Friday, April 4, 2008

Aberdeen's Inflated Pensions

Riddle me this:

  • Whose retired chief of police has the highest pension of any police officer in Monmouth County?
  • Whose retired town manager has the highest pension of any municipal administrator in Monmouth County?
  • Whose retired township attorney has the highest pension of any municipal attorney in Monmouth County?
If you’ve answered Aberdeen Township to all of the above, you’re a winner. Unless, of course, you actually live in Aberdeen.

Pension costs in Aberdeen are skyrocketing. In the past two years, pension expenditures for policemen and firemen have leapt 147% from $238,883 in 2006 to $589,487 in 2008. During that same period, pension costs for personnel have ballooned 155% from $51,558 to $131,669.

Township officials have blamed the state for these astronomic hikes. True but it’s not the whole truth.

Retired Chief of Police, Joe Kelly, receives an annual pension of $104,034, more than any other retired police officer in Monmouth County.

Former town manager, Mark Coren, has an annual pension of $82,138, more than any other town manager in Monmouth County. Like Kelly, Coren also receives free medical for life.

Then there’s Mayor Sobel’s “close personal friend” and former township attorney, Norman Kauff. He gets $49,015 a year from his government pension.

Pension benefits are calculated by the following formula – (Years of Service) / (55) X (Average Salary of the Last 3 Years). Any town can easily game the system by simply inflating salaries during the last three years of service.

For example, Mark Coren’s average salary from 2003 thru 2005 was $145,679. That figure isn’t only 13% higher than Stuart Brown’s 2008 salary of $129,000, it also exceeds the current pay range of $95,000 -145,000 for a township manager. Mark Coren and the town council were able to augment his pension by simply expanding the township manager pay range to $165,685 and then reducing that cap after hiring Brown.

During Joe Kelly’s final years, he not only got a pay hike, he took another job, teaching a Criminal Justice course at Monmouth University. (On RateMyProfessor.com he gets top marks for being an easy “A”.) All that work, it’s no wonder he developed a reputation for taking power naps in his squad car. His average salary in his last 3 years was $148,620. The current salary cap for chief of police is $140,000.

Norman Kauff gets the prize for highest pension per hours actually worked. During his tenure as Hazlet’s “special counsel” he received the township attorney’s pension contributions, even though that role was being performed by another attorney at his then firm, DeCotiis, FitzPatrick, Cole and Wisler.

Next time the town council complains about pension costs, let’s hope they have the honesty to acknowledge their share of the blame. Then again, asking for honesty from this town council might be asking for too much.
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15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great job again from the Aberdeener. Nobody cares? Just look at the goings on in Aberdeen lately.

No manager is at the helm and we are to believe that Mayor David (Norman Kauff is my close personal friend) Sobel is in charge along with James Laura the head of the DPW. Now do not get me wrong I understand that James Laura is a well respected long time and faithful employee of Aberdeen, who has obviously been pressed into service by the towns leadership just as they forced Stuart Brown out of town, under to say the least, questionable (Kauff orchestrated) circumstances.

If you do not believe that Norman Kauff is not controlling every aspect of this latest game of SCREW THE RESIDENTS OF ABERDEEN AGAIN, I have some land to sell you at the bottom of the Ocean. In fact that land is directly under the Titanic. A similar fate as the Titanic sinking is unfortunately happening to Aberdeen right now. Aberdeen WAKE UP.

Aberdeen is in fact sinking under the political choke hold of the Monmouth County Democratic Machine.
I ask again where are the authorities. Is anybody looking into land ownership at the train station soon to be developed? Is anybody looking into the appointments soon to be made in my Matawan? Is anybody looking into Vinnie (mine all mine) Vincei being paid $3500.00 to be a candidate? Vinnie Vincei who is older than dust gets paid as a consultant while he is running for office, Vincei would not know how to spell the word consultant much less be one.

Where is Prosecutor Valentin and Chris Christy? Hell anybody would not have to look too far to find that PAY TO PLAY is alive and well and being cultivated like a weed in Aberdeen. The political weeds planted by Scudeiri and Kauff are choking the life out of the taxpayers of Aberdeen. I have to apologize for all of the weed references I started to clear my garden today.

Once again ABERDEENER keep up the good work and keep hammering all of them.

Middlesex Jim

Anonymous said...

Notice how Kelly and Coren left around the same time. Pension boosting is what it is called and it is illegal. You can not get outrageous raises that are pensionable in the last year. They didn't get caught and the residence of Aberdeen are paying for it.

Anonymous said...

$104,000.00 for a police officers retirement. What the hell did he do to deserve that amount of money?

While I have always respected every man and woman who work in law enforcement, the numbers for Chief Kelly are beyond fair and reasonable. Lets get serious how is $2,000.00 a week with lifetime medical retirement benefits fair and just to the taxpayers of Aberdeen, most of whom do not realize half of such a retirement after far more years of service.

