Commissioners Approve a Pay Increase for Solicitor

The Haddonfield Board of Commissioners reappointed long-time solicitor Mario Iavicoli to another term and included a $5,000 bump in his yearly salary during an action meeting Tuesday at the Municipal Hall.

Iavicoli, entering his 33rd year as solicitor, will now earn $70,000 yearly for being the borough's attorney for municipal matters. Iavicoli is a borough resident and recently told the commissioners he would continue as solicitor here even though he has curtailed similar assignments in other South Jersey towns.

Ed Borden, one of three borough commissioners and a former Camden County prosecutor, said Iavicoli brings "creative lawyering" and saves Haddonfield money by working for a flat fee instead of charging by the hour.

"It's a favorable financial arrangement," Borden said.

In other business, the commissioners appointed Dean J. Buono as prosecutor, Charles Wiggington as public defender, Jean Phillips as court administrator and John Stokes to the planning board and the environmental commission. Buono, Wiggington and Phillips are paid through a fee paid to Audubon which holds joint municipal court proceedings for both boroughs.

All appointments were made unanimously.

The commissioners also said the borough saved $87,000 for an environmental remediation clean up at its public works facility on Centre Street. The remediation of a leaking fuel tank was projected to cost $396,711. The cleanup, which is now completed, actually will cost $309,548.97.

In public comments, resident Joe Haro complained about the borough information center being closed through the month of January.

"It needs to be open on consistent dates," Haro said.

Commissioner Jeff Kasko said hours of operation for the information center, located on Kings Court, were reduced because of budget cuts. He said the borough's business improvement district, the Partnership for Haddonfield, has helped fund the the center but no increase in hours are likely.

The center will resume operation on Tuesday and Thursday next month.