Salary Saga Continues: Acropolis to Veto Mayoral Salary Ordinance

Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis said Tuesday night that he would veto a mayoral salary ordinance passed by a majority of council members last week.

The ordinance – which would reduce mayoral pay to $15,000 per year if a mayor works 35 hours or more per week outside of his mayoral duties – was of council members despite some objections from the public and two Republican council members.

Under Brick's form of government, the mayor retains veto power. A veto can be overturned by a vote of five council members, however.

Council President John Ducey has said that the ordinance provides "part-time pay for part-time work," but some residents have criticized the measure for what they have said are loopholes that would allow those without set hours – people who own their own businesses, for example – to collect the full salary no matter how many hours they work at another job.

Acropolis has joined those who have expressed those concerns, and also warned that the ordinance would not be enforceable. The township attorney has said the ordinance is "self-executing."

Acropolis, who is taking a $1 per year salary for the remainder of his term, said the council should have taken more time to draft a better ordinance since they do not have to worry about his salary.

"Appoint a committee to look into it," Acropolis said. "Take a month, two months, three months. Make a workable ordinance."

Acropolis suggested the council appoint a bipartisan committee made up of Democrats and Republicans in town, as well as former Superior Court Assignment Judge Eugene Serptentelli, to hammer out the details.

"I could go back tomorrow to the [Toms River] MUA, say I'm going to work for 34 hours a week, take $52,000 a year, and you couldn't do anything," Acropolis said. "Then we'd have another debate."

Acropolis is employed as director of the Toms River Municipal Utilities Authority.

His position in Toms River started the mayoral salary debate, when he was earning a $93,000 salary there while also taking the full mayor's salary in Brick. Acropolis, a Republican, reduced his salary to $1 after Democrats won a majority of the township council seats in last November's election.

Ducey said after the meeting that it was the mayor's right to veto the ordinance, but had no further comment.

Councilwoman Susan Lydecker said she would be open to revisiting the ordinance, perhaps to set one flat salary for the mayor.

"I hope we can revisit it if the mayor is going to, indeed, veto it," Lydecker said, suggesting a salary between $25,000 and $30,000 per year.

Acropolis said he will send formal notification of his veto to the council on Wednesday. He said it is the first time he'll use his veto power since being elected mayor.