* Pay Increases and Pink Slips

[JohnPinho]

Mayor Raymond McDonough announced that forty eight town workers will be laid off as a result of former Governor Jon Corzine cutting 5 million dollars in distressed city aid to Harrison and increasing insurance costs. The lay offs are suppose to save the town $2.1 million.

The layoffs come in the same week that the Mayor and Council voted at a Special Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Meeting held on Monday, January 18, 2010 to increase town worker salaries by 3.5 percent each of the past three years (2007, 2008, and 2009).

If the Red Bulls make their first of their quarterly property tax payment in two weeks, the town will be on track to making up some of the 5 million dollars it has lost from the loss of distressed city aid. In a press release Mayor Raymond McDonough stated that "The taxpayers of Harrison cannot be called upon to pay additional local property taxes to replace the lost state aid."

Local business owners may find it strange that the McDonough administration started out the week giving pay increases to town workers only to turn around in the same week and hand out pink slips. When is the last time a private company announced salary increases and then laid off employees? Unheard of. Government however operates under different rules. Town employees expected pay increases and Mayor McDonough delivered those pay increases. Those with seniority are not affected by the laying off of their fellow town workers. I stated in prior posts that a pay increase would result in layoffs. It was abundantly clear that the taxpayers of Harrison would and could not support another tax increase. They may have to endure a large tax increase even with additional town worker layoffs because the Town of Harrison is facing more than one economic storm.

The town must make a 3.5 million dollar interest payment on the Red Bulls Stadium bonds. Councilman Steve McCormick questioned Mayor McDonough about how the town was going to meet its interest payment obligation. Mayor McDonough stated that he was working on it.

In addition, the town is likely to have its Abbott District school funding cut. Every dollar cut in Abbott Funding will add that amount that must be raised in property taxes to fund the school district. The Board of Education and Councilman/Superintendent of Schools James Doran must start now looking at cutting costs in the town's schools. Mayor McDonough appoints the school board members so he should have some control over the school budget.

The Jersey Journal reported on the lay offs and mentioned the freezing of town worker salaries for 2010 and 2011. The article failed to mention that the town gave 3.5% pay increases for years 2007, 2008 and 2009. I found that to be a interesting fact to miss. The names of the employees given layoff notices were also not released. Let's hope that the layoffs were based on union layoff guidelines (rules) rather than on other factors. Avoiding litigation and the increased legal fees associated with defending lawsuits is crucial to keeping costs down.

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[Guest Jim]

Mayor Raymond McDonough announced that forty eight town workers will be laid off as a result of former Governor Jon Corzine cutting 5 million dollars in distressed city aid to Harrison and increasing insurance costs. The lay offs are suppose to save the town $2.1 million.

The layoffs come in the same week that the Mayor and Council voted at a Special Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Meeting held on Monday, January 18, 2010 to increase town worker salaries by 3.5 percent each of the past three years (2007, 2008, and 2009).

If the Red Bulls make their first of their quarterly property tax payment in two weeks, the town will be on track to making up some of the 5 million dollars it has lost from the loss of distressed city aid. In a press release Mayor Raymond McDonough stated that "The taxpayers of Harrison cannot be called upon to pay additional local property taxes to replace the lost state aid."

Local business owners may find it strange that the McDonough administration started out the week giving pay increases to town workers only to turn around in the same week and hand out pink slips. When is the last time a private company announced salary increases and then laid off employees? Unheard of. Government however operates under different rules. Town employees expected pay increases and Mayor McDonough delivered those pay increases. Those with seniority are not affected by the laying off of their fellow town workers. I stated in prior posts that a pay increase would result in layoffs. It was abundantly clear that the taxpayers of Harrison would and could not support another tax increase. They may have to endure a large tax increase even with additional town worker layoffs because the Town of Harrison is facing more than one economic storm.

The town must make a 3.5 million dollar interest payment on the Red Bulls Stadium bonds. Councilman Steve McCormick questioned Mayor McDonough about how the town was going to meet its interest payment obligation. Mayor McDonough stated that he was working on it.

