Last Tuesday The Star-Ledger reported that Senator Raymond Lesniak and Nicholas Scaturi (both D-Union) questioned Attorney General’s Milligram’s nomination for N.J. civil rights chief. This gem of a quote was within the article:
“(Milgram is) choosing her personal friends for this position and not even considering New Jersey lawyers,” Lesniak said. “It’s worse than patronage. She’s practicing cronyism.”

Web definition of cronyism:
Favoritism shown to friends and associates (as by appointing them to positions without regard for their qualifications)

Definition in context:
The Union County Republican Committee questioned Salena Carroll’s qualifications to the post of Union County’s Emergency Management Planer; in a short time she was promoted from the title of “Community organization specialist” to “special assistant to the deputy county manager”. According to her Linkeden Page she is a Bureau Chief in charge of over 200 employees. There was no job posting or candidate search done for this position whose job duties include having to evacuate Union County residents if there should be a terrorist attack. Lesniak referred to Carroll as his girlfriend in a blog post.

Definition of nepotism: Favoritism shown to relatives or close friends by those in power (as by giving them jobs)
Definition in context:
Senator Raymond Lesniak’s nephew was appointed to the position of Union County manager, after having had two part-time positions created for him at the county. No candidate search was done for any of these positions.

Lesniak must be a bit cranky with the Attorney General, why else would he be embarrassing a Democratic Governor whose in the heat of a tough re-election campaign?

Politickernj.com reported that Lesniak has taken up a collection for the Union County Democratic Chair, Charlotte DeFilippo’s defense fund. The attorney general has been investigating DeFilippo. Her close associate Rosemary McClave’s trial is set to start next week. Attorney General Anne Milgram charged the 66-year old McClave, former Assemblyman Neil Cohen’s campaign treasurer, with stealing money from his election fund to use for personal expenses.

If there is to be an indictment of DeFilippo it will happen before September 10th, which is the Thursday after Labor Day. This is unofficially the cut off date for indicting political figures before Election Day.

It would be a priceless piece of campaign front page news if Corzine can stand alongside his AG and announce the indictment of a major Democratic power broker. Especially in light of the F.B.I.’s stunning performance on this front last week. Corzine’s press conference where he stood alongside Milgram denouncing corruption, seemingly to take credit for the F.B.I. sting, was just a reminder of what a poor job Corzine has done in the fight against corruption.

The heat is on and Ray lesniak let us see him sweat.

Pink Slip

Dear employees on this list, I take no glee in informing you that you are targeted for layoff. I believe you haven’t been officially notified yet, your only warning has been word of mouth.

In a memo dated March 5, 2009 to the state’s Division of Local Human Resource Management, appointed Union County Manager, George Devanney informs the state that the county intends to issue eight-four layoffs (although he uses the number 83 in parenthesis). This brings up the question yet again, is being Senator Raymond Lesniak’s nephew enough to qualify you for the position of county manager?

At a glance it appears that the entire Department of Golf Operations is on the list which would point to impending privatization of the golf courses. George Devanney’s personal trainer is not on the list. Armando Sanchez was hired in 2008 and replaced 46 year employee William Gallman, Jr. who was earning $98,965 at the time of his retirement. Sanchez was hired with a starting salary of $110,000 a $11,035 salary increase for the same job – at the time. Now Sanchez will have a lot less to do.

Senator Nick Scutari’s father is on the layoff list but sources inside the county allege that he was transferred just 2 days ago to the Building Services department which would put him in a position to bump someone lower than him. George Devanney is on Scutari’s legislative staff and earns another $6,000 for this appointment.

It was announced previously that the entire Department of Engineering will be eliminated however, freeholder Sulllivan’s daughter managed to be transferred out of this department and will not be affected.

Star-Ledger reporter Gabriel Gluck retired from the paper and was put on the county payroll during a hiring freeze on 1/10/09. No one knows when the freeze went into effect, including the county, even though it was announced with much fanfare in 2006 it was obviously a PR gimmick.

No one in the extensive office of Public Information is on the list, even though most counties do without this service. Even Gov. Corzine cut back the states press corps when he first took office. The county needs this office to manipulate and intimidate the media and churn out fluff press releases to cover up their incompetence, waste, mismanagement and especially their corruption.

