Red Bank’s nonunion employees got an early Christmas present last week when the Borough Council unanimously approved an annualized 3 percent salary increase at the Dec. 22 meeting.

Mayor Pasquale Menna explained that the increase reflects a 1.5 percent raise because it’s retroactive to July 1.

“This is for work that was done by real diligent, hardworking employees,” Menna said. “We’re talking about people who don’t put in for overtime. If they have to put in extra hours or come in on weekends, they do it.”

Most borough employees work a 10- hour-per-day, four-day workweek, excluding police and public works employees.

Borough Administrator Stanley Sickels explained that the ordinance covers 36 appointed officials, who aren’t covered by collective bargaining, and also sets the rate range for hourly employees.

The salary ordinance fixing compensation for 2009 covers some of the top appointed positions, including the borough clerk, who will earn $71,737; the library director, whose salary is now $65,243; the construction/ fire official, who will take home $110,877; and the police chief, who will make $121,634.

Additional positions covered by the ordinance include the borough administrator, deputy clerk, chief financial officer, assessor, mayor and council, human resource manager, and the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) representative.

The ordinance additionally provides a longevity payment of $500 annually for every five years a person has been employed by the borough, excluding the chief of police.

According to the ordinance, the governing body, after recommendation from the administrator, will designate those officials and employees who are entitled to mileage compensation for the use of their personal vehicles on borough business. That reimbursement would equal the prevailing mileage deductible/reimbursement rate established by the IRS.

The ordinance enables the borough to pay compensation at amounts less than those listed for officials and employees hired to replace vacant offices and positions.

In September 2008, the Borough Council approved a 3.5 percent salary increase for nonunion employees not subject to collective bargaining as well as union employees. That ordinance also included the same longevity payment that was passed last week.

Kim Senkeleski, a Republican who ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the all-Democrat council, voiced her opinion on the increase.

“I am not saying that the employees aren’t entitled to a raise; everyone is entitled to a raise” said Senkeleski.

But she said that if borough employees are to receive raises, the budget still must be balanced so that taxpayers don’t see an increase in 2010.

Senkeleski asked Menna if he implemented a merit system for the increases provided in the ordinance.

“Evaluations have been used to make certain increases from 2008,” Menna replied.

Menna explained that the 2009 evaluations were completed earlier this month and that those evaluations would be used to determine increases and decreases for 2010 by the end of March.

As a means of stabilizing or reducing municipal taxes, Senkeleski offered to organize, with assistance from the mayor and council, a taxpayer summit that would serve as a forum for an open exchange of ideas coming from borough taxpayers that would propose cost-saving measures for Red Bank.

“It would be similar to the economic summit that has been organized for downtown businesses. I’m happy to spearhead it,” Senkeleski said.

Councilman Michael Dupont, chair of the finance committee, was absent, but Menna told Senkeleski to send him and DuPont a letter so that her idea can be discussed further.