VINELAND — The city is proposing to restructure payments for attorneys who represent the municipality and its Planning and Zoning boards.
The changes involve increasing either salaries or hourly rates to compensate the attorneys for the loss of their city benefits package.
One proposal removes the title of first assistant associate solicitor because all the municipality’s associate solicitors do the same work, City Solicitor Richard Tonetta said Tuesday.
The change would eliminate the $6,000 stipend paid to the first assistant associate solicitor, and the $3,000 stipend paid to the other associate solicitors, Tonetta said. The hourly rate paid to those solicitors would increase from $100 to $125, he said.
The municipality also proposes to increase the salary for the Planning Board attorney from $7,000 to $13,000 annually, Tonetta said. The Zoning Board attorney’s salary would increase from $4,000 to $10,000, he said.
The city should still save money, as the benefit package for each of the attorneys equaled about $25,000, he said
The changes are included in ordinances scheduled to be introduced by City Council on Tuesday.
Contact Thomas Barlas:
609-226-9197
