Kyrillos: “Another Day, Another $1 Million In Taxpayer-Funded Boat Checks Down the Drain”

Trenton— Outraged at news that Lower Township will pay out nearly $1 million in terminal leave payments to its employees for unused sick and vacation time, Senator Joe Kyrillos (R- Monmouth/Middlesex), sponsor of legislation to end sick leave payments for public employees, called for terminal leave reform to be completed before the end of the current legislative session.

“Lower Township’s taxpayers are being forced to pay for a needless, wasteful, and unjustifiable benefit that is enjoyed in virtually no other work environment,” said Kyrillos. “While we can negotiate and compromise over the details of a final bill to fix this problem, there should be no debate about the fundamental idea that any future sick leave earned by an employee should not carry cash value. Abandoning the idea that sick leave is for when an employee is sick rather than deferred compensation would be a slap in the face to taxpayers.”

The Press of Atlantic City reports that the Lower Township Council made an emergency appropriation of $900, 000 to fund terminal leave payments for employees this year, including three employees receiving checks in excess of $100, 000. Terminal leave payments are responsible for several cents on the municipal tax rate.

“We cannot allow this to go on any longer,” said Kyrillos. “There is simply no good reason to assign cash value to sick leave that is not used by an employee. Taxpayers are being gouged for no reason other than inaction in Trenton.”

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KYRILLOS STATEMENT ON SECOND JERSEY CITY SICK LEAVE BOND IN A YEAR

State Senator Joe Kyrillos (R- Monmouth/Middlesex) responded to reports that Jersey City will borrow to pay for more than $9 million in accumulated personal time and sick time this year by calling again for an immediate vote to end unused sick leave payouts for public employees:”Today, we saw the clearest example yet of how the Democratic Majority’s refusal to enact meaningful sick leave reform is costing the taxpayers of New Jersey. Jersey City is being forced to pay $9 million in unused leave benefits, rather than controlling taxes and improving services is bad enough. Sick leave is not deferred compensation. It is not a retirement plan or a bonus- it is intended to be used as time off when an employee is sick. The Majority needs to recognize that we must end, not just cap, these payments and post the Governor’s conditional veto immediately.”

The amended version of, S-2220, which would change the retirees unused sick leave statute is now pending before the State Senate.

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Kyrillos: “Is The Cost of Unused Sick Leave Payments Sinking in Yet?”

“In total, these municipalities (Newark, Atlantic City, Camden, Jersey City, Trenton, South Brunswick, East Orange, Hackensack) paid more than $39 million last year to more than 700 employees who cashed in their unused sick and vacation time.”

–The Star-Ledger, 4/11/2011

Trenton—  In light of new information showing eight municipalities in New Jersey paid out $39 million in terminal leave payments to departing public employees, Senator Joe Kyrillos (R- Monmouth/Middlesex) called for Senate Democrats to explain their continued defense of the practice:

“I have to wonder if the cost to the taxpayers of this outrageous public employee perk is sinking in with my Democrat colleagues.”

“Even more frustrating is that some of the municipalities with the largest terminal leave debts are also recipients of huge amounts of state aid, paid for by the rest of the state’s beleaguered taxpayers.”

“Contrary to the claims of Trenton special interests defending the practice, sick leave is not a form of deferred compensation.  These payments are wrong in any amount and must be ended, not just capped, by the Legislature.  This is a vote the Senate needs to hold this month.”

“If the Majority party continues its crusade to preserve these payments, the taxpayers deserve an explanation as to why they should pay for a public employee perk that the majority of New Jersey workers do not receive themselves.”

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