Kearny council presses pause on hiring of chief environmental health specialist amid salary questions

The mayor and Town Council discussed the proposed appointment of a chief registered environmental health specialist but did not finalize the hire, with members asking for additional budgetary detail and a written salary justification.

The Board of Health had approved the candidate and the health department presented the person as certified and experienced, but several council members asked whether the proposed salary level was already budgeted. Health department staff described the role’s responsibilities, saying it supervises restaurant inspections, nuisance and lead-program work and serves as the health officer’s second-in-command. The health officer summarized the position’s purpose: “public health is about prevention,” and noted the chief specialist carries many of the town’s behind-the-scenes regulatory duties.

Council members pressed for written confirmation of whether the proposed salary is included in the current municipal budget and for comparable salary data from nearby municipalities. One council member said the Board of Health vote had not included salary information and asked that the council be given comparable rates and documentation before voting. The town’s finance staff explained that part of the department’s payroll has been funded through grants and that some grant-supported positions face funding sunsets; they said last year’s budget included significant grant-funded personnel costs and that the town had also eliminated a prior Bergen County contract that had paid for support services.

After the discussion the council agreed to table action on the appointment to allow staff time to provide a clear budget answer and comparables. No formal hiring vote occurred at the meeting.

The council and health department repeatedly described the post as full-time and supervisory, and staff warned that if the town waits it could be months before another candidate is available, given statewide shortages of registered environmental health specialists.

The council asked that the information be returned at the next meeting and flagged the questions members raised — salary step placement, whether the position’s cost is already budgeted for the fiscal year, and the grant-versus-town share of personnel costs — as the material required before the governing body will vote.