West Deptford Employees Get First Raise in Four Years

West Deptford township employees will get their first raise in four years, after the township committee approved the second and final reading of a salary ordinance Thursday night, which includes a 2-percent raise across the board for 2010-2011.

Mayor Anna Docimo lauded the township’s workforce for going along with flat salaries the past several years.

“They were behind us all the way, so now it’s time we give them what they truly deserve,” Docimo said. “These people work so hard in this town, it’s unbelievable.”

The raises, which were included in the $30.3 million budget passed back in June, will go to all employees–full-time and part-time.

There were a few questions from the public on the ordinance as to whether raises could go beyond that 2 percent, including one question–whether township committee members would get a raise–repeated several times.

The confusion seemed to stem from the fact that the salary ordinance establishes salary ranges, rather than specific salaries for individual employees, and in some cases, includes higher salary caps than what an additional 2 percent would mean to an individual’s salary.

As township treasurer Richard Giuliani was quick to point out, though the not-to-exceed amount is listed as higher in the ordinance, township committee members pay remains at $9,500 per year, and the mayor’s salary remains at $11,300 per year, despite erroneous reports to the contrary on one website prior to the committee meeting.