Casagrande Gets Support for Sick Pay Bill

Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande has introduced a bill that would rein in the use of accrued sick days by retiring public employees.

The bill, A-1943, is backed by the League of Municipalities, according to a release.

“Sick leave is for sick employees, they are not meant to allow public employees to remain on a public payroll and take an early retirement,” Casagrande, R-Monmouth, said in the release.

As an example, Princeton Township arranged to pay the long-time municipal administrator and police chief for nine months after they left their posts, collecting their regular salaries along with all their benefits and pension contributions, according to the release.

More recently, the since-merged Princeton has sanctioned allowing its police chief to remain on the payroll for several months before he will reach 30 years in the pension system in October, the release says.

“Sick days are not meant to be used as a financial windfall at the end of a career,” Casagrande said in the release. “And, taxpayers certainly cannot afford to pay municipal workers who aren’t working.”

Casagrande said the practice, known as terminal leave, makes it extremely difficult for local officials to stay within the property tax cap, the release says.

“Municipalities are often forced to leave critical positions vacant because they cannot afford to pay two individuals for the same job,” Casagrande said in the release. “That increases property taxes and makes it more difficult to maintain the services that property taxpayers expect.”