In addition, the town is likely to have its Abbott District school funding cut. Every dollar cut in Abbott Funding will add that amount that must be raised in property taxes to fund the school district. The Board of Education and Councilman/Superintendent of Schools James Doran must start now looking at cutting costs in the town's schools. Mayor McDonough appoints the school board members so he should have some control over the school budget.

The Jersey Journal reported on the lay offs and mentioned the freezing of town worker salaries for 2010 and 2011. The article failed to mention that the town gave 3.5% pay increases for years 2007, 2008 and 2009. I found that to be a interesting fact to miss. The names of the employees given layoff notices were also not released. Let's hope that the layoffs were based on union layoff guidelines (rules) rather than on other factors. Avoiding litigation and the increased legal fees associated with defending lawsuits is crucial to keeping costs down.

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Well written John and right on target..

I spent several minutes last night responding to your comments but for some reason my response did not make it to the board today, so I try again albeit abbreviated.

I wanted to mention, as I'm sure your already aware, these layoffs were not done by seniority. Not even close.

I also wanted to mention that they were not done to any form of union guidelines or "rules" as you put it. Something else I'm sure your aware of but I enjoy bringing it to light in lieu of the probability of future law-suits taking place because of it.

These seem to be "smoke and mirror" lay offs. If TRUE fat were trying to be trimmed financially a stronger message would have been sent by eliminating jobs and associated wages that FAR exceed the norm! This was not done, there are still many, many (did I say many) jobs that were left untouched for "one reason or the other" to which I will include in my very near futured communications with the state.

I agree that it is odd to give raises on one night and layoff notices the very next day and more so, jeopardize your chances of further state aid by doing just that.

This is just yet ANOTHER poor example (how many do the towns people need) of the mess this administration has gotten this town into.

Fortunately for those involved, this present disaster left a trail of corruption many miles long leading up to it which should make it fairly easy for any lawyer to have a field day with, sadly however, left to the folks of Harrison to pay for through litigation.

I'll part with the basic, folks of Harrison, rise to the occasion and rid yourself of this corruption once and for all by VOTING! A letter to our new governor would not be a bad idea either (get the investigation going a little faster maybe?) as mentioned in a few earlier conversations.

Have a good night.

[Guest BlueTideBacker]

Well written John and right on target..

I spent several minutes last night responding to your comments but for some reason my response did not make it to the board today, so I try again albeit abbreviated.

I wanted to mention, as I'm sure your already aware, these layoffs were not done by seniority. Not even close.

I also wanted to mention that they were not done to any form of union guidelines or "rules" as you put it. Something else I'm sure your aware of but I enjoy bringing it to light in lieu of the probability of future law-suits taking place because of it.

These seem to be "smoke and mirror" lay offs. If TRUE fat were trying to be trimmed financially a stronger message would have been sent by eliminating jobs and associated wages that FAR exceed the norm! This was not done, there are still many, many (did I say many) jobs that were left untouched for "one reason or the other" to which I will include in my very near futured communications with the state.

I agree that it is odd to give raises on one night and layoff notices the very next day and more so, jeopardize your chances of further state aid by doing just that.

This is just yet ANOTHER poor example (how many do the towns people need) of the mess this administration has gotten this town into.

Fortunately for those involved, this present disaster left a trail of corruption many miles long leading up to it which should make it fairly easy for any lawyer to have a field day with, sadly however, left to the folks of Harrison to pay for through litigation.

I'll part with the basic, folks of Harrison, rise to the occasion and rid yourself of this corruption once and for all by VOTING! A letter to our new governor would not be a bad idea either (get the investigation going a little faster maybe?) as mentioned in a few earlier conversations.

Have a good night.

I can't speak for the other town workers, but any positions eliminated in the police or fire dept's will mean that the last hired individuals will be laid off. With "Bumping Rights", the Deputy Chiefs will be demoted to Captains, two Captains wil be demoted to Lieutenants and so on to the last hired cop and FF to be laid off .

