Lodi is
overpaying hundreds of thousands of dollars each year for “professional
services” due to campaign contributors receiving NO BID contracts and then
billing Lodi excessively.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars can be
saved each year for professional services simply by:
1) Passing a
pay-to-play ordinance
to prohibit any campaign contributors from receiving NO BID contracts.
2) Using a set pay schedule for part-time
professionals, disallowing them to overbill with hourly rates.
3) Use competitive bidding in
cases where hourly rates are completely necessary.
4) Find competent professionals to work
full-time for less money than incompetent part-time ones.
Legal Costs:
a) Borough Attorney’s NO BID Contract:
Lodi is paying a part-time borough attorney a
$160,000 retainer and expecting very little in return. Lodi paid the political Florio firm over
$50,000 last year to perform the duties that most assume the borough attorney
would be performing. Lodi has also paid
other outside firms like Archer and Greiner.
Solution: There are many hungry lawyers with municipal
experience. Lodi can find a full time
borough attorney, offer them health benefits, and still cut legal costs in
half. The full time Attorney General of
New Jersey is paid less than the part-time borough attorney of Lodi. Many good lawyers would jump at the opportunity.
b) Special Tax Counsel’s NO BID Contract:
The Lodi politicians had to create a $65,000 job for
Marcel Wurms after the State removed him from the Garfield schools. There is no way that Lodi can justify paying
Marcel Wurms’ $65,000 for part-time limited work.
Solution: Cut the pay in half and seek resumes for the
work.
Engineering
Costs:
Two
NO BID Contracts for Engineering:
The Lodi politicians received two large campaign
contributions last election cycle so the Lodi taxpayers are now paying two engineering
firms. Last year, Lodi paid Neglia and
Maser $217,785.42 and the year before $219,703.02.
Solution: Cut
last year’s cost in half and seek proposals for the work. Lodi can have a full time engineer for half
of what they paid last year.
There is a world out there beyond campaign contributors.
“Treasury
Services”:
Lodi is paying a part-time CFO $107,500. This includes a NO BID contract for “treasury
services.”
Solution: Lodi can continue using a part-time CFO but
with a part-time salary. The part-time
CFO of Lodi is paid less than $30,000 in each of the other two towns where he
is employed in that capacity.
The list can go on for the rest for the rest of the campaign contributors that received NO BID contracts...
