At the open budget meeting, Ken [Schliefer] asked Lenny and Judy to give up
their HT residents (you and me) paid health benefits, both declined to do so.
Ken has never taken the benefit so I guess he saw it
as a way for the residents of HT to save about $30,000 this year.
He then asked that all members give up their $6,300
salaries and this too was rejected by all the other members. This would
have been a savings of $31,500 this year.
It's clear to many of us that Ken won by a huge margin for good
reason. He has the best interests of the township at heart.
John Sheridan and John Ferramosca are not eligible for this benefit, Lenny Fariello would retain it
if re-elected.
Ken offered us a chance to save $60,000 in this tough economic year,
let's remember to thank him and remember who opposed it
when we enter the voting booth in June.
Looks like dirty playing. There are probably tons of cuts that can be introduced but the mud slinging is much more fun huh. (04/11/09 2:14pm) REPLY
So Ken was looking toward next years election when he made those suggestions, got it.
Ms. Iradi offered to work for free when Howard Olsen suggested that Mayor Francioli be given a raise.
What cuts were really introduced?
HT Day
4th of July
In most industries employees pay a portion of thier health insurance costs.
How many people working for the town have salaries near $100 thousand? The recreation superintendant is one, and he looks out his window at the fields that are still not done. Revamping that department while Ms. Iradi is in charge will never happen. Where else does the head of DPW and the CFO/ tax collector make less than the head of recreation. (04/11/09 8:51pm) REPLY
I don't understand what is so dirty about asking a question. I asked them to give up their salaries at an open meeting over the library and well as to give up buying new police cars. It is a legitimate question and a notable one.
They, the committee are asking everyone in town to give up something so I would think it makes sense for them to do their part.
Unless Ken, the financial person for the fire department, asked the same question of the fire department personnel, and more specifically their doing away with individual fire department cars to keep their FD budget down then I think his question was inappropriate as it undoubtly raised some eyebrows about the people to whom it was geared to and appears bias to me. If he did address the individuals at the firehouses, then I say kudos to him. I still see those cars being driven. So if the question were posed I would imagine that answer was "no" also. The original poster may have tried to make a benign statement but I don't believe that was the intent. And you're right it is a legitimate question I just find it distasteful that the poster made it a political ploy "when we enter the voting booth in June". (04/13/09 6:57pm) REPLY
Wow...that is a REALLY biased account of the March 28th discussion, and very petty of you to even think that discussing people’s personal financial situation is classy. Ken merely brought this up as a suggestion and he NEVER asked ANYONE to forfeit their health insurance. He didn’t even know who accepts the insurance (because that’s personal information) until the committee members revealed whether they did or didn’t. You left out the part when Judy explained how she gives/donates her salary back to the Township anyway (and I wouldn’t hold it against her if she didn’t). It’s very selfish of you to expect people to give up their health insurance and personal income just to save you a few bucks. Would you really feel proud knowing that you personally retained a few extra dollars (if that) at the expense of eliminating people’s health insurance? That’s a real dirty, unethical, and cheap way to save taxpayers some cash, and I vote against anyone who says otherwise. (04/11/09 8:25pm) REPLY
What does me being classy have to do with saving the township money.
I applaud Ms Iradi for donating her salary and hope the others will do the same.
They decided to cut overtime which cost alot of township employees "some cash" that they need to make ends meet. What is unethical about asking them to feel some of the pain they created?
Why not suspend the open space tax instead of cutting it?
Every time they add open space purchases it reduces our ratables, spends tax payer dollars and adds maintainence costs. (04/11/09 10:21pm) REPLY
Being classy has nothing to do with saving the Township money, and everything to do with infringing upon people's right to personal financial privacy. While they are public servants, they are also Township employees, and so they are given certain privileges as employees (just like in the private sector). Overtime and health insurance are COMPLETELY different. Overtime is incentive to stick around a bit longer if there's unfinished business at the end of the day. Overtime is a privilege...not a right. Health insurance prevents people from spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars if they ever need medical attention. It's a necessity, and I'm surprised that you'd rather pull the plug on it just to save yourself some extra cash. Because, in the big picture, that $30,000 gets divided so many times that you'd probably not even notice if it were there or not. And what's your problem with the Open Space Tax? Since when are trees and fresh air evil? I'm sorry, but I'd rather have my children grow up with natural green in their lives than fret over the tax and live in a town that's a giant strip mall. I should mention to you that one of the two things inevitable in life is paying taxes...so you should really get used to it. (04/11/09 10:50pm) REPLY
If that $30,000 gets divided into so many small parts, why did the library need to be cut by nearly the same amount;$35,000. Everyone suffers with the library cuts, 2 employees suffer without health care. You are the one not seeing the big picture.
