Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • December 21, 2011 Area Bergen County Executive Kathleen A. Donovan has vetoed pay raises for management employees at the Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority in Waldwick and used her veto to end the practice of providing cash stipends and health benefits to the NWBCUA’s nine commissioners. NWBCUA was 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 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 Donovan vetoes pay raises, benefits for commissioners for themselves a stipend for their service, which also permits them to receive health benefits at taxpayer expense. 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. 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.” Donovan said she is keeping her promise to the people of Bergen County. “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,” she said. The NWBCUA, whose offices and sewage treatment plant are located in Waldwick, provides services to Waldwick, Midland Park, Wyckoff, Allendale, Ramsey, Saddle River, Upper Saddle River, Mahwah, Franklin Lakes, Ho-Ho-Kus and portions of Ridgewood. Bears cook up some fun Den 4 Bears of Ramsey show off some of the cookies they baked as they worked on their ‘What’s Cooking?’ Achievement.