Red Bank raises maximum salary for borough administrator, police positions

RED BANK – The borough council introduced higher maximum salaries for top borough jobs, hoping to attract qualified candidates.

From 2021 to this Thursday night, the salary maximum of the borough administration also known as the borough manager, was proposed to increase from $170,000 to $210,000. Its minimum decreased from $152,000 to $150,000.

“This whole thing is about giving us some flexibility to hire a new administrator,” Mayor Billy Portman said. “It’s a hard process to find a good qualified candidate. … We wanted to make sure we had the money budgeted (so) we’re allowed to offer a competitive salary.”

The borough has yet to fill its borough administrator position since Ziad Shehady resigned in April 2021. Darren McConnell, who also served as police chief, has been the interim administrator since then. McConnell is set to retire from the borough police department, but his retirement has been delayed.

President of the police union Michael Zadlock had spoken against McConnell taking on the position of borough administrator accusing him of inappropriate conduct.

McConnell wrote in August that, “I have not made any decision on (applying for Borough Manager), and in fact had not made any decision regarding potentially applying for that position even before the PBA's allegations.”

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The salaries of administrators in bordering towns Shrewsbury, Little Silver, Fair Haven and Middletown range from $115,938 to $226,624, according to state payroll data.

Other positions' maximum salaries are proposed to increase by $10,000 including the borough clerk to $115,000, the police chief to $210,000 and the senior citizen director, also known as the director of public assistance and relocation officer, to $90,000.

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Salary ranges of members of the Red Bank police department are also proposed to increase:

• A captain’s salary range in 2021 was $135,660 - 146,843 and is proposed to increase to $150,436 - 169,881.

• A Lieutenant’s salary range in 2021 was $127,990 - 138,541 and is proposed to increase to $140,946 - 158,786.

• A sergeant’s salary range in 2021 was $117,570 - 127,262 and is proposed to increase to $129,471 - 144,489.

• A patrolman’s salary range in 2021 was $58,660 - 118,210 and is proposed to increase to $64,439 - 132,939.

The mayor and council’s salaries also changed to include a maximum. In 2021, salaries were set at $7,301 for the mayor and $3,650 for council members. The mayor’s maximum is proposed to be set at $8,000 and council member’s maximum at $4,000.

Councilwoman Kate Triggiano said, “This was prepared by the CFO and none of us said, ‘Wow we really need a raise.’”

McConnell said that since the borough passes a salary ordinance every two or three years, having a range would allow borough employees to receive annual two or three percent raises without returning to the borough council.

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Resident Sue Viscomi, who has run for borough council on the platform of transparency, asked the council to include current salaries alongside salary ranges to ensure raises are not being handed out arbitrarily. She also asked that raises are brought to the public before being given out.

“It’s not about the money, but I just want to make sure that it’s transparent,” she said.

The next council meeting, in which the governing body could vote to approve the increased maximum salary ranges, will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 28 at Borough Hall.

Olivia Liu is a reporter covering transportation, Red Bank and western Monmouth County. She can be reached at oliu@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Red Bank raises max salary for borough administrator, police