There are unstated and but important facts related to your email that the public should know (and will tonight):
1. Re Police and Fire Department lawsuits: Councils over the past 10-15 years could have a) required the Manager to create an employee handbook that included progressive discipline for harassment, sexual harassment as well as a variety of other violations of law, statute, policy and procedure.
2. Re police and Fire Department lawsuits: Councils over the past 10-15 years could have directed the Manager to discipline employees who violated as noted above.
3. Re Police and Fire department lawsuits, Councils over the past 10-15 years could have terminated the Manager -- an at will employee -- for failure to discipline employees and allowing Teaneck to be sunk, financially, by lawsuits.
4. Councilmembers Elie Katz and Emil "Yitz" Stern were Council members for many of the years during which these lawsuits were brought and lost by the Township of Teaneck. There is no evidence that either of them took any action to discipline any individual or to address the issues that were causing the problems. Should these two people now be "controlling" the Police and Fire Departments?
5. Katz's numbers are WRONG: It will cost less to have a Police chief and a Fire chief (and no Public Safety Director or additional Deputy chiefs) than it will to have a Deputy Police Chief, a Deputy Fire Chief and a Public safety Director. Do the math -- we will at tonight's meeting.
6. "Cozying to 'Out of Town Lobbyist Associations and Special Interest Groups'"?? Councilwoman Barbara Ley Toffler invited the NJ State Chiefs of Police to give their power point presentation ONLY AFTER the majority of the Council denied them the opportunity to make the 20-minute presentation at the start of tomorrow's Council meeting.
7. Councilwoman Toffler has taken no money from the NJ State Chiefs of Police nor from any other public, private or not-for-profit institution, unlike four of her colleagues whose campaigns have been supported by the Sanzari family, Joseph Ferriero, and the BCDO (despite our election being non-partisan)
8, Finally, FOLLOW THE MONEY: Robert Wilson will be retiring with a pension of $110,000/year (which he has earned, paid into and deserves). He will also, upon retirement as of November 1, 2010, receive a check for his accrued vacation and sick time from the township. It is said that Wilson never, in 25 years, took a day of sick leave or vacation, so it is estimated that November 2 check will be in the neighborhood of $200,000. Robert Wilson would then serve for 6 months as Deputy Manager, for which the top of the salary scale is $98,000. The proposed ordinance #4200, raises the top of the scale to $110,000 to accommodate Mr. Wilson's request. On May 1st, Mr. Wilson would become the Public Safety Director at a salary of $110,000/yr with 6 weeks of vacation pay and 3 weeks of sick pay accruable for 3 years. Mr. Wilson will have a 3-year contract, which can only be terminated by cause. NO OTHER EMPLOYEE IN TEANECK HAS SUCH A CONTRACT. So, yes, please, follow the money.
9. [REMOVED as per author]
COUNCILWOMAN TOFFLER IS COMMITTED TO REMOVING SLEAZE NOT ONLY FROM OUR COUNCIL CHAMBERS BUT FROM THE TOWNSHIP OF TEANECK. THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE AND ITS ACCOMPANYING RESOLUTIONS ARE AN EMBARRASSMENT TO TEANECK AND ITS RESIDENTS