Ask your DPW guys how they are coping without (in your words) the overtime privilage? Aren't they also employees of the township? There was alot of cutting at the bottom and very little at the top. (04/12/09 6:10pm) REPLY
I suppose we'll just have to agree to disagree then...it was nice exchanging with you. (04/12/09 10:37pm) REPLY
I think it's time for more residents to pay attention to Township meetings and budgets. If I understand this correctly, Township committee members have some sort of township-paid health insurance. Don't they all have other "real" jobs that provide health benefits? Where in private industry would part-timers get any health benefits at all? Even their $6300 salaries seem pretty nice for a few weekly meetings. bettyzapf (05/08/09 1:14pm) REPLY
I don't usually like to assume things, because you know the old saying. But it seems as though you are on the outside looking in, and therefore you don't know the responsibilities and difficulties associated with being on the Township Committee. It's easy for you to look at the calendar and think it's just a bunch of easy meetings. But before you question salaries and benefits, practice what you preach and go to those public meetings. And keep in mind that after the meeting ends, there's still work to be done, decisions to be made, other meetings to attend, letters to read and write, and so on. The questions that you raise, in my opinion, seem to greatly trivialize and downplay the significance of the work they do. Hanover Township wasn't just prefabricated and shipped to New Jersey, it was developed over time by responsible local leadership. So unless you are completely unimpressed by all that our town has to offer its residents, I hope you understand that most of what we are proud of in Hanover is a direct reflection of the hard work, dedication, and accomplishments of the Township Committee. A few extra dollars (if that) in our taxes to financially repay and thank them is a small price to pay for what we enjoy and receive year after year. Simpleman9 (05/08/09 4:40pm) REPLY
Don't quite understand about the "mud slinging" comment, please enlighten your remarks. JSM (04/11/09 7:13pm) REPLY
Want to make a dent in town? How about asking the teachers to start contributing to their health benefits and prescriptions!!! Wow, that would really effect the town's taxes much more than Len and Judy giving up their benefits. (04/13/09 3:57pm) REPLY
Well if that is your answer than you are attending the wrong board meetings....the committee has nothing to do with the school budget and pretty much has to accept it the way it is presented. If you have a problem with the schools than start going to the School Brd. Meetings.
Carole. (04/13/09 6:31pm) REPLY
Teachers are full-time employees and entitled to health benefits, just as employees in the corporate world. Town committee members are part-time employees. Any health plan I've ever dealt with needs a person to be employed at least 25 hours a week to participate. Why would Lenny and Judi need Hanover Township to pay their health coverage. Don't they have jobs that cover them? No wonder there is such a fight to get on the Town Committee if it provides health benefits.
I believe the health benefits are only paid to Lenny Fariello & Judy Iradi as they were already on the committee when the policy changed. Any new members would not receive those benefits.
Grandfathering these benefits is not unreasonable and usually the case when there is a policy change in mid-course.
Most people are not aware that health benefits were not even offered by corporations prior to the 1930's. When Roosevelt instituted price & wage controls during the great depression companies were prohibited from giving out raises. The way they got around it was to provide other "benefits" in lieu of wages and health insurance was offered thereafter.
bettyzapf,
You are comparing apples to oranges to pineapples. Meaning...you can't compare the benefits of teachers to that of corporate America to that of part-time town employees. You are opening a HUGE can of worms by bringing teachers into the discussion. (05/12/09 10:28pm) REPLY
Teachers are full-time employees who deserve health benefits, just like in the corporate world. But part-time town committee members receiving the same benefits as full time teachers?
