Former School Official Tops List of Brick's '$100K' Retirees

A former school district employee tops the list of eight Brick Township retirees who collected $100,000 or more in pension payments in 2013, according to a report out this week from NJ Watchdog, a taxpayer advocacy group.

New Jersey’s so-called '$100K Club' of retired public officials has ballooned by 75 percent in the last three years, the group said this week following its conducting of an analysis of state treasury data.

The report comes as state pension funds face a $47 billion shortfall, according to the treasury’s estimate. Gov. Chris Christie is expected to address pension issues in his budget address today.

"We need to have the conversation now about further changes to our pension system and to adding further to the state’s debt load,” said Christie in his State of the State address last month. “If we do not choose to reduce our soaring pension and debt service costs, we will miss the opportunity to improve the lives of every New Jersey citizen, not just a select few."

In Brick, Barbara Bittenbinder, the township school district's former Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction, receives the top annual pension of any retiree from the municipal government or school district. Her pension is $123,229 per year, or $10,269 per month.

The other retirees in the six figure club include former Deputy Police Chief Douglas Kinney, who makes $115,194 per year, or $9,600 per month. Darlene Ciesla, another school district retiree, makes $112,375 per year, or $9,359 per month.

The other individuals on the list are:

• John Rein, municipal, $111,75/year; $9,313/mo.
• Frank Docherty, municipal, $105,396/year; $8,783/mo.
• Ronald Dougard, municipal, $105,243/year; $8,770/mo.
• Robert Ryan, municipal, $102,888/year; $8,574/mo.
• Edward G. Waldhelm, municipal, $101,919/year; $8,493/mo.