Coren, Kauff and Kelly obviously had some secret deals worked out prior to their retirements, that only benefited themselves and maybe a few others. Perhaps a few others who were allegiant to Kauff and Coren and who kept the secrets of the Coren and Kauff developmental control and approvals graft account.

How much did they steal just before they left? What was their take off of the apartment complex on Lower Main Street in Aberdeen alone ?

One correction would be Kauff is not really retired as he still is raking it in having chosen his own successors to represent his hidden interest and to assure his political control in Manalapan, Hazlet and Aberdeen. Perhaps as has been suggested Matawan is next to feel the wrath of Kauff and his political criminal associates. I agree with Middlesex Jim, where are the authorities.

COMING SOON to a taxpayer in Matawan, Norman Kauff and his CIRCUS OF POLITICAL FREAKS. POlitically controlled, greedy, self serving and Kauff allegiant freaks that is.

Perhaps it is time for a superhero to make his presence known. Where are you CORRUPTIONMAN ?

Aberdeen and Matawan need you NOW!

HELP US CORRUPTIONMAN !

Kenneth in Cliffwood Beach

Anonymous said...

Matawan has its own problem with Mullaney, Cannon, Mendes, Malley, Bunyon. Different names same agenda....same connection Scudiery.

Anonymous said...

I believe that will be coming to an end in a few months. 2009 right around the corner! LOL

Anonymous said...

The time for planning the supposed end of the Norman Kauff / Vic Scudeiri dictatorship is NOW.

If the republicans and Green party along with the citizenry on the whole, do not start going to every council. Planning and Zoning board meeting, questioning and exposing the present goings on and more, they do not stand a chance of unseating the Kauff crew.

The money for a campaign is not the thing. It is getting the truth and the crucial information out to the public, week after week. Letters to the editor of local papers, constant checking and OPRA requests seeking exacting information and more on the towns business to show all of the taxpayers, where their money is going.

All this and more is necessary to accomplish the needed changes to the leadership of Aberdeen and to bring trust back and kick the Kauff greed and daily deceptions to the curb.

Send Norman and the rest packing.

If the papers continually get letters with real proof and revealing topics they will print them. As people repeatedly read of the problems in Aberdeen they will be alert and start to question our present leadership and bring the changes needed for the future.

It has happened before! It needs to happen again !

Anonymous said...

The previous topic as to the use of the newspapers is very true. While elections are of course expensive the pen is mightier then the Kauff checkbook. He could never write a big enough check to hide from the truth. Expose him again and again.

It is the requirement of a few dedicated individuals who will stick their neck on the line, that will accomplish this task.

If you intend to sit idle and not get involved the Norman Kauff Vic Scudiry, Vin Vinci, and all of the rest will maintain their stranglehold and cost all of us greatly.

Decide on whether you will sit idle or lead the charge. It is up to just a few to dedicate themselves and be brave enough to expose the truth. Do not fear them as they cannot go after you if the truth is attained and maintained, in the topics you put forth or expose.

They cannot come after you for exposing the truth, as they will all be too busy hiding from that exact same truth week after week if exposed to the taxpayers.

Keep up the good work ABERDEENER.


Donna Yates

Anonymous said...

Aberdeen wake up your wallets are being fleeced. If Drapkin or Vinci or any of the others are telling you how hard they work for you as a resident of Aberdeen they are not telling you the truth.

Ask them how they work hard to ensure that their friends and family get jobs in the county or in the school system.

It is self serve for all of them in Aberdeen. And we are paying for it.

They are not afraid to do it either even right under our noses. They know that nobody cares.

Time to care !

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't it be great if all of the people spoken about on this blog were to read it everyday?

Just imagine If Kauff, Coren, Soble, Scudeiri, Vinci, Perry, Drapkin, Raymon, Gallo, Gumbs, Gallo and all of the rest of the Aberdeen Corruption Crew started to realize how many people are starting to notice and starting to learn their little secrets.

We have to think it would start to prey on their minds and as they would start to get questions at church or at the supermarket how many times could they blame someone else for their own crimes. How would they behave time after time as people confronted all of them at every opportunity,to ask about some of the things that appear here as people started to read the ABERDEENER.

How many times could they say it is all a lie before their words and false defenses, would show them all to be liars. They know what they have done, everyone of them.

They all know what they have done and it is time everyone in Aberdeen and Matawan knew.

Perhaps we need to bring some attention and accountability on all of them and start asking them very specific questions on Norman Kauff and Marc Coren, and their developmental approvals, condo purchases in developments they controlled and authorized, gifts and payoffs from contractors, and much more.

We have grown tired of their non-answer answers. We are similarly tired of the smugness and arrogance of the councilmen like Vinci and Soble as they hide behind their supposed friends like Kauff. If this is the type of friend that Soble and Vinci take pride in and count on, they are not the men we once thought they were. They talk a good game now it is batter up and bottom of the ninth and it is time the umpire called game over on their greed and criminal acts at the expense of the people they once swore to represent.

The heat is about to get turned up to broil and they are soon to get burned. It is time this site and their actions become very public, VERY PUBLIC.

