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MapleChimes OP t1_j3w05vo wrote

Some local corruption: Wayne, NJ

With only 3 years left in Vergano's 4th term as mayor and after doing the job part-time for about 15 years, the mayor of Wayne is now looking to make his job full-time despite already having a full-time administration that runs the office on a daily basis.

He now wants to make a 140k salary, more than mayors in some of NJ's largest towns like Paterson and Jersey City make. Interesting timing as he is about to retire from his actual full-time job and the pension for retirement and access to health insurance as a public servant is only based off of the last 3 years. He is clearly just looking to retire with a large pension and health benefits at the tax payer's expense for doing what is only a part-time job.

His handling of affordable housing was terrible. He refused to build any, comparing them to places that only belong in Camden. That was until he was hit with a lawsuit. Now developers are taking advantage of that by building a large amount of luxury apartments with the bare minimum of affordable housing. The strip malls are run down with many empty businesses. And now he wants a significant raise?! 🙄 With a mostly republican town council, he unfortunately will get what he wants. 😡

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Virtual_Explanation7 t1_j43pigh wrote

Don’t forget clogging Willowbrook Mall’s entrances, 2 movie theaters within a 1/4 mile of each other, driving out corporations (because atrocious taxation deals), and replacing staples of the community with franchises that are below standards.

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Bro-Science t1_j3x86d6 wrote

is there a term limit in wayne? is this his last term? or are people just speculating that he will retire at the end of the term if this is passed?

im just confused on what retirement from his private sector job has to do with his public sector service.

also comparing salaries to other cities is kinda dumb. town pay what they can afford. look at the average salary of a wayne police officer vs a paterson police officer. wayne pays more significantly more for a far less dangerous job.

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MapleChimes OP t1_j3xc98c wrote

The timing, lack of transparency, and hastiness at which it's being done is what makes it suspicious. I don't think it's dumb to compare the salaries of mayors in other towns. This definitely puts him at the high end. Given that the 2 people who run the daily administrative work of the town are keeping their jobs, I don't see how this changes what he currently does part-time. Therefore, I see no justification for this sudden change. I think voters should get a say.

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Virtual_Explanation7 t1_j43ocou wrote

He is trying to offset his loses. The mayor of Wayne is only a part time job as the administrator of town does 90% of the work.

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Batumi19 t1_j3w0hja wrote

Make the job full time but also make the responsibilities full time by transferring some duties from other administrators to the mayor. A mayor shouldn't really be a figurehead anyway.

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MapleChimes OP t1_j3w2tih wrote

It should be left up to the voters to elect a full-time mayor in the next election. Not some last minute deal to get a 5k monthly pension and health benefits for doing a part-time job. He only has 3 years left in his term. When he was re-elected he knew it was a part-time job. But all he needs is 3 years to get that big lifetime payout at the end. This is just a last minute money grab for his retirement. It's for him, not the town. And a 140k salary is absurd compared to mayors in much larger towns.

Edit: He also is not being transparent about what responsibilities he'd be taking on that he didn't do in the past. He says he wants to bring businesses in, but there is a separate committee for that so what have they been doing...

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rockmasterflex t1_j40av78 wrote

100% altering the form of government is something the voters should have input on. You don’t need a full time 140k mayor AND n admin. That’s just silly.

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MapleChimes OP t1_j40w45b wrote

Yes, thank you. There's a petition going around online for the people of this town to sign to make this a referendum question on the ballot for the next mayor election. However, no notice was given about this publicly. One council member posted about it on Facebook which got shared to a town Facebook page I follow, then it showed up in some local news like News12. I'm sure most people in town have no idea about this last minute change. The council votes in less than 1 week. Stinks of some back room private deal.

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TimSPC t1_j3ydrde wrote

It feels like Wayne should have a full time mayor. It's big enough and there's a lot of commerce and whatnot.

Ideally, it would be implemented after the next election.

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invaderjif t1_j3zx0js wrote

Is this the same guy that was against Marijuana dispensaries in Wayne?

Edit: yup: https://www.tapinto.net/towns/wayne/sections/government/articles/township-council-introduces-ordinance-to-ban-marijuana-businesses-in-wayne

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Virtual_Explanation7 t1_j43q2ny wrote

Also the same genius who drove the corporations out because he negotiated they pay 0 taxes for 15 years but the full amount the final 5. Needless to say they all opted out of their lease the final year. He also thought it was brilliant to have 2 movie theaters a 1/4 mile from each other.

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MapleChimes OP t1_j4403t6 wrote

Is that why there are so many abandoned storefronts?

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Virtual_Explanation7 t1_j495hz3 wrote

Part of the reason is that he gives breaks to developers so it’s cheaper to build new than repair. But It’s also because of greedy landlords

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MapleChimes OP t1_j46u6ew wrote

Ugh... you know, that pisses me off too. Why are towns against dispensaries? It's a profitable business.

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invaderjif t1_j46wbwy wrote

This guy has a viewpoint that it brings in unwanted elements.

But this guy clearly sucks. Who the he'll is happy with Mr part time?

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MapleChimes OP t1_j46y71y wrote

The only element I see it bringing in is money. LOL

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DapperCadaver2021 t1_j3xvijl wrote

Sounds like Roxbury

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MapleChimes OP t1_j3xwh27 wrote

Just read up quick on that town. Did a lone democrat on town council get excluded from committees?

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DapperCadaver2021 t1_j3ypji8 wrote

Yep, cesspool of a town. Huge lack of small businesses. Almost all corporate restaurants and such. Feels like the mayor is only out for money

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Ecstatic-Passage-113 t1_j3wxa3x wrote

Wouldn't the next mayor get the salary too? Either way he don't need a raise.

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MapleChimes OP t1_j3wz07z wrote

If the town council votes yes on this on the 18th then yes. I have no problem with the town needing a full-time mayor but this isn't the way to go about it. The voters should vote for who should be a full time mayor in the next election. I think it's obvious he's looking for a big pension and health benefits (at tax payer's expense) for his retirement for only doing a part-time job.

And no matter who is mayor next, I think a salary of 140k is too much in comparison to what mayors in some of NJ's largest towns make. Wayne mayor doesn't need to make more money than the mayor of Paterson which has 3 times more people. There are also 2 people working full-time doing the daily administrative work already so there doesn't seem to be any justification for this last minute change other than money.

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Mr_Matt_K t1_j3xggq5 wrote

If only the 27th Amendment applied to all elected positions instead of just Congress...

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DFritch t1_j3z29o5 wrote

I can understand a possible need for full time along with the salary, but the pension bonus is garbage. Give him the full time with a deal that excludes an impact on pension.

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Seahawk70 t1_j3z4xvm wrote

Clicked on the link to see what town. Was not surprised.

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new_tanker t1_j3xu68z wrote

He was probably a good guy before he went into politics and became corrupt. It's a damn shame how politics makes damn fine human beings into corrupt asses.

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MapleChimes OP t1_j3xvm7b wrote

So true. What he's doing isn't illegal, but it's greedy and unfair to taxpayers.

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