Christie Moves To Limit The Salaries of Non-Profit CEOs
By CRAIG TREADWAY wpix.com

11:17 a.m. EDT, April 26, 2010
TRENTON, N.J. (WPIX)—
With the fight over state teachers salaries and benefits getting bloodier, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is putting his budget cutting focus on non-profit social agencies doing business with the state.

Most specifically, the amount the state is willing to pay for CEO salaries and employee benefits.

According to a Department of Human Service draft memo obtained by the New Jersey Star Ledger, the state would limit the salaries of top earning executives 10 to $141,000 for any non-profit social service agency with a budget of over $20 million beginning July 1.

Executive directors at agencies with budgets between $5 million to $20 million would also see their salaries capped.

According to spokeswoman for the Department of Human Services, the savings could total about $5 million by coupling CEO salary cuts with additional measures cutting back on travel, education, severance and vehicle expenses for all non-profit employees.

Social service agencies executives and their lobbyists say the cuts to salaries and benefits will make it harder to attact and retain skilled workers. They hope to negotiate a compromise before the new fiscal year begins July 1.