Carteret, NJ – Mayor Dan Reiman has announced that he is appealing to the Middlesex County Executive Superintendent of schools to block a recently renegotiated contract extension and salary increase for the Carteret School Superintendent. The action was taken in response to an apparent November 23rd vote by the Carteret School Board to extend the contract of the Superintendent of schools through 2015 with a salary of $200,000 which is clearly above the state imposed salary cap for local superintendants in a district of Carteret’s size.
“Common sense should be enough to dictate that this contract is outrageous,” Mayor Reiman stated, “and was made with no regard for the state of our school finances, our taxpayers, and least of all our children, and a blatant attempt to circumvent the new salary cap. Our board of education has done a decent job managing the policies and finances of the board but this just boggles the mind and it is inexcusable.”
In May, Mayor Reiman and the Borough Council took action on Carteret’s defeated school budget, passing a resolution that called for a flat General Fund Tax Levy of $ 22,801,000 and a debt service levy of $ 1,216.605, a 0% increase over last year. The 2010-2011 school budget appropriated $4 million less than the 2009/2010 budget. The reduction in local spending was achieved in spite of a $2.502 million cut in state aid and the loss of an additional $225,000 in state extraordinary aid.
“We have gone to great lengths, within our capacity, to ensure that our schools’ resources are directed with Carteret’s children in mind, pulling in the reins on extraneous spending and making cuts where needed. Yet there seem to be many who often forget that our schools have been established for the benefit of our youngsters, not to support excessive administrative salaries.”
Mayor Reiman has issued a letter to the Executive County Superintendent requesting him to block this contract award. All such local contracts must receive the prior approval of the County Superintendent.
“The superintendent has done a good job improving our schools and test scores but the fact is that no one in the public sector and in a position funded by tax dollars should be making $200,000 per year.
