There are concerns involving Trenton's payroll company, Innovative Payroll Services
TRENTON -- Issues have arisen with Trenton's payroll company, prompting the city to reach out to the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office.
File photo of Trenton City Hall on E. State St. (Michael Mancuso | For NJ.com ) Prosecutor's office spokeswoman Casey DeBlasio said the city came to them with concerns about Innovative Payroll Services.
"At this point in time, we are waiting for the city to provide us with additional information," she said.
Joseph Perone, spokesman for the state Department of Treasury, deferred comment to the city.
"Because of confidentiality statutes, we cannot comment on any communications with taxpayers, which include municipalities," he said.
City spokesman Michael Walker said he could not comment at this time.
Under the proposed $216.4 million budget for the 2016 fiscal year, salaries make up 38.1 percent.
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Council members first learned there was a problem with IPS during Tuesday's executive session, but some say that it was discussed illegally.
Council had voted to go into executive session to discuss pending litigation, but it wasn't announced that the issues with the payroll company would also be brought up.
"We went into executive session for one item," Councilwoman Phyllis Holly-Ward said. "We discussed the lawsuit, but then immediately afterward without advertising, they went into another subject that shouldn't have been discussed without advertisement."
She said Council President Zachary Chester, Business Administrator Terry McEwen and Law Director Marc McKithen had planned on discussing the matter, but didn't disclose it to the rest of council.
"It's a very serious subject," Holly-Ward said. "It appears that it was an intent to hide it from the public and press."
The city's contract with the West Berlin-based company to provide payroll and human resource information systems services was extended for a third and final year in June 2014. Last year, six-month extensions were approved on June 18 and again on Dec. 17 to allow time for the city to prepare new specifications and go out to bid for a new vendor.
A message left for the CEO of IPS was not immediately returned.
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.