Rutherford's top elected official has taken on additional duties, supporters say Watch video
RUTHERFORD -- The post of borough mayor is part-time and annually pays about as much as an industrious college student can earn during summer break.
But if two measures are ultimately approved by the borough council, the mayoralty of this town of a little more than 18,000 people will become a full-time obligation, and with a commensurate bump in pay.
On Monday, the borough council voted 5-1 to name Mayor Joseph DeSalvo to the job on a full-time basis, raising his salary from a token $4,000 a year to $74,000, NorthJersey.com reported. The change would not take effect until a second vote and a public hearing.
Supporters of the measure argued that DeSalvo, an electrician, assumed the duties of borough administrator a year ago when the previous administrator resigned, saving the borough tens of thousands of dollars. The former administrator, Richard Sheola, earned $135,000 a year.
The expanded mayoralty would only be temporary until a newly created post, executive secretary, could be filled, supporters also said.
But Councilwoman Stephanie McGowan, the lone "no" vote, urged the council to table the measure until more public discussion could be held. Some of the dozens of residents at Monday's meeting said the plan to create a full-time mayor took them by surprise. They were also concerned about potential conflicts of interest.
The mayor's job is a part-time post often paying just a small stipend in many communities, particularly in the less populous of New Jersey's more than 500 municipalities. The job is full time and relatively well paying in the state's largest cities, including Newark, Jersey City and Elizabeth, where mayors earn $100,000 or more.
But there isn't a perfect correlation between a New Jersey community's size and the pay of its top elected official. The responsibilities of the job can also vary considerably.
Last year, one Union County town, Plainfield -- population 50,000 -- paid its chief municipal executive $35,000. But not far away in Rahway, which has about half the population, the mayor gig came with the very respectable salary of $72,000.
That mayor, Samson Steinman, also received a raise after supporters of the measure argued that he had taken on additional duties in the community, saving taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars a year even with his bump in pay.
Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.