How Government Works: Contractors

Each new year brings a new mayor and a new deputy mayor, but much of the administration of the town remains the same. The lawyers, engineers and planners who handle some critical functions of the town are independent contractors, paid for with your tax money and hired by those you elected to make the right decisions.

At this week’s organization meeting of the Township Committee, the governing body, by unanimous vote, hired $679,500 worth of contractors in 19 positions to augment the salaried staff positions helping to keep the town running. Some of these positions provide specific expertise unavailable from the town’s payroll; others are on stand-by, in case they’re needed.

The following is a list of the people in those positions, in no particular order, and the money they were allotted for the 2013 calendar year:

Municipal Lawyer

Sean Kean

$145/hr. up to $265,000

Bond Counsel

John M. Cantalupo, of Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer

$145/hr. up to $12,500

Tax Appeal Lawyer

Matthew O’Donnell, of O’Donnell McCord PC

$145/hr. up to $25,000

Township Auditor

Robert W. Allison, of Hutchins Farrell Meyer & Allison

No hourly rate provided, up to $43,000

Township Prosecutor

John T. Lane, Esq.

No hourly rate provided, up to $10,000

Consulting Engineer

John S. Truhan, of John S. Truhan Consulting Engineers, Inc.

$125/hr. up to $20,000

Water/Sewer Engineer

Carmella Roberts, of Roberts Engineering Group

$125/hr. up to $20,000

Consulting Planner

Cheryl Bergailo, of Taylor Design Group

$118/hr. up to $10,000

Mt. Laurel Counsel

Jeffrey R. Surenian, of Jeffrey Surenian & Associates

$170/hr. up to $150,000

Labor Counsel

Matthew Giacobbe, of Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri & Jacobs

$145/hr. up to $10,000

Special Counsel

Bathgate Wegener & Wolf PC

$145/hr. up to $10,000

Special Counsel

Mark Kitrick, of King Kitrick & Jackson

$135/hr. up to $10,000

Special Counsel

John Prindiville, of Barry & Prindiville

$130/hr. up to $10,000

Special Counsel

Brian M. Nelson, of Nelson Supko & Hanlon

$135/hr. up to $10,000

Special Counsel

Michael D. Fitzgerald

$145/hr. up to $10,000

Mobile Home Rent Stabilization Counsel

Geoffrey S. Cramer Esq.

$120/hr. up to $9,000

Environmental Engineer Consultant

French & Parrello

$135/hr. up to $15,000

Environmental Engineer for Special Projects

Birdsall Engineering, Eatontown

$135/hr. up to $15,000

Environmental Engineer for Special Projects

The ELM Group, Inc.

No hourly rate provided, up to $15,000

Real Estate Appraiser

Peter Sockler, of Stockler Realty Service Group

$127/hr. up to $10,000