SENATE RESOLUTION No. 82

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 1997

 

 

By Senator BUBBA

 

 

A Senate Resolution directing the Senate State Government Committee to investigate certain budgetary and financial practices of the Passaic County government.

 

Whereas, Between 1985 and the present, the annual budget of Passaic County has gone from $109 million to $240 million; and

Whereas, During that same period of time, the amount of money borrowed by the county has ballooned from $75 million to nearly $400 million, an increase which costs county taxpayers $20 million in interest payments; and

Whereas, Nearly 100 county employees make more in annual salary than Governor Whitman and many officials in the Passaic County government earn more per year than their counterparts at the State level; and

Whereas, Some county administrators received more than a 10 percent pay raise this year alone, while most of the county government workers received substantially less or no raise at all, and in at least one case, a management specialist at the welfare agency received a 35 percent raise, bringing that person's salary from $72,643 to $97,921; and

Whereas, Clearly, it is time to question how Passaic County administrators' salaries are determined, to ascertain whether or not there is a system of guidelines in place that serve as criteria for when a person receives an increase in salary and to ask why so many part-time employees have been hired when it would seem that hiring a few full-time people would be more cost effective; and

Whereas, The taxpayers of Passaic County and of the State deserve to know why the salaries of certain county officials and administrators are increasing at the same time as the budget and indebtedness of Passaic County are also increasing; and

Whereas, It is therefore fitting and proper for the Senate State Government Committee to investigate the budgetary and financial practices of the Passaic County government; now, therefore,

 

    Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:


    1. This House directs the Senate State Government Committee to investigate the budgetary and financial practices of the Passaic County government.

 

    2. The committee shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission or agency as it may require and may be available to it for this purpose, and to employ stenographic and clerical assistance and incur traveling and other miscellaneous expenses as it may deem necessary in order to perform its duties and as may be within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it for these purposes.

 

    3. For carrying out the purposes of this resolution, the committee shall have all powers conferred under chapter 13 of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.

 

    4. The committee may meet and hold hearings at any place it designates during the sessions or recesses of the Senate, or whenever such hearings would not conflict with the meetings of the Senate, and shall report its findings and recommendations to the Senate within one year of the adoption of this resolution. The committee may accompany such recommendations with any legislative bills which it may desire to recommend for adoption.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    This Senate Resolution directs the Senate State Government Committee to investigate the budgetary and financial practices of the Passaic County government.

 

 

                             

 

Directs the Senate State Government Committee to investigate budgetary and financial practices of the Passaic County government.