Gabe Gluck’s wife Joyce Marinelli is on the layoff list. Gluck’s beat included the county, he was charged with covering the railroad reactivation, what could arguably be called the most important public safety issue of the decade. The freeholders and Devanney lied to the public about the reactivation, yet Gluck who was charged with being a government watchdog managed to cover this story and stay in the county’s good graces to go on to become the county manager’s ‘Confidential Assistant” with a starting salary of $91,856. This title is bogus and has no salary range. Any political hack with any background can walk into this position.

There are no layoffs planned at the patronage pit which is Runnells Hospital even though it bleeds money annually. Some people on the payroll there include:

The county manager’s mother in law
The deputy county manager’s nephew
Senator Scutari’s uncle
An array of elected municipal officials

The county payroll has gone up exponentially over the years even though the number of employees has stayed about the same. What has happened since Devanney forced his way on board by having 2 part-time positions created for him is the payroll has become more top heavy. Getting away with rampant patronage wasn’t enough, these hacks wanted promotions and salary increases. There are many examples of the institutional nepotism which has plundered the county payroll and is now pushing the hard working employees out of jobs, and imperiled their pensions.

Remaining employees can take action. The F.B.I. needs you to contact them. You have access to information, you are present during these back-door meetings and can wire up, you can document and record the favors to contractors and the quid pro-quos that can put them in prison.

Not one of you is safe. At election time the county finds ways to warn employees of the impending doom should the Union County Democratic Committee slate not be reelected. If the county was run in a professional above board manner the only cloud facing employees today would be over the connected heads. The hard working, honest employees who are qualified for their jobs would have nothing to face but another hard day of honest work in what was meant to be public service.

You can’t be anonomous. You will have to fully cooperate in order to have any impact. I don’t recommend you call the State A.G. it is apparent that politics are still running the show there.

If you suspect criminal activity in Union County Government contact:
U.S. Attorney General’s Office (973) 645-2700
________________________________________
If you are aware of waste or mismanagement contact: State Comptroller 1-866-547-1121, or send an email to comptrollertips@osc.state.nj.us.

A funny debate is going on in Monmouth County where Democrats have taken over the majority of the freeholder seats.

Last week the Asbury Park Press reported that after taking control of the freeholder board Democrats in Monmouth County continued pushing to fund the creation of an inspector general’s office to investigate and resolve complaints of fraud, conflicts of interest, corruption and criminal activities within the government. It’s been reported that high-ranking state Democrats circulated a list last month of Monmouth County government jobs for which they were seeking qualified people, including the inspector general post.

Now here’s the funny part: An e-mail sent by the office of Assemblyman Joseph Cryan, D-Union, who is also the chairman of the Democratic State Committee, to Rutgers officials — in seeking help to find candidates for the various county positions — stated that the inspector general would be paid between $95,000 and $105,000 and would need experience in “law enforcement or judicial activities.”

If Assemblyman Cryan used his legislative office to conduct a job search for Monmouth County wouldn’t that be a misuse of his public office? And by the way, when Assemblyman Cryan applied for his Union County Undersheriff’s position did he beat out anyone with law enforcement experience?

Republican Monmouth county freeholders said they wanted to review any job applications collected by Cryan’s office, but the Democratic freeholders said they wanted the hiring process to be handled completely by the freeholder board. How does Cryan find time to be an honorary member of the Monmouth County freeholder board?

At least two other New Jersey counties, Mercer and Middlesex, have their own inspectors general. Somehow I don’t think an Inspector General hired by the freeholders and the appointed county manager, who is Senator Raymond Lesniak’s nephew, would turn up anything here in Union County. This person would be reporting to the same people that have power over the position and in a politically charged atmosphere it stands to reason it would be used as a weapon against enemies, and they already have Prosecutor Romankow.

If the Union County Prosecutor’s office has a unit that specializes in public corruption I’ve never heard from them. But to be fair, I’ve never trusted the office to ask them to investigate anything beyond whether the freeholders were violating the Open Public Meetings Act, and the prosecutor’s office did find that they were.

