Retiring state Sen. Dick Codey introduces bill that would hike pay for NJ legislators
In one of his last acts before leaving the Legislature after half a century, retiring state Sen. Dick Codey introduced a bill to give raises to elected officials, some public employees and state officers.
The bill, which will be heard by the state Senate Budget Committee Thursday afternoon, will increase pay rates for judges, legislative staff and lawmakers. The legislation also increases allowance remitted to legislators to pay their staffs.
What does the bill do?
The bill increases the annual salary for members of the Legislature from $49,000 to $75,000, starting in 2026, and allows for salaries to be adjusted according to the Consumer Price Index, no more than 2% starting with the 2028 legislative year.
Legislators are considered part time and haven’t seen a raise since 2002. They would also see an increase in the allowance they receive for their staff. It will go from $135,000 to $150,000.
It isn’t just the Legislature that will benefit. The next governor would make $210,000 each year compared to the $175,000 Gov. Phil Murphy makes.
Other posts seeing an increase from $175,000 to $210,000 would be the executive director of each full-time legislative staff for both parties in both chambers and the executive director of the Office of Legislative Services. In those cases though, it would be retroactive to July 1, 2023.
The governor’s cabinet would also see a $35,000 bump from $175,000 to $210,000 retroactive to July 1, 2023. Those salaries were last increased in 2018. Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way, who also serves in the cabinet as secretary of state, would be the exception. That role would not have the raise go into effect until 2026.
The annual salary adjustment for justices and judges that started in January 2021 based on the change in the Consumer Price Index would remain in effect until 2027. The bill also establishes $207,166.50 as the salary for presiding judges of the Superior Court and presiding judges of the tax court.
Charlie Stile: Is this really the moment for Trenton to raise salaries for NJ legislators?
Other state leadership positions impacted
The bill would officially add several roles — including the chairperson of the Civil Service Commission, the colonel and superintendent of the State Police, the director of the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, the secretary of Higher Education, the chief administrator of the Motor Vehicle Commission, the state comptroller and the chief technology officer — to the list of posts with statutorily designated salaries.
It also makes it so that amounts received from the federal Emergency Management Performance Grant Program for salary costs of the superintendent of the State Police will supplemental compensation in addition to the annual salary established in statute.
Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: editor@patersonpress.com
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ legislature salaries: Bill would raise pay for lawmakers
