Parties disagree over full-time mayor issue
BY VINCENT TODARO
Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK - It's not a new issue and it's not unique to the township, but the question of whether the mayor's job should be full time continues to be discussed in political circles.

The issue came up again during the Oct. 4 forum for Township Council candidates on EBTV.

Republicans feel two township positions can be eliminated if the mayor was made full time and paid a larger salary. Mayor William Neary's assistant, Jacqueline Eaker, earns a salary of approximately $100,000, while Economic Coordinator Ed Cohen makes about $30,000.

"Why do you have to have a special assistant? It's an old-fashioned political patronage position for a friend of the party we take care of," said Robert Tagliente, a Republican seeking one of the three council seats.

Cohen has said his job is to help developers and businesses cut through red tape, but during the forum Tagliente said if red tape exists, it should be eliminated and not overcome through the hiring of a special economic coordinator.

Republican Councilwoman Christi Calvano, who is not running again, has criticized the administration for holding onto the two jobs, which she said are not needed and cost taxpayers. She has said secretaries already employed by the administration can pick up the slack.

Calvano said the township should have a full-time mayor, noting that the town would save money by eliminating the assistant post and increasing the mayor's salary, which is currently $20,000.

Neary has argued that the positions of mayor's assistant and economic coordinator are vital to the township. He also said he puts in full-time hours as mayor, even though he is not compensated as a full-time employee.

Neary is also employed as the full-time director of the New Brunswick-based nonprofit Keep Middlesex Moving.

He and others have said the full-time position would serve to bring out mayoral candidates who are career politicians or people who are in it more for the money than the service.

Republican candidate Eugene DeMarzo said he works in Woodbridge, and has seen that township become better run with a full-time mayor who gets a salary of well under $100,000. The recently deceased Frank Pelzman earned $75,000.

"Our assistant makes more than the mayor of Woodbridge," DeMarzo said.

DeMarzo said he wants to know what exactly Eaker and Cohen do.

"I'm not sure on the value of Cohen's position," he said.

Councilman David Stahl, seeking re-election as a Democrat, said he wants to see the job remain one that attracts volunteers who want to serve their communities. He is very much opposed to the idea of making it a full-time paid position.

"If you're asking for a full-time mayor, are you saying then that is that person's only job?" he asked, adding he did not think most people would give up their career to be mayor.

"You'll get someone who is a career politician," Stahl said.

"We're not too big [of a township] that we can't have a part-time mayor," he said.

By requiring a mayor to work full-time hours, he said, the township would be limiting the pool of people who would be interested.