We don’t need no stinkin’ badges here in Union County to ferret out waste, a forensic audit conducted by an outside firm of Union County departments would do the trick. It only makes sense doesn’t it? Assemblyman Joseph Cryan should ask for one pronto and it would be perfectly above board if he did it from his Union County Undersheriff’s office.

Imagine if Union County had an Inspector General, hired by the all-Democrat controlled freeholder board (a.k.a. Charlotte DeFilippo). Would the Inspector investigate how many hours Assemblyman Joseph Cryan puts in at his county job and if he is performing non-county business while there? How does a man hold down a full-time job as an undersheriff, hold an elective office as an assemblyman, be chair to the State Democratic committee as well as Union Township’s, where it’s been reported he handles the hiring of employees there as well, and yet still find time to job search for Monmouth County and be an honorary member of their freeholder board? Fantastic isn’t he!

In 1999 the democrats took control of the freeholder board and replaced a part-time Union County Improvement Authority director position with a salary of $40,000. Union County Democratic Chairman Charlotte DeFilippo was hired for the position and her salary in 2000 was set at $104,000. Charlotte’s current salary is $143, 409.

Since Assemblyman Cryan is so concerned about corruption and waste in Monmouth county you would think he’d have a ready explanation as to why his Sheriff’s department last year added 6 new captain positions. Coincidently DeFilippo’s daughter-in-law scored 7th on the Lieutenant’s exam and she needed a spot to move up to. The promotions waiting list was replaced with a new one. A public explanation was never given as to why we needed these new captains’ positions. which added approximately $300,000 annually to the payroll.

Despite her $143,410 county position it has been said that DeFilippo never leaves her house. An employee lawsuit charges, among other things, that she routinely ordered county department heads to her home to hire and fire employees. I personally witnessed that there were no working computers at 10 Cherry Street where the Improvement Authority is supposed to be doing business. When I brought this up during public comment at a freeholder meeting I noticed a change on the Improvement Authorities bills list the following month – they started paying for internet service.

No inspector general needed here – the County Watchers are volunteering their services as investigators and any county law enforcement personnel can sweep in and clean up Union County government any minute now. That’s a laugh riot isn’t it?

Will the Monmouth County Inspector General be instructed by the freeholder board to investigate nepotism and cronyism and set her to find out why the State Democratic Chairman is involved with county hiring’s? Will the State Democratic Chairman push Union County government to follow Monmouth county’s lead and start cracking down on themselves? These and so many other mysteries are waiting to be solved. Stay tuned to the same blog channel.

Star-Ledger reporter Jason Jett did a great job of exposing nepotism in Union Township and showing the connection to the county in an article published recently. Nepotism has been investigated by the Union County Watchdog Association and has been reported on this blog extensively as it is an institutional problem in county government.

In 2006 the UCWA investigated and found 542 Union County Employees have the same surnames as elected Democrat Officials. Admittedly, we can’t say for sure that they are all related, but we can say we have no way of knowing how many relatives with different surnames are on the payroll. When asked outright at a public meeting Freeholder Daniel Sullivan refused to state how many cousins he has on the county payroll. Please note, he didn’t say “none”.

I know, you know by now that THE APPOINTED COUNTY MANAGER IS SENATOR RAYMOND LESNIAK’S NEPHEW and with no prior experience and steady raises he has become the third highest paid county manager in the state in the few short years he’s been on our tax backs. Consider that Lesniak’s nephew’s name is Devanney, Devanney put his mother-in-law on the payroll and her last name is Bowen.

It doesn’t stop at the jobs that may or may not be needed or the relatives and friends that may or not be qualified for them. Nepotism has been rampant so long here in Union County that it is no longer good enough that connected people are given jobs. They want promotions too. In 2000, 29 employees made over $100,000, today there are 126.

Consider just recently a 38 year county employee who was making $98,000 retired and was replaced with the county manager’s personal trainer who joined the payroll at $110,000 to do the same job.

