HAMMONTON BLOG

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Should Council members receive health benefits?

Permalink · Date: 09:21 AM Jan 23, 2008

For the past two years, the HF people have all voluntarily turned down both the health benefits and the insurance buyout money as well. As you point out, this is a big cost savings. Would the Democrats support making this a local ordinance in Hammonton or do you prefer to wait for a State law? As the AC Press points out, some towns have already passed their own ordinances.

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We support a local ordinance.

Permalink · Date: 09:49 AM Jan 23, 2008

Maybe we should look at trading salary for benefits? State wide it's now out of control.Of course our council person's do work hard but what about those we pay for that don't even know? The state is broke and Hammonton won't be far behind, so look at cuts now.Why does a part time board or commission appointment come with taxpayer funed benefits.ASs concerned people we must look into this.

Permalink · Date: 10:17 AM Jan 23, 2008

I understant health benefits are $6,000 a year for the Councilmen.

I also understand the Mayor got a hundred thousand dollar tax abatement on his shopping center this year, even though he was late paying taxes on it. I guess he can afford to buy his own insurance!

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The buyout for the Councilman are said by a previous poster to be $6,000 although it is my understanding it is 50% of the cost, saving the town the other 50%. That figure would be $9,000. Full benefit costs are about $18,000 per council member.

Permalink · Date: 11:16 AM Jan 23, 2008

the tax program was put in place by the rep and dems so blame it on them . lastly the tax break goes to the tennant you know the common people. so it is helping them to get a start on a new up start company. i do think they should rewrite it the tax law so that it is only for larger buildings

Permalink · Date: 01:11 PM Jan 23, 2008

Admin wrote:

In the 1/23 edition of the Press of Atlantic City, the editorial took the stance that government officials such as municipal, county freeholders, and members of the State Assembly and Senate, are part time employees and as such should not receive health benefits. Click here to read the entire editorial.
The Hammonton Democrats agree with the Press. The rules have to change. The costs are too high. We have in the past defended Council members who have taken the benefits or the buyout, but that is because we can only hold the council members to the current rules. All of those members followed the rules and we can not hold them to made up, personal feeling rules.
Having said that, the rules have to change. The private sector in the vast majority of cases does not offer health benefits to part time employees. Some would argue that council members are "on-call" 24 hours a day and therefore considered full time. That, in our opinion, is not how it should be. Council members are policy and law makers and nothing else. They should not be micro-managing different departments. They are supposed to insure that we have hired the right people to do those jobs and council just writes the rules they need to follow.
Health benefits for council members cost about $18,000 each. The buyout that each council person can take instead is $9,000.That comes to a potential $63,000-$126,000 cost to the taxpayers. It is time to chanage the rules and eliminate the controversy that surrounds this issue. End the health benefits to these part time employees.

You probably should go to fiscal meeting to present this. Since HF hasn't take the buyout or benefits anyway, the council people would probably be very open to this. You might as well get some positives for your idea :)

Permalink · Date: 04:08 PM Jan 23, 2008

when will the mayor start paying taxes on his shopping center? the rest of us have to pay taxes!

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The tax abatement decreases each year by 20% until he pays full taxes, so in 5 years he will be paying 100% of the taxes. This year is zero, next year 20%, the following year 40%, etc.

Permalink · Date: 06:59 PM Jan 23, 2008

Anonymous wrote:
Admin wrote:

In the 1/23 edition of the Press of Atlantic City, the editorial took the stance that government officials such as municipal, county freeholders, and members of the State Assembly and Senate, are part time employees and as such should not receive health benefits. Click here to read the entire editorial.
The Hammonton Democrats agree with the Press. The rules have to change. The costs are too high. We have in the past defended Council members who have taken the benefits or the buyout, but that is because we can only hold the council members to the current rules. All of those members followed the rules and we can not hold them to made up, personal feeling rules.
Having said that, the rules have to change. The private sector in the vast majority of cases does not offer health benefits to part time employees. Some would argue that council members are "on-call" 24 hours a day and therefore considered full time. That, in our opinion, is not how it should be. Council members are policy and law makers and nothing else. They should not be micro-managing different departments. They are supposed to insure that we have hired the right people to do those jobs and council just writes the rules they need to follow.
Health benefits for council members cost about $18,000 each. The buyout that each council person can take instead is $9,000.That comes to a potential $63,000-$126,000 cost to the taxpayers. It is time to chanage the rules and eliminate the controversy that surrounds this issue. End the health benefits to these part time employees.

You probably should go to fiscal meeting to present this. Since HF hasn't take the buyout or benefits anyway, the council people would probably be very open to this. You might as well get some positives for your idea :)

The Democrats have a very good idea here. In addition, one councilman has a town owned cell phone. Why should we pay for a cell phone for a councilman? EVeryone should pay for his own, wouldn't you agree?

