was getting myself into.”
Mayor Hsueh currently receives $17,800 in compensation, along with an additional $3,000 in travel allowances. The council proposes to combine the two appropriations and bring the total up to $25,000.
If included in the budget, the proposed change would amount to an additional $12,795 in the proposed budget, according to Chief Financial Officer Joanne Louth.
Councilwoman Heidi Kleinman has publicly supported the measure, along with Mr. Anklowitz and Mr. Morgan.
If included in next year’s budget, the salary increases would put the salary of Township Council members in the middle of the pack, as far as surrounding municipalities are concerned.
In Princeton Township, Township Committee members received $9,402 in 2007 for their public service. Mayor Phyllis Marchand was set to receive $11,303 — well under Mayor Hsueh’s current compensation — although the two towns have different forms of government.
Montgomery Township Committee officials currently receive the lowest salary of municipal legislative officials in The Packet’s coverage area, at $4,038. Mayor Cecilia Birge receives slightly more, at $5,387.
Mayor Peter Cantu in Plainsboro Township gets $14,275 per year, and his four counterparts on the Township Committee receive $9,694 for their work.
