EDISON — Doing more with less.
Mayor Antonia Ricigliano said that phrase is more than a cliché when it comes to her administration. It is a “fact that has been demonstrated and will continue to be demonstrated in the months and years to come,” she said.
In the week leading up to the Township Council’s adoption of the 2010 municipal budget on Sept. 7, the mayor posted a list on the township website showing a savings of $1.9 million from cuts made to salaries and wages in her administration. The council voted in favor of adopting the budget, which totals $121.7 million and keeps municipal taxes flat for the year.
The savings from salaries and wages include 22 positions that were eliminated or not filled. Posts that were eliminated include an assistant director of finance, saving the township $78,610; payroll supervisor, for savings of $72,000; part-time finance clerk, $13,884; a supervising engineer, $145,633; zoning inspector, $63,242; two part-time engineering aides, $42,337; senior administrative assistant, $75,245; neighbor preservation program coordinator, $50,000; planner, $109,000; records administrator, $25,000; supervising administrative assistant in the health department, $101,036; senior public health nurse, $91,896; economic development director, $172,000; communications director, $102,736; constituent service employee, $80,825; special projects manager, $95,000; assistant public works director, $98,298; and director of public safety, $215,000.
Positions that were not filled include a human resource manager, which saves $116,750; a fire chief, for $210,398; and a purchasing agent, for $92,243.
Since she came into office, Ricigliano has hired three people for newly created positions, for which she has been criticized. In January, she appointed Bill Stephens as management specialist at an annual salary of $69,500, and Anthony Russomano as special assistant to the mayor at a salary of $90,000. On Aug. 23, she appointed Richard Laird as assistant business administrator at a salary of $110,000 with no benefits, though he will receive $13,530 in pension and payroll taxes.
The mayor said the business administrator assistant will provide another “pair of eyes and ears” overseeing Edison’s various municipal departments. Several council members questioned the need for the position and whether the job was advertised properly. Business Administrator Dennis Gonzalez, hired by Edison in March, said he recommended Laird to the mayor. Gonzalez worked with Laird previously for the city of Trenton.
“There were no job postings,” Gonzalez said. “I recommended him and he was interviewed by the mayor. He will fill in [for roughly eight] of the positions that were eliminated.”
Gonzalez noted that a job posting was not required in appointing the business administrator assistant.
“Job postings are required only for union jobs,” he said.
Council Vice President Robert Diehl said the appointment looked to him like a fire director position.
“If you wanted to hire a fire director, say so,” he said.
Ricigliano said Laird’s background is in public safety, fire and the Office of EmergencyManagement; he is a former firefighter, fire chief and department director. However, she said his position as business administrator assistant will involve much more than overseeing public safety departments.
“We have a number of departments within the administration that just need extra oversight,” she said.
Diehl said Ricigliano and her administration need to improve their communications with the council members. He said he found out about the new hire through a newspaper article.
“I do not support this at all,” he said. “I feel that this will cause more problems than it will solve.”
Jane Tousman, a former councilwoman, said she was “astounded” that the public had no say in the positions that were eliminated and the new positions that were put in place.
“[We’re talking about] $283,000 in new people,” she said. “I feel that we are having our rights taken away.”
Ricigliano said the hire did not need council approval and acted within her legal jurisdiction in making all three appointments.