The clarification comes as the mayor has faced growing opposition from a group of residents
TRENTON -- Trenton's mayor, facing growing opposition from a group of residents about proposed pay raises for the city's top officials, said Friday that the increases would only be 1.5 percent -- considerably lower than the 15.5 percent over three years that was initially reported.
"Let me clear, no way in heck would I ever or did I intend for my staff to ever suggest ... that the administration, inclusive of the mayor, would receive 15 percent increases," Mayor Eric Jackson said during a meeting he called with NJ Advance Media. "I would never do that."
The clarification comes as momentum has been building for a petition to force a public vote should they be approved.
The ordinance seeks to update the salary ranges for the mayor, business administrator, chief of staff, municipal judges, department directors, division directors and city council members.
But Jackson said the confusion came from an attached memo that showed that the city's officials, judges and heads of departments could get as much as 15.5 percent over three years and city council members, 15 percent increases.
Instead, the mayor said that his intention from Day 1 has been to give annual 1.5 percent increases, which would be in line with the six city unions' newly negotiated contracts.
On Sept. 15, should the ordinance setting the salary ranges be approved, City Council would also vote on a resolution to give 3 percent raises -- or the equivalent of 1.5 percent raises for 2015 and 2016.
Under the proposal, salaries would increase to $130,253 from $126,460 for the mayor; to $119,399 from $115,922 for the business administrator; to $110,447 from $107,231 for the chief of staff; to $105,027 from $101,968 for full-time municipal judges; to $115,528 from $112,164 for the chief municipal judge; and to $108,543 from $105,384 for the department directors.
They would be retroactive to Jan. 1, 2016, and the administration would have to come before council once again in 2017 and 2018 to ask for subsequent 1.5 percent raises.
Jackson said that the stagnant salaries have made it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain talented top-level city employees.
In his first two years, he lost three key cabinet members to other jobs in large part, he says, because of the pay: David Minchello, the law director; Monique King-Viehland, the director of Housing and Economic Development; Jacqueline Foushee, the director of Public Works.
"Those that I brought on accepted the job understanding that the salaries were fixed, but I would work to get a salary scale and make sure we had increments at some point," Jackson said. "We need ranges so that when we have and can identify someone with great experience, we have a little leverage. ... Then I need a range so people ... know that they have some opportunity to see a salary increase."
Following the ordinance's introduction, there was outcry from members of "Fans of Trenton's Irresponsible Blogger," a government watchdog and citizen advocacy Facebook group, who believe that the administration hasn't done enough to deserve the raises.
A petition is in the works to overturn the ordinance should it be approved.
"We believe a 15 percent raise is not appropriate for officials who, over the last two years, have made decisions and taken actions that have cost the city millions of dollars," city blogger Kevin Moriarty wrote on a Change.org petition.
He pointed to the hiring of an information technology firm whose contract was higher than nine other bidders; issues with the pool vendor that forced the city to sever ties and hire the more expensive YMCA; the designation as a "high-risk grantee" by the U.S. Department of Justice; and the $4.7 million in payroll taxes that the payroll vendor was able to embezzle despite the city receiving multiple notices about unpaid balances, penalties and interest.
But Jackson defended his tenure and the progress he says his administration has made.
"I'm not a perfect mayor, we're not a perfect administration, but ... I didn't inherit a perfect city so we're working together through imperfection to make the city as best as we can," he said.
He said that under his leadership, developers have begun planning or building projects that will revitalize the city, crime has decreased and relationships between the administration and city employees, the county and state governments have improved.
"It doesn't happen by mistake," he said. "It doesn't happen by a magic wand. These are all things that we work hard to do.
"It's a broad brush to say no work has been done," he continued. "Can we do more? I'm on that bandwagon. Did we do everything right? No. Have we made some errors? Absolutely. But 1.5 percent raises, I think enough work at a minimum has been done to justify that and then some."
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find NJ.com on Facebook.