Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs and two of seven City Council members could lose their health benefits if an ordinance proposed Monday achieves passage.
A new state law prohibits benefits for future elected officials, but the proposed ordinance would also affect current elected officials in the city.
Five of the council members already forego the benefits, which can add up to as much as $9,000 for a single person and $18,000 for a family, Finance Director Al Restaino said.
The mayor was not present for the agenda-fixing session where the matter was discussed.
If approved on first reading on Jan. 17, the ordinance would be up for second reading and final passage on Feb. 13. The mayor would then have 10 days to approve or veto the measure.
The mayor and council are all part-time officials. The mayor receives $35,000 annually and council members are entitled to $10,000 by law, but took a voluntary cut to $9,000.
Although Councilman William Reid called the benefits “an incentive to serve,” Councilwoman Rebecca Williams said, “That’s not the kind of service I want representing me.”
The council split on whether to put the ordinance up for a vote next week, with Reid, Bridget Rivers and Vera Greaves saying they did not support it and Williams, Cory Storch, Annie McWilliams and Adrian Mapp agreeing to move it to the Jan. 17 agenda.
--Bernice
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It sounds like Sharon's gang aren't willing to help the city out. I have two jobs and neither offer health benefits, so I have to make do. Maybe we need to re-elect some Council members.
ReplyDeleteThe same thing needs to be done with the PMUA. The commissioners there get approx. $15k in family benefits. Why can't people serve for the good of the people rather than themselves?
ReplyDeleteMitchell who is up for one of the nominees is also one of the biggest takers! Ask him to forgo his health benefits and see what he says.
Bernice: who are the two council people taking benefits? Wouldn't be two of the three opposing the move, would it?
ReplyDeleteI smell a kind of vindictiveness in this proposal, it's clearly aimed at the mayor. The council shouldn't keep up this personal vendetta, it doesn't get us anywhere.
ReplyDeleteAnd anyway, a "voluntary pay cut" from $10K to $9K for council members is no big deal. They should cut their pay down to $5K if they're really serious!
PTK:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.goleader.com/11nov03/06.pdf
JMS
Plainfield Mayor Sharon Robinson-
ReplyDeleteBriggs is paid $35,000, with the seven
council members getting $9,000 each.
Health-care coverage is as follows:
Mayor Robinson-Briggs, $8,198;
Council President Annie McWilliams,
$8,362; Councilman Adrian Mapp,
$4,296 (he receives a health-care
waiver incentive), and Councilwoman
Bridget Rivers, $11,466. The four other
council members do not take health
benefits.
from the Westfield Leader 11/03/2011
This Is defiantly a personal attack on the Mayor. Adrian will never win the Mayor's seat. Adrian and his family took the benefits. He just got off the benefits when his wife got a job. This is very bad politics.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a good idea. If there are no benefits or compensation, then we'll get citizens who are interested in only SERVING the community -- not looking for a payday.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like everyone in this town has their hand out.