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Council votes to meet in closed session to discuss city clerk and deputy clerk salaries
Summary
The Clifton municipal council voted to hold a closed (executive) session under a cited New Jersey statute to discuss salary and start dates for the city clerk and deputy clerk; council authorized exclusion of the public and said discussion may be disclosed when concluded.
At the start of its March 24 special meeting the Clifton municipal council adopted a resolution to move into a closed session to discuss the salary and starting date of the city clerk and deputy clerk.
The resolution cited state law permitting closed sessions, saying the council deemed it “essential in the furtherance of the public interest to discuss in closed sessions expressly permitted by N.J.S.A. 10:4‑12” the city clerk and deputy clerk positions. The resolution stated the public should be excluded from the portion of the meeting at which those subjects would be discussed and that the council could disclose the closed‑session discussion when the matter is concluded.
Councilmember remarks show some members asked for the closed session as a courtesy so personnel negotiations could be discussed privately; other members noted concerns about uneven distribution of advance information among council members. One council member asked whether the council should take up the personnel matter before the budget discussion; the mayor said the council would proceed as it saw fit.
What the council did: A motion to go into executive session was made and seconded on the record; the council then approved the motion. The resolution text and motion were entered into the meeting record. The transcript shows the council returned to public session and proceeded with the rest of its agenda later in the meeting.
Why it matters: Personnel actions that affect salary and hiring dates can affect the municipal budget and the administration’s organizational plan. The motion cited the state statute that authorizes closed sessions for certain personnel and negotiation topics. The council did not disclose the closed‑session discussion at the time of the recorded public session; the resolution stated that disclosures could be made after the matter is concluded.
