Hamilton Mayor John Bencivengo stands with Joe Salzano and Robbinsville Mayor David Fried after Fried won re-election in May. (Photo by Suzette J. Lucas.)

Two weeks ago, township council considered a proposal that would raise the salaries of Hamilton Mayor John F. Bencivengo and some of the township's top officials.

In a letter to council president Thomas Goodwin released today, Bencivengo asks to withdraw himself from consideration for a pay raise. Bencivengo, who makes $97,978 in his role as the township's full-time mayor, said the proposal was never about his salary and only about some township administrators making less money than their employees.

The letter in its entirety follows.

March 1, 2010

Councilman Thomas Goodwin, President
And His Honorable Associates
Township of Hamilton
Office of the Municipal Clerk
2090 Greenwood Avenue
Hamilton, NJ 08609

Dear President Goodwin

I am writing to you concerning the proposed increase in salaries for key administration officials and myself. It’s important that you as a Council, who represent the more than 92,000 people of our community, understand the rationale for the proposed raise for those who are critical in managing the workforce in Hamilton Township.

Two years have passed since I became Hamilton’s Mayor during a time when it was Hamilton’s darkest moments, a town in fiscal distress on the verge of State takeover. I made a promise to right the ship, to stabilize taxes and to do my best for the residents of this great Township. It took some time but today we are solvent, proven once again by an independent financial institution raising our bond rating two levels to AA and saving $1.1 million over the next 12 years.

Let me make something perfectly clear – “I would never suggest any increase in salary that would raise taxes now or in the near future.” In fact, the cost of all the raises combined does not amount to more that $22,000.00

The proposed salary increases were never and should never have been about me. Therefore, to insure that you focus on the real issue, I am withdrawing personally from any increase in salary. The real issue, as relayed so many times before, is the principal fact that employees make more than the people that manage them. Now that I am out of the equation, I hope you could see fit to place the town’s future in the direction that ensures a leadership team that continues to be responsible, highly qualified and capable. Our team has saved the Township of Hamilton millions of dollars and moved it in the right direction.

The ordinance before you clearly is not about the present but about the future public officials who will carry the responsibility to make important decisions that affect the financial stability of our Township and the quality of life for our residents. If you recall, it was difficult to fill the finance director’s position at the salary offered because other municipalities’ ranges were much higher. Low salary ranges bring poor directors who create financial havoc.

If the proposed ordinance is not adopted, you will be creating a bigger divide that will widen until it becomes no longer feasible for government to be administered by those knowledgeable enough to make the right decisions. This will increasingly encourage the very best qualified, those with the greatest governmental knowledge and expertise to find employment elsewhere. If you cannot at this time give those directors and the Mayor’s position (not me I am out of the scenario) an increase that would begin to mend the great divide that compression creates, both philosophically and financially, you never will. Hence, you will never get to a place where the compensation is commensurate with the position because the disparity will be too great to rectify.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely yours,

John F. Bencivengo
Mayor
Township of Hamilton