32 PAY HIKES IN ALL; MANY ARE PATRONAGE EMPLOYEESS & SUPPORTERS OF THE GOP!
In the midst of a pandemic that has sent millions to the unemployment line and is forcing businesses to close, the administration of North Arlington Mayor Daniel Pronti doled out raises to 25 borough employees, plus raises for Pronti himself and the six council members.
The raises were approved at the June 11 Borough Council meeting and are retroactive to January 1, 2020.
Mayor Pronti’s salary will increase to $11,385 and council members pay will climb to $9,832.50 per year.
The long list of raises was anything but transparent since there was no mention in the resolutions that the council approved showing the existing salaries of the 32 people who received raises or what percent increase, they received.
Long-time borough resident and Democratic council candidate Tommy Bradley called the ambush raises; “a slap in the face to the people of North Arlington. At a time when people are losing jobs, taking pay cuts and losing businesses, the mayor and council should not be giving themselves pay raises – especially raises that are retroactive to six months ago.”
Bradley said the mayor and council: “are sending the wrong message at a critical time in our country. As Americans we are all supposed to be in this crisis together. It doesn’t look that way in North Arlington.”
Also receiving raises were two department heads, Court Administrator Gina Marshall – to-$90,000 per year and Construction Code Official Robert Kairys to $108,037.33! Creating yet another in a long line of six-figure borough employees here in North Arlington!
Three full time Emergency Medical Technicians got raises to $53,018.50 and Anthony Modaro, who leads the team saw his salary increase to $71,050. Eight non-contractual employees also received retroactive raises including Richard Hughes the Office of Emergency Management Coordinator ($8,280) and Jimmy Hermann, the Recreation Director ($8,792.50). Since spring recreational sports have been canceled due to the coronavirus, it is hard to justify why Herman deserves a raise, and Mayor Pronti did not offer a reason.
Both Hughes and Hermann are former council members with a history of raising property taxes and municipal spending! Hermann raised taxes as both a school trustee and councilman.
The council also gave a promotion to Colleen More-Villani, making her the Technical Assistant to the Construction Official at a retroactive salary of $44,064.51
The governing body also appointed two new members to the Public Works Department with a starting salary of $28,456.
In addition, the following employees were given additional $2,000 stipends for added duties. Mario Gino was named Indoor Air Quality Standards Officer; Daniel Keogh was appointed CDL Clearinghouse Administrator and ten part-time hourly employees also received pay increases. With Pronti in charge and a rubber stamp GOP council for approval, it’s raises galore and the public be damned as many expect a property tax hike again in 2020 for NA homeowners!
“We need a change. The town’s character is being destroyed and people are hurting. Now add insult to injury with needless raises while hundreds, if not thousands of NA residents are being laid off and don’t have the income to sustain these kinds of reckless salary hikes,” offered one observer when asked to comment.
It’s ‘All in the Family’ for North Arlington!
MORE PERKS AND PAY RAISES TO THE POLITICALLY-CONNECTED BOCCHINO FAMILY!
While members of the N.A. Borough Council were busy giving themselves pay raises last week, they also found time to help out some family members.
Councilwoman Donna Bocchino, who is seeking reelection this fall voted not only for her own pay raise but to give her father James Bocchino a raise as well. Mr. Bocchino – who is also the borough’s Republican Party leader – was appointed by Mayor Dan Pronti (a Republican) last April to a new position created just for the elder Bocchino: The Quality of Life Officer.
The dubious title and duties of Quality of Life Officer entails riding around town and pointing out faded street signs and grass that needs to be cut – a job that the Public Works Director had been doing for years.
In essence, a political patronage job for a well connected Republican insider already receiving a generous public pension.
Bocchino served as campaign chairman last year and his wife was the treasurer for daughter Donna’s campaign as well.
How much is enough for the Bocchino’s?
Bocchino was appointed to the job last year at a salary of $8,000.
His new salary is now reportedly $10,350.
A 23% salary hike in one year!
As more information becomes available NA Today will publish it.
In a second act of blatant nepotism, Council President Mario Karcic voted to hire his nephew to a position in the Public Works Department; after voting to give himself a raise as well!
That’s two for two Mario, just like your pals Donna and Jimmy.
Putting homeowners and taxpayers at the back of the line!
In both cases the council members should have recused themselves on the vote to hire or pay their relatives.
Ethically what they did was wrong, but the Pronti Administration seems to care little about ethics.
How many more council members have relatives either on the borough payroll or being compensated by the town?
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