These are Dept. of Personnel rules which the town must follow. Voluntary retirements would save the jobs of those slated to be laid off.

[Guest Guest]

I can't speak for the other town workers, but any positions eliminated in the police or fire dept's will mean that the last hired individuals will be laid off. With "Bumping Rights", the Deputy Chiefs will be demoted to Captains, two Captains wil be demoted to Lieutenants and so on to the last hired cop and FF to be laid off .

These are Dept. of Personnel rules which the town must follow. Voluntary retirements would save the jobs of those slated to be laid off.

There are at least 10 Officers on the HPD. who can retire. 1 Lt. Has 34 years on. It's time to go fellows. Pull the pin and look for a side job somewhere else. Your future pay raises will be limited.

[Guest Guest]

There are at least 10 Officers on the HPD. who can retire. 1 Lt. Has 34 years on. It's time to go fellows. Pull the pin and look for a side job somewhere else. Your future pay raises will be limited.

Most union contracts have clauses in them which allow bumping rights. In cases of uniform services, non sworn personal always go first. The dispatchers, the crossing guards, the chauffeur, people in the records bureau, secretaries, all have to go before uniform personnel. A cop is a cop, and can perform any of the above duties. Civilian personnel cannot perform police duties. Laying off uniform personnel is grandstanding and a disservice to the people of Harrison. In case of emergency we can always have a cop available, having a non sworn person would be of no value.

[Guest Guest]

There are at least 10 Officers on the HPD. who can retire. 1 Lt. Has 34 years on. It's time to go fellows. Pull the pin and look for a side job somewhere else. Your future pay raises will be limited.

That's a great idea, lest get all of these cops to disrupt their lives to cover up the ineptness of mayor and council. The cops didn't get us into this mess, the mayor and council did. Lets get rid of the mayor and council so these cops can stay on the job. A cop should retire, so Doran can make $250,000 a year, or Dolaghan can make $100,000 a year, or people with secret jobs can make $60,000 a year. Lets get real, the cops didn't cause this problem, lets put the blame where it belongs, on an inept mayor and council.

[Guest Guest]

I would like to know exactly how much is the town saving by these layoffs and why are they such a big secret who is going? We pay thier salaries and we should know!

[Guest Guest]

There are at least 10 Officers on the HPD. who can retire. 1 Lt. Has 34 years on. It's time to go fellows. Pull the pin and look for a side job somewhere else. Your future pay raises will be limited.

AN oFFICER WITH 34 YEARS ON HE FORCE IS ACTUALLY WORKING FOR 15% OF HIS PAY. iF HE RETIRED, HE WOULD RECEIVE 70% OF HIS LAST YEARS SALARY. He is paying 8.5 % toward his pension, and he is paying about 20% in taxes. If he took a job at Burger King he would actually be making more when you include his pension. How much work do you think you are getting from an Officer with 34 years service? Very little.

[Guest guest]

AN oFFICER WITH 34 YEARS ON HE FORCE IS ACTUALLY WORKING FOR 15% OF HIS PAY. iF HE RETIRED, HE WOULD RECEIVE 70% OF HIS LAST YEARS SALARY. He is paying 8.5 % toward his pension, and he is paying about 20% in taxes. If he took a job at Burger King he would actually be making more when you include his pension. How much work do you think you are getting from an Officer with 34 years service? Very little.

He hasn't done a days work in 34 years! Why leave now? Continue with the demotions and save the taxpayers some money. Mr. Pinho is and was right on target when he said that the town should have held back the pay increases. Want to find out for yourself exactly what the Supervisors jobs are? The two captains are totally useless and hang in Headquarters with the job of chasing patrolman out the door when they stop to use the bathroom. The rest of the Supervisors dodge work like the swine flu. If the job was tough they would have flooded out the door after 25 years. The toughest part of a Harrison Police Supervisor job is trying to figure out where to eat and the excercise exerted walking to the desk for their huge paychecks. Mayor McDonough, see this thing through and continue the demotions and layoffs. Tough times call for tough decisions!

