Lacey Township Committee Waives Salaries

The Lacey Township Committee chose to waive its salaries once again at last week’s committee meeting.

As a result of the limited budget last year, the committee also chose to waive its benefits.

“This year, we’re really not in much different shape as far as the overall revenue goes and the shortfalls…If we are going to be putting our staff in a situation where they’re going to have to sacrifice again and cut from their departments, then we should set the example and sacrifice and give up our salaries for another year,” Mayor Gary Quinn said.

Each committee member has a salary of $7,000 plus health benefits, although new committee members are not permitted to receive health benefits under legislation passed by Governor Chris Christie.  The mayor has a salary of $7,500.

“I think it’s important that we get across the severity of our revenue shortfalls. We have some unions that have actually signed on for zero percent increases so obviously we’re going to be in some trouble,” Committeeman David Most said. “So we’re hoping through these economic times, we can get through them and then we can get back to what we were but for now it’s important to show them that we’re all going to have to sacrifice. “

The money from their salaries, which amounts to $35,500, will be put back into the available operating budget.

“It amounts to a fairly substantial amount of money which can certainly be utilized if we put to good use somewhere and try to not have to cut out something,” Quinn said.