Washington Twp. Hires Attorney to Review Terminal Leave Payments

Washington Township officials have hired special counsel to review terminal leave payments made to township employees in 2010 and 2011.

The township council passed a pair of resolutions last month hiring attorney Ronald Mondello to review the payments and provide the council with a legal opinion.

Council President Steve Cascio declined to comment due to the ongoing investigation.

The township paid retired police officers $38,184 for terminal leave in 2010 and payments of $55,521 and $66,828 in 2011, NorthJersey.com reported.

A new PBA contract approved this year eliminates all terminal leave as of December 31, 2011.

Mondello will also investigate the status of an unnamed employee as a contractor or full employee to provide the council with a legal opinion on that issue.

The council has previously discussed the employment status of township attorney Kenneth Poller, and whether he counts as a contractor or a full salaried employee. Whether or not the attorney was the position the council sought an opinion on was not immediately clear.

A report released by the state comptroller's office released last year found "widespread improper participation in the state pension system among attorneys and other professionals working as independent contractors for local governments" in violation of a 2007 state law.

Officials previously said they were waiting from a ruling from the IRS to determine Poller's status. 

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