Ordinance also authorizes increased salary for other municipal employees
by James McEvoy, Managing Editor
HAMILTON — The Township Council adopted an ordinance granting raises for recently re-elected Mayor Kelly A. Yaede as well as just over a half dozen others Tuesday evening.
The measure provides for 1.5 percent raises for Mayor Yaede as well as for the positions of business administrator, CFO, municipal clerk, tax collector, tax assessor among others for 2014 and 2015.
Prior to the public hearing and adoption, the ordinance was amended to eliminate retroactive pay for the mayor. Prior to the meeting, the mayor sent a memo to members of the governing body that she was requesting it not be considered.
Township attorney Lindsay Burbage opined that reducing, as opposed to increasing pay, could be considered non-substantive, meaning the council could still consider ordinance passage that evening.
According to a copy of the ordinance, the mayor, who currently earns $108,211, will earn salaries of $113,678 and $115,838 in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
Business administrator John Ricci, who was paid a $140,000 salary in 2013, will earn $142,100 in 2014 and $144,232 in 2015.
The council adopted the ordinance by a 4-1 vote, with those in favor touting it as way to keep quality candidates working in municipal government at a reasonable cost.
However, Councilman Kevin Meara, the lone dissenter, said he may have been more open to supporting the ordinance if it were a one-year deal, and was proposed during budget season.
Councilman Meara was also concerned with the fact the ordinance would provide salary increases for future performance.
”In essence, what we’re doing is voting for the performance of an unclassified political appointee that hasn’t yet happened,” he said. “We’re voting for 2015. We don’t know what their performance is.”
Councilman Dennis Pone, when voting in favor of the ordinance, said he didn’t believe there would be a budget impact.
”This is a really, really small reward for some extraordinary accomplishments,” Councilman Pone said, noting some department heads save the township money by performing multiple jobs.
He noted further that the total increases in the ordinance amount to $42,122, of which nearly $10,000 represent statutory requirements.
”So I don’t care what happens to the budget next year, this ain’t affecting it,” he said.
Members of the public who spoke at the meeting sided with Councilman Meara, including former Democratic council candidate Dan Keelan.
”All of you have often been quoted as saying the township should be run like a business,” Mr. Keelan said, also noting many on the governing body also own their own businesses. “Have any of you ever offered your employees two-year pay increase contracts in advance?”
Noting he wasn’t against such raises wholesale, he also said the matter should be discussed during the budget process.
”The township has no idea what next year’s budget looks like in terms of expected revenues or expenditures, and if you do you haven’t shared it with the public,” he said. “We don’t know if there’ll be a two percent, three percent, four percent tax increase or none at all.”
Council Vice President David Kenny responded that with the increases, directors would make approximately $275 more than employees immediately below them.
”(Otherwise) there would be no incentive for any employee to ever want to be the director of a department,” Mr. Kenny said.
Mr. Keelan also criticized the mayor, for initially seeking retroactive pay.
”She ran an election partially based on doing more with less, and that should be expected of her and her department heads,” he said.
Later in the meeting members of the governing body, defended the mayor.
”She has proven herself,” Councilman Pone said.
Another township resident Edward Stackhouse suggested the mayor’s raise should be tied to her performance over the course of her term.
”After the two years, if you’ve lowered our sewer bill, if you lowered our taxes, if you’ve done something for the people of Hamilton, I’m all for it,” Mr. Stackhouse said. “If she earns it that’s great.”
He also noted the struggling economy and the fact many township resident hasn’t seen an increase in their pay for several years.