In December 2000, Worrall newspapers reported “The Union County Improvement Authority has a new executive director: Charlotte DeFilippo, chairwoman of the Union County Democratic Committee.” DeFilippo replaced Doug Placa, who was then Angie Devanney’s husband. (Angie is now married to the county manager.) Placa was the UCIA’s first executive director, appointed in February 1999 at an annual part-time salary of $40,000. The position was turned full-time when DeFilippo was appointed and the salary was set at 104,000. DeFilippo’s current salary is $143,409 up over $100,000 since she took over.

Union County has also been noted for padding pensions, Prosecutor Theodore Romankow and Senator Richard Codey’s brother just to name a famous few.

At the Dec. 20, 2007 freeholder meeting the county created 6 new Sheriff Captain spots in a cryptic resolution that they refused to explain to the public. It just so happened that Union County Democratic Chairwoman Charlotte DeFilippo’s daughter-in-law, who was a Sergeant, scored seventh highest on the Lieutenant’s exam. Lieutenants had to be promoted to make room for her promotion. This added $271,604 to the payroll annually.

On November 03, 2006 reporter Leslie Murray wrote for the Cranford Chronicle…
A job applicant for a Union County post was asked about his political affiliation and encouraged to “get active” in the Democratic party to improve his chances of being hired.

Union County is now paying two superintendent salaries for one superintendent of weights and measures as a result of three law suits stemming from the promotion of former Union Township Mayor Jim Florio’s son. The son was promoted over 2 long-standing county employees even though they scored higher on a civil service exam.

Maria Todaro was hired by the county Division of Weights and Measurers in 1993. Michael Florio joined the county 5 years later in 1998. The division is responsible for ensuring that gasoline pumps, supermarket scales, store scanners and other measurement devices are accurate.

Todaro who scored higher than Florio on a civil service exam, has a math degree, is bilingual, formerly worked for a law school dean and was a former packing manager for Proctor and Gamble. She has been secretary to the New Jersey Weights and Measures Association since 1997 and was employee of the month. Todaro was able to prove that she was passed over for the county promotion because she is a registered Republican.

The only background information I was able to find on Michael Florio is that he is the son of former Union Township Mayor Florio.

In Maria Todaro’s first lawsuit a Union County Grand Jury, which found she was discriminated against, initially awarded Ms. Todaro $300,000. Ms. Todaro appealed the second part of the lawsuit, in which she argued she should be awarded the job because she was the most qualified candidate.

At the November 8, 2007 freeholder meeting (2 days after Election Day) the county agreed to settle Todaro’s second lawsuit for $200,000 and give her the Superintendents pay raise but they would not give Todaro the job.

Employee Joseph Freitas, who joined the county in 1987, 11 years prior to Mayor Florio’s son, also won $150,000 in a suit filed in Federal Court for being passed over for the same job. Freitas also scored higher than Florio on a civil service exam. The county’s legal fees were $25,000. Freitas is no longer on the county payroll.

Florio’s son is still the Superintendent, Todaro is the Assistant Superintendent they both have the same salary $62,113 – taxpayers are out approximately $675,000 so a mayor’s son could get a lousy $8,000 pay raise and all elected officials involved are still in office.

2007 Quote of the year:
“We were able to establish that Mike Florio had repeatedly bragged to several people that he was going to get the job because he was a Democrat, his father was a Democrat and that they had made connections to Sen. (Raymond) Lesniak,” stated Todaro’s attorney David Corrigan in a Star-Ledger article.

The County of Union will be staging a 150th Anniversary celebration on Saturday. The only history mentioned in their press release is the county’s creation.

The county hasn’t mentioned the most famous part of its recent past, the creation of the county manager plan. This has been referred to by historians as the biggest mistake in county government history (reference New Jersey Politics and Government).

In 1976 The Elizabeth Daily Journal let a crusade to endorse this form of county government to of all things, end widespread patronage. County charter reform forces won in a close race and George Albanese was named the first county manager. Historians have noted that Albanese was a respected and talented administrator who swiftly restored fiscal responsibility and they fretted that he would be hard to replace.

Thirty years later we have State Senator Raymond Lesniak’s nephew appointed as the county manager. A 2006 study conducted by the Union County Watchdog Association found that 542 county employees have the same surnames of elected Democrat officials. We can’t say for sure that all these people are related, but we can say that we have no idea of knowing how many employees don’t share the same surname, such as in-laws and cousins. For instance, Senator Lesniak’s nephew’s name is George Devanney. Devanney’s mother-in-law is on the county payroll, all three have different surnames - So much for ending patronage.

