Area April 25, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 3 Freeholders halt pay, benefits to NBCUA commissioners The Bergen County Board of Freeholders voted unanimously last week to halt any future pay and benefits to Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority commissioners, thereby rescinding a 1979 ordinance that allowed each commissioner to receive a stipend of $5,000. Prior to the vote, the freeholders discussed the possibility of stopping pay only for future appointees. The board also discussed the elimination of health benefits, noting that a sudden change could present a hardship. However, the freeholders decided that the commissioners knew late last year that their benefits could be ending. The county also plans to file a suit to recover the pay and medical benefits that have already been provided to the seven NBCUA commissioners who were fired by Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan as of April 16. Seven commissioners received dismissal letters last week for not heeding Donovan’s order to cease taking stipends, which are $5,000 per year per person, and full-time health benefits, which total approximately $97,000. The individuals concerned include Chairman William F. Dator of Mahwah, Vice Chairman Michael Kasparian of HoHo-Kus, and Commissioners Brian Chewcaskie of Allendale, Peter Dachnowicz of Waldwick, Frank Kelaher of Ramsey, Marion Plumley of Midland Park, and Jason T. Shafron of Wyckoff. Newly-appointed Commissioners Elizabeth Salazer of Saddle River and Kenneth Gabbert of Upper Saddle River, who had not taken stipends or received health benefits, did not receive the dismissal letter. In her notice of dismissal to the seven commissioners, Donovan cited the similarity of the state statute used by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie when he dismissed commissioners of the Passaic Valley Sewage Commission and Bergen County Administrative Code N.J.S.A. 40:41A-37 (c) under Article 3.5 (c). Donovan’s Chief of Staff Jeanne Baratta said the county executive has been using her line item veto, and has not vetoed anything except the commissioners’ stipends and health benefits. Baratta said the seven commissioners had 30 days to appeal Donovan’s veto to the freeholder board, but didn’t follow the process. Donovan’s vetoes of authority minutes have reportedly been upheld by the New Jersey Division of Local Government Services. Baratta said the NBCUA was the last authority whose members are still receiving benefits and stipends. The seven commissioners questioned Donovan’s authority to dismiss them, and planned to file an Order of Show Cause in Superior Court. “NBCUA is an independent authority which receives no funding from the county and functions totally on revenues for sewer services cost-effectively rendered, not on tax dollars,” the commissioners said in a joint statement. “Even if the statute she cited in her dismissal letter (were) applicable, which it is not, she would have violated that statute by failure to provide notice, and by not giving the commissioners a right to a hearing.” (continued on page 6)