THIS IS WHERE THE BIG $$$ ARE EARNED
Average North Hudson firefighter paycheck beats out other agencies' pay, records show Second of a series.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007
By JARRETT RENSHAW
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Looking for a job in the public sector where you can make an above-average salary?

A Jersey Journal database analysis of state pension records shows that your best bet at making some cash lies at North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue, where the average salary of $82,548 in 2006 was tops last year among the county's 53 government agencies.

The Journal analysis shows that half of the department's force earned more than $83,253 last year. In addition, 90 of the department's employees, or 28 percent, earned six figures last year.

The NHRFR average was $15,882 higher than the average salary of the No. 2 earners and $56,544 higher than the county's lowest-paid entity. The average Kearny municipal employee earned $66,666 last year, while the average Bayonne Parking Authority employee earned $26,004.

Officials from various government entities were quick to point out that the majority of employees' salaries - specifically public safety - are covered by union contracts that determine wages.

In addition, officials said a number of contract negotiations stalled and they were forced to go to arbitration, which leaves the municipalities at the mercy of a judge.

"Often, the arbitrator will look at nearby towns to set the salaries," said James Hughes, dean of the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, adding that this system helps drive steady increases in salaries across municipalities.

"It's the state law, and perhaps it's the reason we have the highest property taxes in the country," Hughes said.

That was the case in NHRFR, where department co-director Jeff Welz said the salaries were set by a state arbitrator in 2004. The state arbitrator borrowed the department's pay scale from the highest level of the contracts from the consolidating towns, Welz said.

It's unclear how NHRFR stacks up against other fire departments in Hudson County, since a breakdown of these other departments was not part of the records provided by the state's Department of Treasury.

The only exception was the Jersey City Fire Department, which had very similar numbers to NHRFR - more than half of the employees in the city's Fire Department earned at least $82,000 last year.

The Journal analysis shows that NHRFR employees are more the exception than the norm in Hudson County.

Overall, the salaries of Hudson County's public employees fell short of their peers in the private sector, according to The Jersey Journal's analysis.

The average employee in the private sector earned $60,335 last year, while the average public employee in Hudson County earned $50,266, according to a comparison of federal Bureau of Labor statistics and state pension records.

However, Hudson County's private sector employees enjoyed much higher salaries than the state average of $51,367 last year. "The high-paying jobs on the waterfront increase those numbers," said Hughes.

The Journal analysis shows that the county's large number of high-paying public jobs - 1,324 public workers in the county earned more than $100,000 last year - helped increase the average, while the fact that half of the county's public employees earned less than $44,096 last year worked as a countervailing force.

Meanwhile, Hudson County's public salaries are roughly in line with their peers in the public sector across the state, with the average local public employee in the Garden State earning $50,649 last year and the average state employee bringing in $55,114, according to federal Bureau of Labor statistics.

In the case of Kearny, a closer look at the numbers shows that half of its 381 public employees earned more than $71,622 last year. In addition, 16 percent of the town's work force broke the $100,000 mark last year, the highest percentage among the county 12 municipalities, according to the Journal analysis.

The salary figures become more revealing when you take into consideration that the average Kearny homeowner bears the highest tax burden in the county, according to a recent analysis conducted by The Star-Ledger.

"The great bulk of local expenditures have to do with salaries, so if you have the highest salaries, chances are you have the highest taxes as well," Hughes said.

Kearny Mayor Alberto Santos said the high taxes are due to the fact the town has yet to recover from the loss of its industrial sector. "Our rate of growth in our ratable base has not kept up with our increases in expenditures," Santos said.

In Jersey City, more than half of the city's employees earned at least $77,448 last year, the highest median salary among the county's 12 municipalities.

"We are the second biggest city in the state and the largest in the county, so we need experienced, professional people who can handle the day-to-day problems in the city," Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy said.

G-P is letting us down, so I fill in:

JJ article

In Jersey City, more than half of the city's employees earned at least $77,448 last year, the highest median salary among the county's 12 municipalities.

"We are the second biggest city in the state and the largest in the county, so we need experienced, professional people who can handle the day-to-day problems in the city," Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy said.


Yeah, where are they Jerry? All we see is a bunch of overpaid clowns lining their pockets with our taxes and making excuses.

no freaking wonder our property taxes are sky-high! And like this deadbeat sponge truly deserves such a high salary for running JC schools -- which are cranking out droves of semi-functioning illiterates. Heckva job, Charlie!

explains why our schools and police have no money - to much overheads!

HUDSON'S MONEYMAKERS

Monday, August 06, 2007
By JARRETT RENSHAW
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

First in a series.

Two state lawmakers with day jobs in local school districts top the list of Hudson County's highest paid public employees in 2006, according to review of state pension records by The Jersey Journal.

And the county's top earner? State Assemblyman Charles Epps, D-Jersey City, who also serves as the state superintendent of the Jersey City School District. Epps' combined 2006 salaries were $264,256.

"Considering Jersey City is the second largest school district in the state, I feel that my salary is commensurate with other superintendent salaries in large urban areas," Epps said through district spokesman Gerry Crisonino.

State Sen. Nicholas Sacco, D-North Bergen, who also serves as an assistant superintendent in the North Bergen School District and North Bergen commissioner, came in second, earning a combined total of $248,320 last year, according to pension records.

Sacco could not be reached for comment.

Epps will most likely lose his crown as the county's highest paid employee to Sacco when he steps down from the state assembly in January. Facing criticism as a state superintendent and lawmaker, Epps decided not to seek re-election this year.

Robert DiVincent, who serves as the executive director of the Housing Authorities of West New York, Hoboken and Weehawken, came in third on the list with a 2006 salary of $242,742.

DiVincent racked up nearly $60,000 more last year than he is expected to receive this year due to what he described as "additional responsibilities." He is slated to earn roughly $184,000 this year.

"There was a lot of work that needed to be done last year to help ensure that Weehawken and Hoboken got back on their feet, and I think we did that," DeVincent said. "All three agencies have improved under my watch."

DiVincent noted that Hoboken went from $3.8 million deficit to $1 million surplus and that both Hoboken and Weehawken recently received above-average grades for living conditions.

Overall, DiVincent oversees more than 2,000 public housing units and hundreds of Section 8 units, along with the budget of all three organizations.

The Journal analysis found the following:

[solid box] Of the county's top 25 paid public employees, more than half work in a local school district, including five of the top 10.

[solid box] Women did not fare too well in the upper echelons of salary in Hudson County. Only three women made the top 25.

[solid box] Eight of the county's 25 highest paid public employees have ties to North Bergen.

[solid box] Only three public safety officers made the list. Hoboken Fire Chief John Cassesa is the highest paid chief and the 19th highest paid public official in the county. Meanwhile, Union City Police Chief Charles Everett and Hoboken Police Chief Carmen LaBruno are the 21st and 22nd highest paid public employees in the county.