JACKSON – The salaries for Jackson’s mayor, Township Council president and council members were approved by council members at their July 8 meeting.
Mayor Mark Seda’s salary will remain at $29,500 for the next 12 months.
Council members Mike Reina, Scott Martin and Bobbie Rivere voted in favor of the mayor’s salary.
Council President Mike Kafton voted no and said he did not care if people thought he was playing politics or not.
“You can call it politics if you want,” he said. “I call it being accountable for your actions.”
Kafton said taxpayers had to pay a $15,000 fine that was levied against Jackson by the state Department of Environmental Protection because permits were not obtained for a road the township tried to build through John F. Johnson Jr. Memorial Park.
“They had to pay a fine for putting in fields without getting permits,” Kafton said, referring to another issue. “He (the mayor) wants to close the township’s building department. We paid $500,000 for basketball courts that nobody on the council spoke up against. I will vote no (on the mayor’s salary) because I will make a statement.”
The council members voted 4-0 to approve a $9,668 salary for the council president and an $8,668 salary for the other four members of the governing body. Those are the same salaries the previous council members and council president received.
Kafton, Reina and Rivere joined the council on July 1. Martin was a member of the previous council.
Councilwoman Ann Updegrave, also a member of the previous council, was not present at the July 8 meeting.