Forget it: Rutherford mayor backs away from planned 1,750% pay raise

The position of mayor in Rutherford will remain part-time after a move to make it full-time generated controversy.

Incumbent Joseph DeSalvo told the Bergen Record he has asked council President Frank Nunziato to remove action on two ordinances from the agenda of the council's meeting on May 23.

“The council, I do believe that they think they’re doing the right thing, doing the best thing for the town right now, but I just don’t want it to go on any further. It’s causing a black eye for our town and we’ve done so many good things," DeSalvo told the newspaper.

DeSalvo had taken on the duties of the vacant borough administrator's office for the 18,000 person town. Had the full-time proposal been approved, DeSalvo's salary would have gone from $4,000 to $74,000, giving the Republican a 1,750 percent raise. Instead, he will submit the name of a candidate for the newly created position of executive secretary that will pick up many of the administrator's duties.