Union County is the only county in New Jersey which adopted the county manager plan of government. It was considered a mistake and has become the poster child of bad county government.

Senator Tom Kean, Jr. introduced a bill in 2004 to study the effectiveness of county government. With the 21 counties in New Jersey being under home rule of one powerbroker or another who dole out patronage and contracts to political contributors who keep them in power it is little wonder that this bill didn’t get far. Other states have had recent success with getting county governments off of their tax backs. Connecticut got rid of county government in the 1970’s. In 1997 Massachusetts abolished 8 of its 14 counties.

While the freeholders and politically connected in Union County have plenty to party about on Saturday, property tax payers, who will be no doubt picking up the catering bill for the festivities, have nothing to celebrate to date.

Freeholder Debra Scanlon’s sister was allegedly involved in a $2 million no-bid contract awarded in a business deal that was not conducted in public view.

The meeting minutes of the regular meeting held on January 22, 2004 show that freeholder Scanlon was present. However, when it came time to vote for a $1,907,739.65 no-bid contract awarded to Consultedge, in which her sister, Diane Papst, is reported to have been the sales rep, she left the room when the vote was taken and she was marked not present. (view resolution by clicking here)

On August 23, 2004 it was Chairwoman Scanlon who moved Bond Ordinance No. 578-2003 forward which put county taxpayers in debt for over 28-million dollars for various improvements in which her sisters deal was lumped in with. (view bond ordinance by clicking here)

Because the freeholder meeting minutes do not show any discussion of this no bid contract, I tried to gain insight into this $2 million deal through the Open Public Records Act.

Several responses to my requests for records added up to the county wanting to charge $360.95 dollars for the pertinent documents. The few I did receive had all the employee names redacted.

Not only was this business conducted out of public view but it looks like this deal wasn’t conducted in the other freeholder’s view either. It is possible that the other freeholders had no clue as to Scanlon’s sister’s involvement and that this was another expenditure of county taxpayer dollars that was cooked up at Charlotte DeFilippo’s dining room table. This shines more light on the fact that freeholders vote yes on any matter that makes it onto their agenda with no questions asked.

It’s also possible that there was nothing illegal about this. Unethical sure, but this being New Jersey, ethics isn’t something politicians are required to have. However, since I can’t follow the dollar here or get a freeholder, never mind a county employee on their new $2 million phone system to answer to this, I’ll ask the State Commission of Investigation to do it. If the state chooses to investigate, the county can charge them $360.95 for the privilege of knowing how a freeholder’s sister can profit from a multi-million dollar no-bid contract without her name ever being mentioned to the taxpayers or even the freeholders.

(view county clerks OPRA responses by clicking here)

Lifestyle diva Martha Stewart told Barbara Walters in a 2004 interview; “I didn’t cheat anybody out of anything.”

She was sentenced to five months in prison and five months of home confinement after a jury found her guilty of obstructing justice, conspiracy and making false statements during an insider trading investigation into her sale of ImClone stock.

Martha called the badly timed sale totally innocent, the feds called it Insider Trading and a jury of ordinary folks agreed, so off she went on an all expense paid trip up the river.

Likewise Michael Milken, who has been called the embodiment of the “booming ‘80s” earning a whopping $550 million in 1987 alone, also had the privilege of enjoying the amenities of the Graybar Hotel. He served almost 2yrs for using information, that the “Average Joe” just didn’t know about or have access to, to earn millions.

Both cases involved illegalities but also both Martha and Michael, were considered to have acted unethically when they used their position and special knowledge of available opportunities for their personal gain and perhaps that of their inner circles.

If you are of the mind that this kind of stuff only happens with the rich and famous think again.

Just this week the Star Ledger, in a front page story, told the sleazy tale of longtime Union County Sheriff Ralph Froehlich’s stepson, a UC sheriff’s officer as well, who was able to acquire three luxury cars valued at over $100 grand for a mere $300 smackeroos. Purchased at a sheriff’s sale, the cars had been confiscated by the sheriff’s department from a local car dealer which sonny boy had sued for damages after purchasing a vehicle with a defective radio from the same dealer.

