Photo taken at 1:30 p.m. 4/1/10 Union County Director of Parks & Community Renewal’s House.

Ron Zuber joined the county on Dec., 18, 1999. His salary has more than doubled since then, he is making $102,196 a $57,691 increase, and he gets to go home for ……… ?

Zuber also gets to take home a 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid.

Employee list show:
2000 - $44,505 – Community Organization Specialist, Economic Development

2010 - $102,196 – Community Organization Specialist, Director Parks & Community Renewal

9:11 am today I called the law firm of Albert, Di Rado & Kojak located at 23 North Ave. E., Ste 2, Cranford, NJ 07016-2196, phone: 908-272-7722

Answer: Good moring law firm of Albert, Di Rado & Kojak ….. Hello, Is Mathew Di Rado in? … Hold on I’ll check, who is calling? …. Tina Renna….. Hold on please…. No mam, he is in a morning meeting would you like him to call you? …. Yes, please 908-418-5586…. Is Norman Alerbert in? … No, he is in a meeting too…. Please have him call me as well …. Is Mr. Kojac in? …. No, they are all in the same morning meeting together …. Who am I speaking too? ….. receptionist gives name.

County employee list:
Norman Albert, assistant county council, Salary: $113,300

Mathew Di Rado, former assistant county council was recently promoted to Personnel Director and given a $12,000 raise, salary $94,470

I don’t know who Kojac is, maybe someone from the firm will return my call and I’ll ask them.

The Laws of Union County: § 2-21. Full-time service.
Every County officer and employee whose compensation is established on a full-time basis shall devote his entire time during business hours, except as otherwise provided at the time of employment, to the duties of the office, subject to the provisions of all negotiated labor contracts.

The county obviously knows about their full-time employees’ firm. At the time of this posting the county manager’s wife, Angie Devanney, advertises it on her Face Book homepage.

According to a memo dated Nov. 12, 2009 from the county manager, George Devanney, certain personnel require “24/7” access and usage of a vehicle for purposes of ensuring health and safety…. The following personnel are considered to be “24/7” or full time first responders:

Listed is Thomas MacDermant, General Supervisor Construction (salary $80,073)

Four years ago the County Watchers reported that a judge had ruled that MacDermant, who was serving time in the Union County jail for a third D.U.I. conviction, was let out of jail improperly. He was allowed to leave jail and go home on a wristlet without the permission of his sentencing judge. He was supposed to serve a mandatory 180 days. His attorney stated in a brief “The time he spend in the Union County jail he was held on the medical floor the entire time, not even released to the population.”

Previsouly reported: March 15, 2006
Friends don’t let friend’s drink and stay in jail for D.W.I. convictions

Two new positions were created in 2010 for former Berkeley Heights employees. George Devanney has been serving on the Berkeley Heights Planning Board for several years now. His wife Angie was the Township Administrator. They support the local Republican council members and Mayor David Cohen.

Raymond Sullivan (no relation to the freeholder) was the zoning officer for Berkeley Heights with a salary of $65,697. He joins Union County with a $14,303 pay increase, with a salary of $80,000. According to an anonymous letter I received recently people are pretty upset over what they view as obvious waste and patronage.

This position is for a grants writing position within the Engineering Department. The letter states in part: “They require someone capable to apply for federal stimulus money for projects. They cannot train existing staff for this? Do more with less? Do I personally feel this is needed with an announced hiring freeze, ABSOLUTELY NOT! They lay off the entire department in the guise of saving $1 million dollars with the stimulus package knocking on the door. That savings was never really seen since work has backed up and monies to consultants have been flowing even more to get things out the door. Moral is very low and people are very disgruntled.”

According to a document obtained from the county, Sullivan is supposed to develop a data base to be used by all county departments to track grants, reporting dates, etc. I don’t see anything in his application that makes him uniquely qualified for this. Although recording reporting dates and deadlines is pretty basic Grants maintenance. Pretty sad that this hasn’t been done all along and that it takes an $80,000 salary to do. In a real business a summer intern would handle it. This salary is being paid for with Grant monies. I’m not sure if that’s state or federal. I am sure they can’t afford to waste money either. The job description calls for a B.S., Sullivan only has an associates.

Another hire straight from the Heights is Amy Wagner who was making $42,646 she joined the county with a $14,854 increase, with a salary of $58,500. Her job title is Clerk Typist/Planning Analysis Coordinator. Her job application shows she listed the county manager’s wife, Angie Devanney, as a reference.

She is responsible in part for the development of new programs which will increase the effectiveness of government by working with other agencies. - Oh goodie. Now things will be done better.

I couldn’t make this stuff up. See for yourself:

Raymond Sulllivan’s paperwork.

Amy Wagner’s paperwork

Union County Manager George Devanney has proposed a $449.3 million budget for 2009 that predicts cost reductions through at least 28 layoffs. In a letter to the freeholders dated 1/22/09 Devanney writes “We have implemented a hiring freeze on all non-essential positions.”

Sound familiar? The hiring freeze was implemented in January 2006 with much fanfare; if it was ever called off it was done so very quietly. Since then 493 employees have been hired including 112 in 2006.

Four employees have been hired in January alone. Seven employee’s were hired in December including Mark Brink who is a System Analyst for finance with a starting salary of $69,250, just to give you an idea of what the county deems a “essential” employee, 17 employees were hired in November, 9 in October……..

Just a few of my favorite “essential - can’t do without them” recent hires are: Clerk Typist ($31,000), Data Processor Programmer “Trainee” ($40,000), and on December 20, 2008 - DRUM ROLL please!!!

The Sheriff’s Department hired a new “PARKING ATTENDENT” ($31,529).

Speaking on the condition of anonymity a reliable source within the County Administration Building revealed that a two month investigation conducted by the Union County Police Department into supposed irregularities in corrections officer’s time sheets and overtime records has ended. It was said that the records, possibly effecting as many as 60 officers, may have been altered in the database, however no results were said to have been reported.

It is not known if the investigation was called off before it was concluded.