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Politics & Government

GOP Hopeful Attacks West Deptford Committee Over Salary Ordinance

Ray Chintall argued that the final version of the ordinance was substantially different from the original.

A row over the recently approved salary ordinance continued a week after its passage, as Republican committee candidate Ray Chintall went on the offensive against Mayor Anna Docimo at Thursday's work session over a perceived problem with the version of the ordinance .

Chintall took issue with the higher salary range for committee members and the mayor from the original reading of the salary ordinance, but Docimo responded that there was no increase in salaries.

“I’m looking right at it, Mayor,” Chintall said.

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“You’re looking at the range, I think,” Docimo said.

“All right, but the one that was read this past Thursday, it was changed,” Chintall replied.

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“To reflect the committee’s actual salaries,” Township Solicitor Michael Angelini said, adding that this was not a material change to the ordinance.

Salaries have decreased since Ordinance 2010-14, where Docimo, the township committee members, and the township clerk’s salaries were not to exceed $16,206.

Ordinance 2011-07 separates Docimo from the committee and the clerk. In the version presented for the first reading, the mayor’s salary is not to exceed $12,965, and the committee and clerk’s salaries are not to exceed $11,837.

The version presented for the second hearing, which was approved by the committee, caps the mayor’s salary at $11,300, and the committee and clerk’s salaries at $9,500.

“That’s a material change, content change,” Chintall said.

“It could be a change, the question is ‘is it material, is it substantial?’” Angelini said. “I honestly don’t believe it would be, because particularly what you’re looking at the fact that it was a lower number.”

“So why was it changed?” Chintall asked.

“The salary was always...the same,” Docimo replied. “The salary had not changed. The figures, evidently, somehow or another, like you’re saying, they’re changed, but the actual salary did not change.”

“Let me make this clear: The first one was never the salary we got,” she continued. “It was the lower salary that we got.”

Because Chintall’s five-minute allotment to comment expired, Docimo suggested he meet with her after the meeting or stop in to the administration building and she would further discuss the ordinance with him.

“Mayor, with all due respect to your office and to the committee, this is the interest of me and the rest of the public,” Chintall said. “For me to be under the guidelines of five minutes, I think you’re being dishonest to the community….”

“I’m not dishonest, Ray, and don’t ever call me dishonest,” Docimo replied.

“I’m saying dishonest to the point that you’re not answering the question,” Chintall said.

“Our attorney answered to the best of his ability,” Docimo said. “Maybe it’s not what you want to hear, but he’s giving you a legal opinion on basically what he thinks it should be.”

Also at the meeting, Township Engineer Ed Steck reported that the township is submitting several applications for the NJDOT local aid program, which are done in the form of resolutions.

“Normally, we’ll only get funding for one project,” he said.

Since it meets more criteria to receive grant funding, he recommended priority to South Queen Street, which was met with unanimous approval from the committee.

Other applications are for Kramer Avenue, which Steck noted has a drainage problem, and River Road and Hillside Avenue. Applications are due by Sept. 23.

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