Brian P. Stack works seven days a week, frequently logging fifteen-hour days as the full-time mayor of Union City, but for twenty years, he’d earned a salary of just $16,000 annually, or less than $5-per-hour.
Nearly two years ago, Union City increased the mayor’s salary to $95,000, the first raise since 1987. Stack abstained from that vote.
But the raise was hardly a secret. The ordinance proposing the new salary was published twice in the Jersey Journal as a paid legal notice. Reporters for the newspaper, part of the Star-Ledger/NJ.com network, either missed it or didn’t think it was a story at the time.
Now, political opponents from outside Union City are actively peddling the pay raise story following a series of victories for Stack that have caused some daggers to appear in hardball Hudson County.
“The city believes there is a need to amend the salary for the position of mayor to bring it more in line with the amounts paid to full-time mayors serving municipalities with similar populations and demographics,” Angelo Auteri, the city’s corporation counsel, told the Division of Local Government Services in 2021 when Union City sought approval from the state.
A top Democratic strategist, Michael Soliman, was quick to defend Stack.
“This is ridiculous that this is even a story,” Soliman said. “Even with the increase, which quite frankly was long overdue, Union City pays their mayor much less than other cities.”
With a population of nearly 70,000 people – 86% Hispanic – Union City is New Jersey’s 18th largest municipality. After his raise, Stack is still making less than other urban mayors: Newark ($180,000), Jersey City ($175,000), Paterson ($119,000), Hoboken ($130,000), East Orange ($141,000), Camden ($130,000), Irvington ($124,000), and Trenton ($146,000).
Micah Rasmussen, the director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University, thinks that Union City residents are getting a bargain, considering Stack’s reputation as a workaholic.
“It is not infrequent for extreme political junkies across New Jersey to express the wish that Brian Stack was their mayor. Most people would probably measure the value of a mayor by accessibility, hard work, a drive for results, and effectiveness,” said Rasmussen. “By those measures, it’s hard to imagine many of Stack’s constituents would conclude that they aren’t getting their money’s worth. For other mayors who might covet Stack’s salary, you have your template.”
Stack retained his $49,000-a-year State Senate seat after redistricting placed him in the same district as eight-term State Sen. Nicholas Sacco, the mayor of North Bergen. He’s also expanded his influence after running former Rep. Albio Sires’s campaign for mayor of West New York in May, and as the leading proponent of former Gov. James E. McGreevey’s likely bid for Jersey City mayor in 2025.
Stack told the New Jersey Globe that he works hard for his money.
“This is my passion. This is what I love to do. It’s my life. I work 24/7. I’m always working. I’m not independently wealthy. I don’t have a private business,” said Stack. “Nobody works harder for Union City. I’m always on the phone. I’m always trying to help somebody. That’s who I am.”
Craig Guy, the Democratic candidate for Hudson County Executive, also backed up Stack.
“He’s underpaid for the amount of hours he takes away from his personal life,” Guy said. “He’s the hardest working elected official in the state.”
This story was updated at 5:20 PM with comment from Guy.
RELATED ARTICLES
-
October 3, 2019 -
October 13, 2018 -
October 3, 2019