[Guest Guest]

AN oFFICER WITH 34 YEARS ON HE FORCE IS ACTUALLY WORKING FOR 15% OF HIS PAY. iF HE RETIRED, HE WOULD RECEIVE 70% OF HIS LAST YEARS SALARY. He is paying 8.5 % toward his pension, and he is paying about 20% in taxes. If he took a job at Burger King he would actually be making more when you include his pension. How much work do you think you are getting from an Officer with 34 years service? Very little.

You must have gone to the Harrison School System. Where do you get your math? We all pay 20% in taxes and most of us are not lucky enough to have a pension plan never mind to collect 70% at retirement for the rest of his life. The way I add it up the total comes to 28% paid out of their salary which everyone else in this state pays!

[Guest Guest]

AN oFFICER WITH 34 YEARS ON HE FORCE IS ACTUALLY WORKING FOR 15% OF HIS PAY. iF HE RETIRED, HE WOULD RECEIVE 70% OF HIS LAST YEARS SALARY. He is paying 8.5 % toward his pension, and he is paying about 20% in taxes. If he took a job at Burger King he would actually be making more when you include his pension. How much work do you think you are getting from an Officer with 34 years service? Very little.

Is that why we see Police Cars parked in front ofa home for hours at a time? Who is supervising?

[Guest Guest]

Is that why we see Police Cars parked in front ofa home for hours at a time? Who is supervising?

The guy who pushes the barrel! That's why he is making 60+K!

[Guest Guest]

He hasn't done a days work in 34 years! Why leave now? Continue with the demotions and save the taxpayers some money. Mr. Pinho is and was right on target when he said that the town should have held back the pay increases. Want to find out for yourself exactly what the Supervisors jobs are? The two captains are totally useless and hang in Headquarters with the job of chasing patrolman out the door when they stop to use the bathroom. The rest of the Supervisors dodge work like the swine flu. If the job was tough they would have flooded out the door after 25 years. The toughest part of a Harrison Police Supervisor job is trying to figure out where to eat and the excercise exerted walking to the desk for their huge paychecks. Mayor McDonough, see this thing through and continue the demotions and layoffs. Tough times call for tough decisions!

I just checked the HPD TO. 1 Capt-4Lts. and 3 Sgts can retire. They came on in 1984. What would cause them to retire now? The answer is pension reform. The leader of the Democrats has proposed a rollback in pension increases enacted in 2001 of 9%. Gov. Christies says he would like to see pension reform and would back the rollback. Those who can retire have about 6 months to make their decisions.

[Guest Guest]

I just checked the HPD TO. 1 Capt-4Lts. and 3 Sgts can retire. They came on in 1984. What would cause them to retire now? The answer is pension reform. The leader of the Democrats has proposed a rollback in pension increases enacted in 2001 of 9%. Gov. Christies says he would like to see pension reform and would back the rollback. Those who can retire have about 6 months to make their decisions.

It is funny how people blame the police and fire departments. The mayor and town council have gotten the town into the financial mess it is in. When will people wake up and put the blame where it belongs. Look at the mayor and council and their cronies add those salaries. Inept leadership got the town where it is today.

[Guest Guest]

It is funny how people blame the police and fire departments. The mayor and town council have gotten the town into the financial mess it is in. When will people wake up and put the blame where it belongs. Look at the mayor and council and their cronies add those salaries. Inept leadership got the town where it is today.

Thank you, but I'm sure people put the blame on these departments because they can't admit that the person they voted into office can't possibly make any bad decisions. Wake up people and realize that this is nothing personal with your neighbor elected official but it is now affecting your life and the way you spend your money. This is all due to the fact that the Mayor, Bennett, Doran, Mandaglio, Haranga, Narcimento and Dollarhand (every family member works in a Government Job) put us in the position were in.