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The salaries may be "frozen", but are the tips still good?

Calm down people. City management staff only receive longevity increases every four years.

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Lowball them to zero.

A lot of JCList's secretaries make > $100,000?

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Yeah, that's what'll improve our city - lowballing salaries so that even less talented/qualified people carry out City business.

That said, there are plenty of unqualified people earning far beyond what they should because of political connections/patronage, etc. And those folks should be bounced. But to broaden that and suggest that no full-time, professional, department-head position of a city of a quarter-million people should make more than what a lot of people on JCList's secretaries make? Well, that's certain to lead to getting what we pay for.

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Many compensation contracts where increases are based on the CPI provide an increase of CPI or X percent, whichever is higher.

Anyone with knowledge know if that is how the city contracts are worded?

GW: if you are indeed right, healy must really think the electorate is as dumb as a box of rocks. Seeing how slick Healy tries to be, with the 2% longevity increase which will not be affected, I would not be surprised if you are indeed correct. Meaning they will get a 2% bump for longevity but wont get the CPI increase for this year simply because the CPI is negative and not because healy is reducing salaries or foregoing raises.

I'm trying to think why we need to pay anyone $100,000 for a city job. Someone would and can do their job for less.

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The CPI is negative this year. There would be no salary increase, so a freeze does nothing.

Did I read this correctly?

They seem to be getting a 2% "longevity" increase which by defination I think in most businesses is not considered a wage freeze. This city continues to amaze me.

JERSEY CITY COUNCIL
Healy calls for freezing salaries at the top

Wednesday, August 12, 2009
By AMY SARA CLARK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

The Jersey City Council is considering a proposal today to freeze wages in 2010 for more than a dozen Jersey City senior staff members - most of whom make more than $100,000 a year.

The proposal was submitted by Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy.

"We are asking that everyone do their part during these difficult economic times," Healy said in a news release. "At a time when people are losing their jobs and their homes, it is only right that we forgo any increases as we work to continue to keep taxes stable."

The proposal would shelve the annual cost of living increase for these employees, which normally amounts to a 3.5 percent bump. The ordinance would apply to the mayor, the city's eight department directors, the city clerk, two deputy city clerks, the tax collector, the chief financial officer, and the tax assessor and two deputy tax assessors.

If it passes, the ordinance will save $66,825 in the budget that ends June 20, 2010 and an equivalent amount in next year's fiscal budget.

Healy currently earns $117,782 as mayor.

Other top earners who will be affected include: Business Administrator Brian O'Reilly ($153,171 a year); City Clerk Robert Byrne ($146,424); Corporation Counsel William Matsikoudis ($128,993); and Heath and Human Services Director Harry Melendez ($128,523).

The proposal will not affect "longevity" increases, which are 2 percent of the employee's base salary, officials said. The City Council meets at 10 a.m.

Herr Burgermeister, now that you sense the FBI and the villagers getting closer you are coming up with all the gimmicks you can think of so we forget you done naughty things.

$98,363 salary for being about as useful as a package of stale hotdog buns (actually they would have far more use for breadcrumbs, etc). Combine that with a few $20,000 "donations" a week and he's pulling in a cool million per year. Good job Mr. H.

Healy announces freezing of salaries

Hudson Reporter

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy announced Friday evening that he is recommending an ordinance at Monday?s City Council caucus to freeze the annual consumer price indexing (CPI) salary increase for all department directors and eight statutory employees.

The annual percent increase, which goes up to 3.5 percent, is automatically issued on the first payroll of the calendar year to certain employees whose salaries are set by ordinance. In addition to the city?s eight department directors, the City Clerk and two Deputy City Clerks, the Tax Collector, the Chief Financial Officer, and the Tax Assessor and two Deputy Tax Assessors, would all be required to forgo the annual increase.

Last year, the Mayor froze his salary and is recommending this measure to the Council in light of the current economy. Healy 2008 mayoral salary was $98,363.

?We are asking that everyone do their part during these difficult economic times,? said Mayor Healy. ?At a time when people are losing their jobs and their homes, it is only right that we forgo any increases as we work to continue to keep taxes stable.? - Ricardo Kaulessar