Trenton Administration Forwards Council 2018 - 2021 Salary Increase Recommendations in First Quarter

The ordinance reads, "whereas salary ranges for the Mayor, Business Administrator, Department Directors and Municipal Judges of the City of Trenton are required to be established by Ordinance and; whereas the City now desires to adopt an ordinance fixing the updated salary ranges for these positions for the period from 10/11/18 through 12/31/21; now therefore, it is ordained by the City Council of the City of Trenton that the salary ranges for certain City Officials shall be as follows:

Mayor:

10/11/18 - 12/31/19 - $168,145 - $195,119

01/01/20 - 12/31/20 - $173,189 - $200,972

01/01/21 - 12/31/21 - $178,384 - $207,001

BA; Water & Sewer; Housing and Economic Development Directors:

10/11/18 - 12/31/19 - $160,853 - $189,424

01/01/20 - 12/31/20 - $165,678 - $195,106

01/01/21 - 12/31/21 - $170,648 - $200,959

Chief of Staff:

10/11/18 - 12/31/21 - $136,689 - $171,618

Municipal Judges

10/11/18 - 12/31/21 - $98,181 - $137,570

Chief Judge

10/11/18 - 12/31/21 - $107,999 - $140,325

Department Directors

10/11/18 - 12/31/19 - $127,853 - $166,119

01/01/20 - 12/31/20 - $134,245 - $174,424

01/01/21 - 12/31/21 - $140, 957- $183,145

Division Directors

10/11/18 - 12/31/21 - $98,181 - $137,570

Council Members

10/11/18 - 12/31/21 - $35,000

This ordinance was delivered on the docket for its preliminary review under advise and consent on Tuesday 09.04.18. Thursday, 09.06.18, the official first reading, will be the Council meeting instituting the first quarter of the City's new 2019 fiscal year. We should review some background for what appears to be, in my estimation, a move of poor judgement and unbridled greed on the part of the City's executive branch; a covert and presumptuous lack of integrity and fiduciary, fiscal prudence, premised on a missing reality check regarding the economic landscape that is the City of Trenton.

Let's not forget, 80% of Trenton residents live below the poverty line. We have homeless who are sprouting tent cities under trees in our parks and other encampments. There are at least six shootings that have occurred in the last eight days (they come so quickly, I can't tell you how many were fatal) but believe at least a minimum of two lives may have been disposed. This morning's paper reports there were 10 wounded over the Labor Day weekend. What we have here folks is the same amalgam of demographics, same problem neighborhoods, same corroborating factors of crime, drugs and urban underachievement, same "Sin City" downtown gateway, and it seems, the same fractured, self centered and seemingly unethical leadership. Or are Trenton executives simply demonstrating poor judgement?

Regarding the recent shootings, there's been no response from Mayor Reed though he's not missed any photo ops touching the community to clean, attending to water works challenges in Washington with the Council President or celebrating in the parks or at a barbecue. And we may also have a new Weedman, for all intent and purpose, as Mr. Syphax unveils his plans for a medicinal dispensary in the City. It seemed to me coming off the heals of the 2018 election that something was amiss with all the parties all summer long, then the overly staged and exasperated costly efforts of cleaning (albeit there was much good will on the part of the citizenry and the sites were greatly improved at two critical problem sites) but to what end? Particularly if the leadership is silent on other community challenges, like incessant shootings, day in and day out... and the direction the fledgling mayor is thinking about taking to resolve critical problems... So he's demarcated his position on the MOU; that's good. But what else?

The fostering of good will in the neighborhoods, and the branding of the "Mr. Clean" mayor as immediately impactful, seems a reasonable strategy; but me now thinks it was akin to fattening the ganders in the gaggle of geese (which characteristically describes much of the Trenton citizenry) for the kill? Games and neighborhood celebrations are public involvement and relational strategies to lull people, especially poor people, into states of perceived gratification and wellness; in spite of significantly inadequate municipal realities and deteriorating neighborhood environments staring them in the face.

