I don't think they should take the benefits but the chart is really unfair and inaccurate. To be accurate and fair, it should only have the years that each member was on the council and the rest with an X through them. Also, to display accurately for people to get an informed picture, it should include the prior councils as well. I'm surprised that author would show such an inaccurate and unfair chart. It also shows how any numbers can be skewed to prove any point. Surprisingly, not good reporting.

Pretty easy for Jeannie to say as she receives public benefits from Fair Lawn taxpayers via the county. What a hypocrit. The fact is that if there are no stipends or benefits for leaders (in Trenton or Fair Lawn) the government on any level could no longer be made up of any person qualified to serve- it will be made up of the wealthy class only. The basis of our country is to have have reps in the government who represent all our people, most of whom are not wealthy.

Baratta and Trawinski earn about $300k plus medical at their county jobs. Even though they decline the town benefits, we are still paying a heafty amount for them.

Politics = talking out of both sides of your mouth

@Zak, I would be interested to see what the stipends are specifically for. Are they for being a blonde or do require "work", a sense of how much additional time (if any) would be appreciated.

As a matter of scale, in Lisa's 5 years, she totaled less then a clerk, and less than a supervisor at DPW, and less Metzler, each make in just salary in one year. While those three examples are not the only one, this story makes for good fodder.

Zak also just made the case that Trawinski IS a double dipper, I look forward to hearing the poppycock excuse.

why is this an issue? when liberals control Fair Lawn this would never even be mentions. Is there nothing the liberals have done that can be reported on I mean other than pay it forward witch means not paying for it. Or if your a liberal taxing the yet to be born for our incompetence!

Seams like Swain asks her husband for a lot of answers. Maybe he is the one causing the chaos in Fair Lawn.....don't pay attention to the man behind the curtain.....

Zac
Good job on this article.
I can use this information for the Fair Lawn Republican Organization's mailing.
2013 is around the corner.

They deserve the $2,500 fo their time and work but who gets benefits for a part time job? I agree with Bruce who did we elect Swain or her husband?

This article does NOTHING but fuel a partisan fire that everyone agrees should be put out. I fear the next slow news day when Patch posts more garbage like a "Mets or Yankees" poll or "What's your favorite color?" poll. These are all issues that people have made up their minds on how they feel (either way is fine), and no Patch arguing or commenting will change anyone's mind. Just fueling a fire no one wants...

The article's numbers are meaningless as they do not show the full picture of how these people earn their living. The issue the article inadvertently brings out is the ever growing issue of health insurance costs especially for the self employed as demonstrated by Lisa Swain's hesitation.

Look at the cost of benefits here, WOW, the borough gives themselves quite lavish, no expense spared at the taxpayer's expense health insurance. I pay 100% of my own for an entire family for about $10,500/yr with BCBS of NJ. Imagine that this kind of benefit is given to every employee in addition to the politicians who accept it on top of their salary.

CutterPride always anxious to display your exemplary level of stipidity

The hypocrisy of two county employees telling other council members not to take bennies is laughable and will only cost them politically in the long run. Very foolish move. Now if they want to talk about giving up something, why not have Ed talk about giveing up all those NJ pension credits accrued from part time work over the past two decades as a council member and as part time attorney for town land use boards? You want to find a big long term taxpayer saver Republican? Kill the part timers' pensons. All over the state. Go for it!

Low and Behold the Parisites come out of the wood work hows that for a narrative?

Am I the only one who finds Trawinski to be the biggest pig here? He is the biggest earner of the bunch, he is swimming in pension credits and he has great health benefits from his patronage job (all paid for by our tax dollars). But that isn't enough! He wants it all. He has to ice his cake with the prescription drug benefits that make his deal a little sweeter.

And if that isn't sickening enough, this all comes after months of his puppets repeatedly lying over and over again on this site stating how he accepts "NO BENEFITS" from his council position.

If you repeat a lie enough times, people will believe it. But I guess it's OK to repeat a lie like this as long as you are willing to apologize for your mistake when you get exposed. Man politicians stink!

Her Majesty Swain says " It costs money to sit in this seat"...Well princess, nobody is making you do it! Further, did you ever consider the true meaning of community involvement? How much do you think it costs Firefighters, Rescue Personnel or Ambulance members?!? Not to mention the untolled amount of time training and the unplanned emergency calls resulting in loss of time with families and or events. Lastly, the worst you may endure is the barbed tongue of an unruly resident or a papercut shuffling resolutions....The aforementioned stand to be injured, stricken with illness or God forbide a loss of limb or even life!!! So save the B.S.

General question for my own edification - Are the council members considered full-time or part-time employees of Fair Lawn?
I understand (within reason) the point of a stipend, should the elected council member have a need for it. I hate to agree with Ed Rooney on this (purely because he never relayed his self-admitted "other ways" for having an affair with Mrs. Swain), but should fulfilling the duties of a member of FL council be a financial hardship, it makes sense to provide them with the funds needed to do so.
As far as providing insurance and benefits, etc. I don't believe I've ever heard of a part-time employee of a company receiving the same benefits as a full-time employee. Furthermore, I would think eliminating benefits at this level would be a no-brainer should your logic be that cuts in our budget should come from the top first.
Food for thought - If you assume the council members who took benefits also took the annual stipend (not sure if they did or did not, hence my assumption), and you deduct the annual stipend from those numbers, the benefits on this chart still cost FL over $190k. If anyone thinks that is a negligible amount, feel free to lend it to me sometime!

elected officials should receive no benefits nor a stipend. If you want a job, get one. All these accusations and all the other noise from this council disguises the fact that nothing is getting done. I urge all the council members to lose the bennies, stop cancelling meetings and get something accomplished.