Stay tuned we have a plan to take it to the public. We can assure you they will not like it and will finally be held accountable to us and those who will soon find out what it is they are doing with our money.

They should start sweating, all of them.

From Jim, John, Kevin, Keith, Don, Vinny and the rest of the Saturday night I section poker crew. WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH !

Keep up the good work Joey.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Poker that Aberdeen needs to get the word out and expose everything these supposed pillars of the community are doing to each and every one of us.

I will give you one example of these men and women serving themselves. Check and see how Drapkin whose daughter got her job in our district, conveniently assuring that Drapkin will do absolutely nothing in relation to the school board budgets or anything else, as not to jeopardize his daughters job.

They serve themselves and screw anyone else.

Anonymous said...

How can they sleep at night? As representatives of the people they have some nerve.

Where are the authorities?

New jersey deserves to be a joke.

Aberdeen and Matawan wake up.

Anonymous said...

It's easy to sleep at night when you don't have a conscience.

Anonymous said...

I don't know why everyone picks on Vinnie. He really needs the money for all the beauty supplies he uses. Do you really think a man as old as him doesn't have any gray hair? Take a look at those nice socks he always has on. I hope he saved up for some soap on a rope!!! He's gonna make a nice girlfriend for someone in prison!!!
Your time is up old man...

Anonymous said...

As Americans, we have a Constitutional right to live in a democratic society, HOWEVER, as citizens of Aberdeen, we seem to be excluded from that privilege. "The People's Republic of Aberdeen" has many secrets being protected behind the carefully guarded walls of Town Hall. I have uncovered many disturbing items about this rogue municipality that warrant sharing:

For instance, did you know that Aberdeen Township has recently settled a lawsuit against them for violation of the American's With Disabilities Act, an 18 year old Federal Law? The audacity of this township to think that it is "above the law" with regards to compliance is unconscionable and resulted in tax dollars spent to defend and settle a lawsuit because basic requirements were arrogantly ignored.

Further investigation found that arrogance and ignorance has also caused some other black marks on Aberdeen Township's reputation:

Were you aware that Mayor Sobel hired an untrained friend, Joe McAleer, as Aberdeen Township's so-called "Code Enforcement Officer" because (in Mayor Sobel's own words) "He [Joe] worked hard to get us all elected"? I find that to be absolutely hysterical since if you ever attended a Town Council Meeting or read the editorials in the local newspapers, you know that Joe was once an openly vociferous opponent to Aberdeen Township's management style and Council, now, his comments are relegated to this blog under his nom de plum. I wonder what Joe was holding over the heads of the "powers that be" to get this job as a glorified ticket writer? I wonder if Aberdeen ever did a background check on this employee? If so, I wonder if they've uncovered the REAL reasons behind why he "left" his many other previous jobs such as a Police Officer for NJ Transit Newark, College of Medicine & Dentistry Newark and Altantic Highlands? Why leave such good jobs to become a limousine driver and then a ticket writer for Aberdeen? Oh, by the way, be on the lookout for this crimson-faced bully at the train station. It is my understanding from being a courtroom observer that he has an obvious penchant for ticketing pregnant women. I guess he is jealous of their comparably-svelt figures?

In addition, did you know that Aberdeen has had ANOTHER lawsuit filed against them for alleged retribution and that the above-mentioned Joe McAleer has also been named in suit? Did you know that this suit was filed by a life-long Aberdeen citizen? What is wrong with this picture? I wonder what this will cost the taxpayers?

Also, did you know that former Aberdeen Township Municipal Judge Blum found a citizen "guilty" without a trial/due process and abruptly resigned shortly thereafter? Why? Did you know that the Department of Justice was notified about unjust abuse in Aberdeen's court system? Why? I wonder how many other residents have been wronged and are afraid to speak out and stand up for their rights for fear of retribution?

Also, why did former Town Manager Brown resign and sign a "non-disclosure" paper? What did he know that Aberdeen residents are not allowed to know? More dirty secrets? Even the Asbury Park Press couldn't find out the reason. Again, Aberdeen puts itself above the law and doesn't comply with the Freedom of Information Act! Another lawsuit waiting to happen!

Most of all, I wonder how Aberdeen will appreciate newspaper and TV coverage about the way this township is managed? I can only assume that this will come to an explosive climax and names will be named and many secrets divulged by other weasly township employees who will do anything to protect their jobs. It won't be pretty, but it will be enlightening. Mark my words.

Put on your goggles because the you-know-what is about to hit the proverbial fan!

Anonymous said...

The previous anonymous statement was either from the attorney who makes his livelihood from suing municipalities on behalf of handicapped individuals, whether their disabilities be real or imagined or profitable, does not matter. Right Mr. Brady?

As for all of the personal attacks on Mr. McAleer take it from whence it comes. The exact same people who are suing Aberdeen and yet hide from their own cold, dead and dispicable lives.

McAleer is not, was not and will never be a personal friend of the Mayor of Aberdeen.

Back into your hole all of you RATS.

Brian M.