TRENTON — Republican leaders, including Gov. Chris Christie, will block pay raises for lawmakers, judges, cabinet members and other high-level officials by refusing to appoint members to a review board, they announced today. In a joint news release, Christie, along with Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr. and Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce, announced they will withhold their appointments...
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Republican leaders including Gov. Christie plan to block pay raises for top state officials.TRENTON — Republican leaders, including Gov. Chris Christie, will block pay raises for lawmakers, judges, cabinet members and other high-level officials by refusing to appoint members to a review board, they announced today.
In a joint news release, Christie, along with Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr. and Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce, announced they will withhold their appointments to the Public Officers Salary Review Commission.
"As job creation and economic growth begin to take hold, too many New Jerseyans are still struggling. At a time where we are asking everyone to do more with less, it would be inappropriate and send the absolute wrong message to the people of our state for Trenton politicians to consider giving themselves pay raises, given the current economic realities,” Christie said in a statement.
Democrats Senate President Stephen Sweeney, Assembly Speaker Shelia Oliver also withdrew their appointments to the board after the Republican announcement. The remaining member is appointed by Chief Justice Stuart Rabner.
"The speaker was never going to support pay increases and is glad the governor and Republican legislators are finally on board with that sentiment," Assembly Democrats spokesman Tom Hester Jr. said.
Absent a sufficient number of members, the seven-member board will be unable to meet and even consider pay changes.
Christie has said he is opposed to salary increases for rank and file state employees. He is currently negotiating a contract with some of the largest employee unions that will likely set salaries for the next four years. In the early stages of negotiations, Christie's office proposed a pay cut for state employees.
According to the governor's office, the commission sets salaries for the governor, cabinet officers, members of the Board of Public Utilities, members of the Casino Control Commission, Workers' Compensation judges, members of the Legislature, members of the State Commission of Investigation, Justices of the Supreme Court, judges of the Superior Court, judges of the Tax Court, administrative law judges and county prosecutors.
By Ginger Gibson and Matt Friedman/Statehouse Bureau Staff
