The Brigantine Taxpayers Association published their annual recap and review of city expenditures. Even as most cities in New Jersey are downsizing, Brigantine is still the one town where it’s ‘business as usual’. Let’s review….
About 65% of Brigantine’s municipal budget is set aside for public employee salaries. 2016 City payroll exceeds $11 million. Brigantine municipal tax rate increased 62% from 2010 to 2016
Brigantine has a declining population, somewhere in the vicinity of 9,000 full-time residents. Some reports suggest that number is much lower. Brigantine added four new employees over the past year. All within public safety
32 Brigantine employees have a salary of $100,000 or more.
- Longevity Bonus (getting paid for showing up) isn’t ‘frozen’ as originally promised. It’s still accruing for those hired before Jan 1, 2015.
- In 2016, longevity bonus payments to public union employees cost Brigantine taxpayers $355,000.
- Brigantine public union employees have 12 paid holidays. Excessive when compared to private sector.
- Brigantine employees still accrue personal & sick days from year to year. They don’t have to ‘use it or lose it.’
- Brigantine taxpayers still give out ‘BOAT CHECKS’ to retiring employees.
- Employees who don’t use sick days are given two additional comp days the following year.
- In 2016, taxpayers paid $2,350,000 for employee group health.
- Brigantine still over-pays for job responsibilities. Uses highly-paid firefighter as city’s fire official: Mayor Guenther’s brother-in-law, Bill Baldwin. Mr. Baldwin is also the husband of a very well-paid Brigantine school employee.
- Take a look at Mr. Baldwin’s Brigantine FD 2016 comp package here:
- $122,000+ base pay
- 4 day work week at 36 hrs pr week.
- 8 full weeks of vacation
- 180 hrs of Sick Time
- 6 Paid Holidays
- 2 Bonus days & 1 Personal day
- 12% base pay raise & continued longevity bonus
- Full health care w/ very limited contribution
- Health care contributions avoided for past 4 years
- Cadillac tax picked up by taxpayers in 2018
- Pension
- Pension Pain. Due to record high costs associated with Brigantine Public Safety, taxpayers spent $1.6 million in 2016, for contributions to the police and firemen’s retirement system.
- WATCH VIDEO. City Council talks compensation for Mayor’s brother-in-law.
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Every resident and homeowner in Brigantine should watch this video. The ruling class has not only violated their fiduciary responsibility, they have violated the public trust they vowed to uphold when they were elected to office. An argument can be made that their actions exceed mere incompetence and border on being criminal. I would urge Mr. DeLucry to share this presentation with the US Attorney and the NJ AG. There are many other examples of excesses that warrant a full investigation.