At it's February 11th meeting the Fiscal Oversight Committee voted unanimously to end the practice of offering health benefits or buyouts to Council members. Suzanne Oddo verified that Council members are in fact part time employees. According to a report in the Hammonton Gazette, Chairman Don DiDonato also brought up the discussion of ending any compensation to council members, including the $6,500 salary for council and $8,000 salary for Mayor. While most committee members voiced opposition to the ending of the salary, all were in favor of discontinuing health benefits. The Hammonton Democrats also disagree with any change in regular salary, but we support the FOC and their recommendation to end health benefits. See, we can agree on some things!
what a joke; you can thank the dems and reps for this. they started the practice of paying the m and c and giving them health insurance. Public service means that you do not make anything for doing it. they should not get any health or pay. just like the guy at the airport gets 6k and health insurance. If we cut out all this crap we would have enough money not to bond for chewing gum. I think the foc has done a good job with this .
Good Starting Point for Local Government. Maybe this will lead to tougher bargaining agreements with the local police, teachers, municipal workers. Saleries and pensions of state, federal and government workers must be reduced at all levels of government.
The only downside to this is.... Vitalo can't use his town paid for health insurance that comes out of my tax bill to get his head out of his posterior. oh well
Some of the commenters here should be ashamed of themselves. You're attacking Jerry Vitalo for accepting a benefits package that was offered to him for holding the position of Councilperson.
He didn't create the rule of health benefits for the position, he just took them as part of the job he's filling.
And guess what, I'm sure he'd be happy to not get benefits, either. The few of you posting here attacking him, calling him names, and saying moronic statements about him show just how ignorant, childish, and jealous you are of his successes for the voters and the town.
It's a shame, really. The phony Fiscal Oversight Committee is making a big stink about cutting benefits, but they have no problem with the chairman's brother getting hundreds of thousands of dollars of tax breaks for his developments all over town. Who's really getting the big break here, Jerry or the Mayor?
Some of the commenters here should be ashamed of themselves. You're attacking Jerry Vitalo for accepting a benefits package that was offered to him for holding the position of Councilperson.
He didn't create the rule of health benefits for the position, he just took them as part of the job he's filling.
And guess what, I'm sure he'd be happy to not get benefits, either. The few of you posting here attacking him, calling him names, and saying moronic statements about him show just how ignorant, childish, and jealous you are of his successes for the voters and the town.
It's a shame, really. The phony Fiscal Oversight Committee is making a big stink about cutting benefits, but they have no problem with the chairman's brother getting hundreds of thousands of dollars of tax breaks for his developments all over town. Who's really getting the big break here, Jerry or the Mayor?
After reading your comments one can find them most interesting. There has never been a reason that the tax payers should have to pay for a councilpersons benefits.The reason it has been such a big deal with Jerry is that he is more interested in telling people about his benefits. One can think of hundreds of volunteers that have given so much to Hammonton and never took benefits.Let's start with our fire men. One could think of no greater group of volunteers who get nothing.
And for saying he be happy not to getting benefits, who do you think your kidding. That's why he wants to be on council.He will probably fight for them at the next council meeting. After all everyone loves him, yeah right.
Also , NO ONE is jealous of his success, he truly won an election by accident, and god only knows the voters will correct that this time.His list of accomplishments is so short it doesn't even exist. Maybe thats' why he was removed from every committee.What has he done? After watching his performance at council meetings one can see why he gets nothing done.He has made stinks about this and that but nothing of substance. If the GOP is dumb enough to let him run again he will have such a short list of accomplishments that they could run his entire campaign on a post-it-note.
Jerry is done, he shouldn't rerun again. To quote the late Texas Governor," stick a fork in him he's done."
Health Benefits No More..............yes No Tax Increases........................yes Vitalo On No Committees..............yes Fix Reagan Rock, That Not Broken...No November Election, No More Vitalo.....YES....YES....YES
Bye-bye Jerry, not even spinzo can save you now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Health Benefits No More..............yes No Tax Increases........................yes Vitalo On No Committees..............yes Fix Reagan Rock, That Not Broken...No November Election, No More Vitalo.....YES....YES....YES
Bye-bye Jerry, not even spinzo can save you now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So Hammonton First is going to stop state mandated health care packages? Awesome! Who's going to pay the legal fees when the town has to sue the state to remove them? I guess we'll be giving Brian Howell a $30,000 raise. Oh wait, that's already in this year's budget!
No tax increases? How are we going to pay for the change orders given to Dolan Construction that were never approved by Council? Guess we'll have to hope Brian Howell turns down that $30,000 raise in this year's budget.
Vitalo on No Committees? You want him off of the COAH Commitee? Kind of like how Mayor DiDonato was absent at an important meeting to settle a COAH case against Hammonton in 2007?
Don't fix Reagan Rock? Good idea, let's leave the memorial in the dark like HF leaves taxpayers in the dark!
November Election, No More Vitalo? What, will the mayor just be appointing Council seats now, like he appointed his brother to the Planning Baord and his other brother to the Fiscal Oversight Committee and the Ordinance Review Commitee?
Jerry, I heard that you and your handler read this, so if your reading this. After yesterdays article in the Gazzette you truly make me sick. Knowing that you have done nothing but take from the people of Hammonton. Most people get involved to give back to their community, you got involved to take. Go to council on Monday and give up the benefits.You are a joke.
At it's February 11th meeting the Fiscal Oversight Committee voted unanimously to end the practice of offering health benefits or buyouts to Council members. Suzanne Oddo verified that Council members are in fact part time employees. According to a report in the Hammonton Gazette, Chairman Don DiDonato also brought up the discussion of ending any compensation to council members, including the $6,500 salary for council and $8,000 salary for Mayor. While most committee members voiced opposition to the ending of the salary, all were in favor of discontinuing health benefits. The Hammonton Democrats also disagree with any change in regular salary, but we support the FOC and their recommendation to end health benefits. See, we can agree on some things!
-- Edited by Admin at 10:20, 2008-02-13
This will save money and help get to another zero tax increase year!
Jerry, I heard that you and your handler read this, so if your reading this. After yesterdays article in the Gazzette you truly make me sick. Knowing that you have done nothing but take from the people of Hammonton. Most people get involved to give back to their community, you got involved to take. Go to council on Monday and give up the benefits.You are a joke.
if that make you sick, wait till you see on Monday's meeting when the Mayor will get his first $15,000 check approved for his tax abatement on Rasberry Run.
FLEECING OF HAMMONTON! Only $85,000 more or so to give back to the Mayor before the abatement's done. I guess we can pay for that by charging people when they call 911.
At it's February 11th meeting the Fiscal Oversight Committee voted unanimously to end the practice of offering health benefits or buyouts to Council members. Suzanne Oddo verified that Council members are in fact part time employees. According to a report in the Hammonton Gazette, Chairman Don DiDonato also brought up the discussion of ending any compensation to council members, including the $6,500 salary for council and $8,000 salary for Mayor. While most committee members voiced opposition to the ending of the salary, all were in favor of discontinuing health benefits. The Hammonton Democrats also disagree with any change in regular salary, but we support the FOC and their recommendation to end health benefits. See, we can agree on some things!
-- Edited by Admin at 10:20, 2008-02-13
This is an issue that all Hammontonians agree on. It will be interesting to see what those councilpeople who have taken the benefits do this year.
