Wayne mayor seeks 647% pay hike

Wayne Mayor Christopher Vergano wants to raise his own salary from $18,750 to $140,000 annually, an increase of 647%.

The Wayne Township Council has included an ordinance creating a full-time mayoral post on their agenda when they reorganize on Wednesday.    The salary hike would become effective immediately.

A Republican who has served as a part time mayor since 2008, Vergano has worked at Hishi Plastics USA, a Mitsubishi Chemical-owned company, for the last 24 years.

Vergano is up for re-election in 2025.   He was re-elected in 2021 with 70% of the vote.

But the proposed pay hike comes at a time when four Republican councilmen are up for re-election.  The GOP has an 8-1 majority on the governing body; Ward 5 Councilwoman Francine Ritter is the lone Democrat .

Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh last year declined to accept a $21,000 raise, leaving his salary as a full-time mayor at $119,000.