Money Talks
As Gusciora searches for new department directors to fill out his cabinet, he wants City Council to approve an ordinance raising the salary ranges for toplevel city brass.
“If you want to attract top talent, you have to pay for them,” he said. “We have to pay somebody commensurate with their qualifications.”
If Gusciora has his way, city department directors would have their annual salaries increased by tens of thousands of dollars over the next three years and his own mayoral salary would skyrocket to a level where he would potentially be paid more than Gov. Phil Murphy.
City Council this month is considering an ordinance that would set the mayor’s 2018-19 salary range at a maximum of $195,119 and a minimum of $168,145, while the 201819 salary range for department directors would be $166,119 at the maximum and $127,853 at the minimum, according to a copy of the ordinance obtained by The Trentonian. The ordinance calls for additional increases in 2020 and 2021, which would put Gusciora in potential position of receiving more than $200,000 in annual pay before his four-year term expires. “In order for us to go top to bottom, I wasn’t looking necessarily for the increase, but it is something that needs to be addressed at some point,” Gusciora said of the salary ranges. “If you want to attract top talent, you have to pay for