>Donovan Vetoes Northwest Bergen Utility Authority Minutes
County Executive Kathleen A. Donovan has vetoed pay raises for management employees at the Northwest Bergen Utilities Authority (NWBCUA) and utilized her veto to end the practice of providing cash stipends and health benefits to the Authority’s nine commissioners. NWBCUA is the last authority in the county that provides stipends for commissioners along with health benefits at the expense of taxpayers. Earlier in the year Donovan abolished stipends to the County Construction Board of Appeals.
In her veto message sent to NWBCUA Chair William Dator, Donovan said, “The Authority has provided for itself raises which will cost the taxpayers a total of $89,000.00 between increased salary and the fringe costs associated with such raises. As I have advised you in previous veto messages, I will not condone nor permit this to occur during these difficult economic times. I have advised fixed annual employees of the County that they will not receive raises in fiscal 2012; neither shall the fixed annual employees of your authority.”
“Nowhere in the minutes of the meeting is there mention of the Commissioners abolishing the practice of providing for themselves a stipend for their service, which also permits them to receive health benefits at taxpayer expense,” continued County Executive Donovan in her veto message. The Northwest Bergen Utility Authority is the last authority in the county that provides stipends for commissioners along with health benefits at the expense of taxpayers. “I have advised you in previous veto messages and correspondence with your counsel that I steadfastly maintain there is no reason for the taxpayers of Bergen County to be required to shoulder this burden, and I will not ask them to do so,” said Ms. Donovan. “In view of the Commissioners continued failure to affirmatively act and refuse to accept their stipends, I am compelled to ask for and expect their resignations.”
Ms. Donovan said she would continue to exercise her veto when appropriate. “I made a promise to the people of Bergen County and I intend to keep that promise,” said Donovan. “We cut $30 million from the Democrat spending plan we inherited when we took office in January and we will continue to look at every expenditure and make necessary cuts to bring further savings.”