TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie hit authorities in both halves of the state today, ordering one in the north to roll back staff raises, and one in the south to cancel a payment to a lobbying firm. Christie chastised the bistate Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor for refusing his order to reduce its payroll by $125,000 – the...
Governor Chris Christie speak during a press conference in the governor's office at the State House, in this January 2011 photo.TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie hit authorities in both halves of the state today, ordering one in the north to roll back staff raises, and one in the south to cancel a payment to a lobbying firm.
Christie chastised the bistate Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor for refusing his order to reduce its payroll by $125,000 – the amount it had set aside for non-contractually obligated raises
“I am disturbed to learn that your office ignored my directive, and indeed gave discretionary raises totaling $123,000 to non-contractual employees,” wrote Christie to Executive Director Walter Arsenault.
Christie gave Arsenault seven business days to write him a letter explaining why the authority granted the raises “in contravention of my directive.”
Christie also voided a $37,500 payment authorization from the Delaware River Port Authority to the American Continental Group, a lobbying firm, for “federal legislative monitoring services.”
Christie said it amounted to a “no-bid contract,” and that he signed an executive order last year banning state authorities from contracting with lobbyists. If the authority wants to hire one, he said, they can apply for a waiver.