Municipal officials in Red Bank have voted unanimously to postpone the adoption of the town’s salary ordinance for borough employees and government officials.
During the May 30 meeting of the Red Bank Borough Council, members of the governing body discussed what Councilman Michael Ballard described as inconsistencies with several salary ranges.
Ballard, who is new to the council in 2018, said, “There are some flaws in this ordinance as it currently sits. The Finance Committee needs to look at this to make sure the salary ranges are correct and appropriate.”
Councilman Edward Zipprich concurred with Ballard’s request to table the ordinance that evening. He said several components of the financial plan need to be revisited and amended.
Resident Ben Forest asked council members to explain why the salary ordinance was being questioned by the governing body.
Ballard responded, saying, “I did some research and one of the things that jumped out at me was that the police chief’s (maximum) salary has come down … There are other employees like that also. The ranges don’t fit what they are currently making.”
Ballard said he believes there are four other salary ranges with inconsistencies, although he did not name those four positions.
Included in the salary ordinance are the salary ranges for the following elected officials and borough employees: mayor, $7,301 (minimum and maximum salary); council member, $3,650 (minimum and maximum); borough administrator, $152,000 to $170,000; public utilities director, $121,000 to $135,000; borough clerk/public information officer, $65,000 to $85,000; chief financial officer, $85,000 and $110,000; information technology director, $85,000 to $105,000; construction code official, $85,000 to $105,000; fire marshal, $75,000 to $100,000.
In the Red Bank Police Department, the salary range for the police chief is $135,000 to $151,000; captain, $118,973 to $126,255; lieutenant, $112,248 to $119,118; sergeant, $103,109 to $109,420; detective, $99,505 to $105,595; and patrolman, $51,445 to $101,636.
“I just want to know the rationality for establishing these ranges. Are we throwing darts at a wall?” Ballard asked.
Councilman Mark Taylor questioned Ballard’s proposal to table the ordinance, He said the document was tabled earlier in the year and therefore any errors should have been addressed by the May 30 meeting.
“I feel silly now,” Taylor said. “We had five months to review this.”
On a roll call, Councilwoman Kathleen Horgan, Councilman Michael Whelan, Councilman Erick Yngstrom, Zipprich, Ballard and Taylor voted to table the salary ordinance. Officials said the salary ordinance may come up for action on June 27.
In other business, Mayor Pasquale Menna said he would be conducting a “drive through” inspection of the 2.2-square-mile community to note areas in need of infrastructure improvements, specifically where remedies could be made on borough roads.
Taylor mentioned the four-way intersection at Pearl and Oakland streets as one location that he said appears to be particularly dangerous for vehicles and pedestrians.
Menna said borough officials are not able to directly approve pedestrian safety regulations. The mayor said he will issue a report on his findings at a meeting on June 13.