Permalink · Date: 07:27 PM Jan 23, 2008

Anonymous wrote:
The Democrats have a very good idea here. In addition, one councilman has a town owned cell phone. Why should we pay for a cell phone for a councilman? EVeryone should pay for his own, wouldn't you agree?

Is it for used for work? Seems like it woudlnt' be an issue. What is an issue is the Mayor getting a hundred thousand dollar tax abatement on the taxpayer's backs.

Shouldn't he volunteer to pay that money back?

Permalink · Date: 07:31 PM Jan 23, 2008

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
The Democrats have a very good idea here. In addition, one councilman has a town owned cell phone. Why should we pay for a cell phone for a councilman? EVeryone should pay for his own, wouldn't you agree?
Is it for used for work? Seems like it woudlnt' be an issue. What is an issue is the Mayor getting a hundred thousand dollar tax abatement on the taxpayer's backs.

Shouldn't he volunteer to pay that money back?

Why should a councilman get a cell phone? What is that needed for? Why does only one person need it? Who is that person? If HF is for open government they should tell the taxpayers who that is.

Permalink · Date: 06:34 AM Jan 24, 2008

This is out of control. Yesterday the firsters bring up health benefits for council members,later the mayor supports toll hikes because he will benefit,and now someone has a taxpayer funded cell phone. Enough is Enough what is up with this town. Why it all of this money going out the window? Then some get tax breaks. Look at the money this has cost us. If they had been giving us a true 0 tax increase they could have our cut taxes. This needs to be looked at. Just think how much waste there is state wide. 25 states are now in budget shortfall in the US. The time is now make true cuts, not the phony ones you talk about.Glad this website has taken the stands it has on most of these issues. Now we need to know just who has the taxpayer funded cell phone, they need to hand it in.

Permalink · Date: 08:11 AM Jan 24, 2008

Why does Jimmy Bertino need a cell phone paid for by the taxpayers? Why is Bertino the only councilman who has one paid for by the town? It is good to see the Democrats speaking out against this waste of money as well as the waste of money for politicians getting health benefits.

Permalink · Date: 09:42 PM Jan 26, 2008

Vitalo should give up the benefits. Keep in mind so years age they were cut and someone brought them back.Now we are stuck paying benefits for a guy who sits on council and has no real committee. He is beginning to look like a jumping jack with having to make a comment on everything. 18,000.00 plus a council pay for what? Lets put an end to benefits now, no other committee,board or group in Hammonton gets them so end it NOW....

Permalink · Date: 10:09 AM Jan 27, 2008

Vitalo taking health benefits and Bertino grabbing a cell phone with our money is a joke. This has to stop. The Democrats are speaking out for the little people to fight the fat cat Republicans.

Permalink · Date: 06:30 AM Jan 28, 2008

At the next meeting Vitalo should give up the benefits if not we should ask him to resign. There would be no difference, after all he don't even have a committee, so what are we paying for. New '08 slogan "Jerry Must Go"

Permalink · Date: 06:49 PM Jan 28, 2008

I wonder if the Democrats will show at the next council meeting they want to kept residents taxes down and speak out in favor of this. Or will they do nothing?

Permalink · Date: 09:06 PM Jan 30, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

I wonder if the Democrats will show at the next council meeting they want to kept residents taxes down and speak out in favor of this. Or will they do nothing?

Why would you say such a thing? Of course the Democrats will speak out to help Hammonton. They have done that all along. I am sure they will have someone help us on this.

Permalink · Date: 06:23 AM Feb 1, 2008

Jerry must go, he doesn't even have a committee, nor would he know what to do with one.All he does is run around all day and tell people how much people like him, to put it frankly he's a joke, that's why I don't like political jokes I"ve seen to many get elected. With any luck the GOP will cut him loose, or just maybe he can start a 4th party, of course that's something he has spouted since he was sworn in.Or he can run arond town all day and tell folks why he's got to have benefits.I hope he doesn't act like an ass again at the February council meeting,he should go review the film and get a good look at himself. Of course some of his cheer leaders tell him what a great job he's doing, only if they knew. 1 down and 11 months to go and he's out of here.....yes!

Permalink · Date: 01:22 PM Feb 4, 2008

Maybe Vitalo should run for the Senate, after all, they all get life time benefits just like Jerry wants, plus they do nothing just like him.

Permalink · Date: 01:05 AM Feb 5, 2008

Will the Democrats speak out at the next council meeting against health benefits for politicians are will they stay silent so they can get the benefits if they ever get elected?