It has been reported that the only announcement of the impending sale was a notice on the wall of the sheriff’s office where of course we all stop in, on a daily basis, to check the specials.

Ever at the ready to do damage control, county spokesperson Sebastian D’Elia issued a statement that the county counsel’s office had reviewed the affair and determined that all was on the up and up. He didn’t say if the transaction was reviewed before or after the fact and the sheriff naturally had no comment.

Prior to his heart attack, singer Isaac Hayes had been contracted to appear in Union County at an event in a county park arranged by the Board of Chosen Freeholders. Roberta Flack was booked to replace Hayes at an additional cost of $35,000.

When learning about the last minute change, Freeholder Betty Jean Kowalski expressed her delight in an Email to a staffer, which was obtained thru the OPRA. “I love Roberta Flack” she wrote; than she went on to request that 8 VIP passes be put aside for her that she would pick up at the upcoming freeholder meeting.

VIP passes allow “special guests” access to catered refreshments and the best viewing area in the venue. One has to wonder just who Ms Kowalski was using her position to entertain that particular evening with the bill being footed by the taxpayers.

By now most everyone in Union County has learned of Angel Estrada, a sitting Union County Freeholder, manager of the Elizabeth office of the MVC, and his role in the affairs of Attorney General Zulima Farber, which cost her a job. The state Ethics Board is currently investigating to determine if Mr. Estrada used his position for the personal benefit of himself or his friends. If that is found to be the case he could face fines, loss of his job, elected office and possible criminal charges.

After the Stewart trial one of the jurors said, “This is a victory for the little guys.”

Union County residents need to remember that they are the little guys and only they can bring about changes to ensure that these abuses of power and priviledge don’t continue.

This Thursday, Dec. 15, there will be two important meetings held regarding Union County government. Please choose one to attend.

At this Thursday’s freeholder meeting the one party ruled board will be giving themselves a $1,588 pay increase which will bring their salaries to $29,500 for their part-time positions. The freeholder chairman will get an additional $2,000 and the vice chair $500. This increase will be retroactive as were the last three. Despite the county spin from their million-dollar public misinformation department, which was reported in the Westfield Leader this week, Union County salaries are not sixth in line in the state. The Star-Ledger reported that they are fifth in line in the state. Open Public Records requests which were placed to all 21 counties this year show our nine Union County freeholders are the THIRD HIGHEST PAID IN THE STATE. Behind: Hudson (nine freeholders @$36,569); Essex (nine freeholders @ $30,884); Monmouth and Ocean County freeholders are paid $30,000 but there are only five on their boards.

Their arrogance is breathtaking. They have no sense of decency to give themselves yet another raise when a law suit has just begun which resulted from the death of a juvenile while being held in their care. Not only is the detention center going to cost $20 million more then it would have five years ago, when they refused to build a new one, but the taxpayers are facing a multi-million dollar lawsuit because of their negligence.

If that’s not enough to take your breath away let me remind you of the recent Star-Ledger article that showed freeholder Daniel Sullivan driving an SUV 30,000 miles in one year with the taxpayers also picking up the bill for his insurance and gas. Sullivan and Freeholder Debra Scanlon will now be turning in their SUVs at the end of the year as well as former Freeholder Luis Mingo.

Mingo was quietly given a $60,000 county job last January after “he decided” not to run again. There were no press releases on the county website or laudatory resolutions announcing his new position “that was created for him”. Just an entry that showed up on the employee payroll list.

State Senator Raymond Lesniak’s nephew, the appointed Union County manager, George Devanney, has been driving a nine-seater Chevy Suburban which is designed for heavy hauling. Devanney told the Star-Ledger that he will be turning in his vehicle for “something smaller” in the New Year. We are one of 11 counties that offer our manager a vehicle. We also give our deputy county manager a vehicle.

Haven’t lost your breath yet? We have the second highest-paid upper management. Most counties do without deputy county managers. Only seven out of 21 counties have this position. It was created for Sen. Lesniak’s nephew. Sen. Lesniak’s nephew in one of the top three paid managers in the state at 151,471. Our deputy county manager is the highest paid at $132,500. Their combined salaries put them behind only Camden, which employs a county manager and three deputies.

