News Release
For Release: Tuesday, October 26th, 2010
Contact: Frank Baraff 914-469-3775

Mayor Eldridge Hawkins, Jr. announces that Orange has saved $2.3 million through staff reductions and reorganization since he took office in July 2008

Statement by Mayor Eldridge Hawkins, Jr.

“When I took office in July 2008, Orange was overstaffed and carrying a bloated payroll that added to the severe burden faced by taxpayers. Over the past two years, I have reduced the cost of personnel through attrition and through replacing higher salaried employees with lower salaried employees.

Since I took office, 53 employees have left due to retirements, resignations, and terminations. During this same period, 31 employees have been hired for a net reduction of 22 employees. The salaries of the 53 employees who left totaled $3.8 million compared to total salaries of $1.5 million for the 31 employees who were hired.

This represents a net savings of $2.3 million.

Since Orange was hit with Governor Christie’s $3 million dollar reduction in state aid this year, we have stepped up our efforts to reduce spending through staff reductions. Since July 1, 2010, 20 employees have left and only 5 have been hired. The salaries of the 20 who left totaled $1.7 million compared to the annual salary cost of $230,000 for the five hired since July 1. This represents a net savings on a yearly basis of $1.5 million.

These numbers underestimate the actual savings to taxpayers because of those hired since I took office, the Construction Official’s salary is paid by permit fees not property taxes. We hired a civilian police dispatcher to put one more police officer on the street and reduce police overtime opportunities. And four police officers who were hired are paid for by a federal grant not by Orange taxpayers. 

In making these reductions, I have also reorganized the use of personnel to make staffing more efficient. Some employees have been moved from one department to another to fill gaps in essential staffing. Other employees have been assigned additional responsibilities without increasing their salaries.

Despite these reductions in spending for personnel, the Christie budget cuts have left Orange with a very large gap between revenues and the cost of providing essential services including those that protect public safety. As we are finalizing our budget for this fiscal year, it is clear that a combination of negotiated reductions in employee salaries and benefits and/or layoffs will be necessary to avoid a huge increase in property taxes that Orange taxpayers cannot afford in the midst of a terrible economy.”