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Ventnor adopts lifeguard pension and three-year pay scales; ordinances pass unanimously
Summary
The Ventnor City Commission on Feb. 12 adopted three ordinances that reauthorize a lifeguard pension under NJSA 43:13-23 and set citywide pay ranges and a three-year lifeguard wage schedule, and approved a consent package of routine resolutions. Commissioners said the pension update responds to a state audit and statutory requirements.
Ventnor’s City Commission unanimously adopted three ordinances on Feb. 12 that readopt a lifeguard pension and set pay ranges and lifeguard wages for 2026–2028.
Mayor Bridal introduced the pension ordinance as a statutory compliance measure, saying the measure implements recommendations following a state audit: “This is, adopting the pension plan that we’ve discussed…in accordance with NJSA 43:13-23.” The council then opened and closed public hearings with no public comment and approved the ordinance by roll call.
Commissioners also adopted Ordinance 2026-003, which establishes salary ranges for city officers and employees, and Ordinance 2026-004, a three-year lifeguard wage schedule. One commissioner said he would recuse himself from lifeguard-related votes because of a family connection, telling the body, “I’m gonna recuse myself from those 2 items.” That commissioner later voted after indicating he had reconsidered.
Why it matters: the lifeguard pension stems from a long-standing state requirement that municipalities of certain classes maintain lifeguard pensions; the city characterized this action as updating a 1987 ordinance to reflect state comptroller recommendations and current practice. The salary-range ordinance places pay bands on the record for officers and employees; the lifeguard wage ordinance sets the step system for Beach Patrol, which is not collectively bargained.
Votes at a glance: the commission approved the three ordinances by roll call (Commissioner Landgraf: yes; Commissioner Mento: yes; Mayor Bridal: yes). The meeting record shows the public hearings were opened and closed with no comments and each ordinance was adopted on the same night.
What’s next: the ordinances become part of the municipal code as adopted; administrative staff will implement the pay ranges and pay-scale steps for lifeguards and other employees.
No financial or procedural details beyond what was presented at the meeting were invented for this report; the council described the actions as statutory and routine.