At the Dec. 15 freeholder meeting there will be a public hearing in which the public can speak, for no more than five minutes, and let the freeholders know how they feel about their retroactive pay raises. I’ve been there and done that and can testify to the fact that the freeholders and county manager don’t care what the public think of them. But, don’t let me stop you from telling them off. There is some satisfaction in that.

I will be attending the Change County Government forum to be held in the Summit municipal building on the same evening, Dec.15, at 7:30 – 9:00 p.m. Essex county citizens have been studying what can be done to rein in their out of control county government. It has been long overdue for Union County to join this conversation.

Please either join me in Summit or go yell at the freeloaders and Sen. Raymond Lesniak’s nephew in Elizabeth. Enough is enough.

Contact me for directions:
tinarenna@unioncountywatchdog.org

Salary information of all 21 counties:
http://www.unioncountywatchdog.org/Reasearch/countyadmins.pdf

On Sept. 1, Acting Governor Richard Codey’s brother Robert retired from his assignment as a deputy attorney general on loan to Union County. The county website doesn’t have any photos of Codey being sent off with a gold watch but his golden parachute is worth revisiting.

According to published reports, Robert Codey, a state prosecutor since 1988, reached an employment agreement with the county in September 2004.

His state salary was set at $93,268. Although they could have had him for free, Union County supplemented Codey’s pay by $46,731 - putting his total salary at $140,000.

This boosted his pension to about $33,000 dollars more than what he would have been eligible for had he retired a year earlier.

This deal was worked out shortly after former Gov. James E. McGreevey announced his resignation setting the stage for Codey’s brother to take over as acting governor.

The unusual salary adjustment for Codey, who’s expertise was in organized crime, was requested by state Attorney General Peter Harvey and approved by then-acting Personnel Commissioner Marjorie Schwartz.

Codey received special permission to exceed the state salary limits in cases of “extraordinary justification and compelling need.“ The public, however, was never informed of what the “compelling need” was or what organized crime cases Codey was in charge of - and no indictments by Codey were reported in the news during his short tenure.

Title 4A of the New Jersey Administrative Code requires the personnel commissioner to establish and enforce pay rates and salary ranges for civil service jobs such as deputy attorney general. Codey’s official state salary was $140,000. The maximum for his position under state regulations was $115,618.

To keep it ‘legal’ the county had to reimburse the state for the pay increase. None of Codey’s fellow 779 deputy attorney’s generals was granted similar permission to exceed that limit. His salary was more than $20,000 above the salary of his direct supervisor and 136 other deputies ranking above him. Union County Prosecutor Theodore Romankow’s salary is $141,000.

Codey, 55, has more than 30 years in the public employment system, and under special pension rules for prosecutors, this entitles him for a pension that pays 70 percent of his highest annual salary. In addition to the $98,000 a year pension, Codey will receive automatic annual cost of living adjustments and state-paid health insurance throughout his retirement. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state the average life expectancy for white male Americans is 75.4 years.)

Appointed Union County Manager George Devanney, who is State Senator Raymond Lesniak’s nephew, defended Codey’s pay increase. “We are lucky to get a man like Bob with his knowledge and experience. Just because he is the acting governor’s brother doesn’t mean politics were involved in his hiring,” said Devanney.

According to the budget proposed by Acting Gov. Codey, the state will pay out $3.8 billion for employees’ benefits in the 12 months that began July 1 - that’s 14 percent of the entire $27.4 billion spending plan. Pensions would cost the state budget $337 million, and that price tag is expected to nearly quadruple in the following year’s budget. By July 2007, the state expects it will spend more on health benefits for retired workers than for active employees. By 2010, it may cost the state $6.7 billion to pay for health benefits and pensions.

In his March 1 budget speech, Codey said “Entitlements are the driving force behind the increase in state spending each and every year.” Codey vowed not to sign any pension enhancements, and he planed to name a panel to examine the benefits system.

With his personal experience with entitlements and expertise in organized crime, Robert Codey would make an excellent panelist.