This ordinance and its timing, undermines the character and perception of the Mayor's foundational efforts to set his course... he might want to make the author of Ordinance 18 - 47 aware of this. It really makes makes one wonder what will be the depth and breadth of the mayor's inaugural planning if salaries are the admin's priority? What will the transition plan demonstrate, and will the right trajectories be identified for lifting the city's boats in a harbor that our bureaucrats seem intent on draining?

I am hopeful this council will betray this seeming lack of perception and put the people's needs and their "culture as an institution" ahead of personal gain and the intentionally codified and guided wording that serves to meet the needs of a few well positioned bureaucrats. In August of 2016, the current BA, under the Jackson administration noted "as we reach the end of our negotiations with all collective bargaining units, it becomes necessary to adjust the salaries of those city employees that do not fall under any collective bargaining agreement." Further, Mr. McEwen wrote in the July 15, 2016 memo to Council members, "It is this administration's intention to provide a similar cost-of-living adjustment to our non-contractual employees to allow the positions to remain competitive in the current market."

Under that ordinance at the beginning of 2018, the salary ranges could have increased 15.5% for the mayor and BA; 19.7% for the Chief of Staff; 15.5% for Judges and Chief Judge (although this range for the current ordinance seems to be lower than reported in 2016) and department directors; $23,000 from $20,000 for council members; also 15%. Council at that time, which in hindsight, seemed fiscally prudent, approved (10/16) 3 percent raises for the city's top officials, "but voted against giving themselves a pay bump. The salary increases, retroactive to Jan. 1, were the equivalent of giving 1.5 percent raises for 2015 and 2016."

So it appears at my first rendering to understand this landscape, that the Administration is back to complete unfinished business, leveraging rules of ordinance to ensure a salary increase takes place, primarily on the grounds that Trenton municipal executives are underpaid. The admin seems to be following the example of the County Freeholders in this regard as they are also being propositioned by the County Administration for increases in the Executive branch with the caveat that increases are also included for themselves.

I wrote in April of this year, in an unpublished blog, that the previous Council’s egregious record, inability to protect the City’s interests and serve in the capacity of checks and balances for the Executive branch had been dismal. This was evidenced in

• Botching of the last effort at salary increases in 2016 and then the establishing justifications for approving the unmerited raises;

• Demonstrating a lack of creativity in managing regressive tax burdens that forced a longstanding overdue tax assessment upon the tax payers the impact of which is still reeking havoc in the lives of Trenton property owners; and,

• Failing oversight for city divisions and their management of vendors in the interests of city’s coffers (embezzlement of $4.7 million in payroll taxes slated for the IRS resulted in Trenton Council approving “an emergency appropriation” to pay the Internal Revenue Service for payroll tax deposits. A municipal General Obligation bond – removed the $4.7 million liability from the current year’s budget."

All of this (just a slice truthfully) cumulatively, points toward no relative acknowledgment of restraints on the use of the city's fiscal coffers and now, two years later, a new administration, under the same establishment tutelage, are asking for 15% raises again. What has changed, in a city climate, 60 days post election, satiated in the spirit of Labor Day closeouts and dwindling summer? This Council has barely formed its operating culture; some are reticent to work with others. Muschal, Caldwell Wilson and Harrison have formed a brigade with President McBride to guide the mechanics of process; a contemptuous effort on the President's part particularly, to wield a strong council - the form of government however, is strong mayor; weak council.

And this Council President's attempts, to placate her masters, and look good at the same time, are not impressive - especially in deference to her inability to establish an ethos of cooperation within the council body. McBride, whose name is thankfully missing on this ordinance, has been as non transparent in her dereliction of duty as is possible... she is however, required to move an Ordinance; as are the Clerk, BA, Law Director and any Mayoral proxies; the question is, does the information make its way to rest of Council? Clearly the Ordinance was generated and is being advocated in house. This makes me believe that much of this crop of legislative leadership, will not do any more than take counsel from the same establishment cabal that led the last mayor and legislative body, around by their nose rings.

Further, we remain hard pressed to discern if all Council members are equipped to understand from a critically analytical and public relations skill set, their fiduciary and more important, fiscal responsibilities? They understand their power - but are they game, to take cover in the language that the ordinance and Council Rules provide - in exchange for what would be a flagrant example of poor financial practice and civic unfairness; on the grounds of benefiting personally - to the tune of 45k each over the length of their terms - on top of their current compensation?