You want to argue back and forth over basically one person who is only employed part time taking benefits, putting a personal decision to a public poll, but no one questions why in a group insurance situation it costs nearly $11K per year per person just for a prescription drug benefit?

Don't cloud the issue with your deflections Bumblin Bellair! Swain's hand is in the cookie jar in this one and she can't get it out cause her fist is clenched

There seems to be a lot of debate on this site about those Council members who are taking the salaries and benefits. However, I would like to thank the members of the council who don’t take either. Mayor Baratta and Deputy Mayor Cosgrove do not take any of the benefits nor the salary. I think this is a great example of them putting the interest of Fair Lawn first above their own. You can say what you want but they could have taken these benefits at an additional cost of almost $60,000 to the town. Taking these benefits while asking borough employees to take furloughs and layoffs is not a sign of good leadership. So kudos to the Mayor and Deputy Mayor Cosgrove for showing leadership and for saving the taxpayers’ hard earned money.

@ Janice I agree with you 100%! This is not an issue you work you should be paid and the way I see it they gave it to charity! Thank you for bringing it to everyone's attention

@Allen P. I see that you're not ready to thank Mayor Baratta for not taking her stipend, so am I to assume that you're going to thank Deputy Mayor Cosgrove for not taking the stipend or the benefits?

Allen, If you ask me, almost everybody in the public sector is overpaid.

these stipends are more money than some people, including myself, make in one year! It's ridiculous!

"Allen, If you ask me, almost everybody in the public sector is overpaid."

we definetly agree on that. my only point i was trying to make is when baratta is making $150,000 for basically being donovans assistant and has a great health care plan, its not really a big deal to give up $2500 and not double up on benefits.

Do you folks read your own dribble they r entitled to the bennifits there fore this is a non issue unless you do not have a life or like to see your own name on the comment line

Mr Reese there in lies the problem!
These are suposed volunteers with a claim to community investment yet, there are some that feel it "Entitles " them ...even dribble in large amounts can result in flooding...they should heed the signs

Poor boy all should share in sacrifice sound like an Obama campaign add!! Once again they are intitled to it! So it is not an issue! Poor boy grow a pair and lets see who u r that is unless everyone knows you a fool an anonymous is the only way you can get attention I FEAR NO ONE

No poor boy they are elected officials or did u miss the elelection?? The borough offers a stipen with bennies If u work you should be paid my father raised six kids and fairlawn and I have yet to find a town to meet its quality of life especially those towns where volunteers rain everything

I'd love to see a binding ballot question which asks if they should get benefits or a stipend.

I'd love to see this liberal rag do a story about a real issue

REESE, elected does not equal employed!
I didn't advocate share in sacrifices., I demand that the likes of Swain stop whining about entitlments and leave her post. How dare she complain while furloighed employees struggle and residents are burdened with rising taxes!

BTW., Reese, whats with the " I FEAR NO ONE" ?
This isn't WWF..no one threatened anyone here, its a discussion blog...talk about gettin a life ...sheesh....

Yes poor boy happy moms day everyone knows cowards hind behind alias's now pull up you skirt

And again the job offers stipends no one has to take them but it's offered and there's for the taking should they desire. You would argue to save peanuts when the beef is in the library! How much salary is there in that entity? Is it justified? Would it better better spent somewhere else? When democrats have the majority this stipend issue would never come up! I liken it to the buffet tax the our campaigner and chief has wore out it would make no difference in the deficity! No difference in our lives but because of the bias in the press it is made to sound like it matters! TELL A LIE BIG ENOUGH AND OFTEN ENOUGH AND THE MASSES WILL BEGIN TO BELIEVE IT !! Now who said that? I am sorry I offended you! Im sick of the entire show ! Good people leave politics so the career politician can thrive! I do wish u and all whi u hold dear a wonderful mothers day! WWF OUT

Ill agree with your last post ..the library is a money pit

I have made fools of those who can spell those who have been educated in Yale and Harvard spelling grammar eduacation does not mean knowledge but I laugh at my short commings with u ! I knew we would agree on that I have compared everywhere I lived library to the fair lawn library the all for short in one regard the amount spent on them! I have lived in towns with the same or less entire yearly budget as the fairlawn library but in salary some towns have less but provide more! That it true genius

I surender the belt willingly I will save all my energy for defeating Obama !!! And the democrati controlled congress by the way has anyone seen John Corzine did they ever find the money??? That right he is a liberal poster boy he gets to keep it wher u and I would be in jail!!

And tony if that's your real photo u need to be outside this beautiful day

I'm sorry tony I hope you take vitamin d supplements and in the shade is still healthy I meant know harm and you realize corzine was nearly a cabinet member?? OMG Obama is right there is class war going in the ruling class against the working class all the failures on wall street where recruited into the Presidents administration so they could finish us off ! In the name of fairness and shared sacrifice!!! My father raised 6 kids all pay taxes most of us pay more in taxes than he retired making and low and behold!!!! IT'S NOT ENOUGH WHAT A SURPRISE!!

Most people whether in the private sector or employed by the government don't have their medical benefits paid completely, and part timers almost never qualify for any benefit. Why should a politician be any different, especially part timers? I guess the fact that they make the rules helps, whether they grant it themselves or it is "grandfathered "in. Sure must be nice to make your own rules.