So continuing - does our present council demonstrate by virtue of skill set or empirical evidence, knowledge that is required to be effective in their roles? This is not to say that all are ill equipped. Blakeley has dreamed of this for a life time... he's done his work - his exuberance and confidence however may be his greatest liabilities - intellectually however, he is a brilliant young man. Harrison is in a learning curve and will be there for sometime; it's what forces him into the legions of the previously incumbent council persons and our mayor, whom I am labeling with this writing, "Trenton's Great White Hope." Don't be aghast, ya'll know this assertion has teeth; and aligned with our misguided African American strongholds, (interestingly represented by the Council President) Marge, George and Joe are a formidable bastion of legislative votes that can destabilize any affinity the other members may muster.

So there seems to be little potential thus far, for the kind of innovative, vertical or horizontal thinking, and nimble thought leadership that will be needed to lead municipal change in our legislative and executive bodies. Going further, Santiago is someone who we can expect to keep our legislative body honest with inquiry and demarcating intention - particularly if slighted during Council protocols and processes. The West Ward Councilwoman is also off to a good start branding her skill set as more intensive and assertive than the rest. The controversy she has unbridled has been indicative of a scrappy opponent, who given her druthers, would like to move in the interests of her constituencies; at least she is setting boundaries - the rest remains to be seen.

It is Council President however, as you should be able to tell by now, that gives me the most pause. She's empirically saturated with two prior terms on council before this current incumbency; surely there must be an ability to build consensus with other leadership? Then there's the proclivity toward non availability and secrecy. Now, I go ghost on particular associations, that drain my resource and intellect; but I haven't been elected to office - public servants within the governing body, do not have that luxury. McBride would do well, in my estimation, to remember the legacy she considers leaving is one that must be integral and not self serving, particularly if the rest of council is going to follow her lead. If led by coercion and greed, then that is what will be cultivated and cascaded into the City. I like to think, we've had enough of that. So begging the question, being unequivocally direct, but I surely won't be the first to say:

• A $35,000 part time annual salary is more money than 80% of families living in the city earn in a year;

• The Council, other than the incumbents, ran on character and integrity precepts in the interests of the citizens just two months ago - they will demonstrate an egregious slant toward immediate gratification, if they take the bait of the administration and grant themselves immediate pay raises. Administrators it seems, (our mayor included) are padding pensions on the backs of an already strained municipal stream of revenues and disbursements;

• There is no basis in the claim that the NJ jobs market is demanding Trenton must up it's ante regarding pay scales - I hear this lame excuse in other board rooms where CEO's think there's money to give away; there is talent here that the city fails to tap because they won't play ball with a corrupt order - not because the dollars are unfair.

• Further, wages have been stagnant for decades in America overall, as the rich rape the public troughs for personal/personnel gain - review the proposed ranges again; how is this any different? It is usury, in its worst form, to pillage the public's money, while the people being served benefit not! Ask the folks who are traumatized every time their quarterly tax bills show up, how they feel about these proposed raises?

• Lastly, Council has demonstrated no meritorious basis (nor the mayor and his staff for that matter), to justify any pay increases... for God's sake, his Honor has not even forwarded an initial assessment of the state of the City's government practice or given any indication of priorities for the eagerly awaited transitional report - like a timeline for completion. His mayoral advisers appear under whelmingly overwhelmed - with absorbing the pace and depth of the Trenton political, municipal, social and underground landscapes, but yet the admin has no problems giving them large raises for what are for all intent and purposes, celebrations of inaugural executive position.

Council at this juncture, should demonstrate the same prudence it chose in 2016, and revisit the salary increases mid term in 2020; what's the rush? Perhaps there will be enough success in the City's till by then to justify some portion of the increases. The proposition by the City now, at this juncture in what is at the very best, a stringently tenuous transition process, is greed or unawareness - I'm not sure which, but Trenton needs neither in its halls of leadership. I wonder if Council's understanding of leadership, its leader and the Mayor are up to it?