SECAUCUS AND BEYOND — Assemblyman Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson), who is in line to be the next chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee and who was also being touted as the next speaker of the Assembly by Senator Nicholas Sacco, has three public jobs earning a total of $201,000 per year, according to a story in the Star Ledger.
Prieto reportedly earns $49,000 as Assemblyman, $123,000 as a construction code official in Secaucus, and $29,000 as Guttenberg’s construction official.
“I do my jobs, and obviously I don’t take benefits from each of those jobs,” Prieto was quoted as saying. “If someone else was doing those they’d be getting benefits from them. It’s an essential position, in this age, for homeland security, which is very important to make sure of the safety and well-being of the residents of the State of New Jersey.”
Meanwhile, Prieto’s former chief of staff, Nick Goldsack, also holds three public jobs — as someone who remains on Prieto’s payroll, holds the Director of Finance position for Secaucus, and works as the tax collector for Guttenberg. Goldsack resigned from the chief of staff post after his benefits kicked in during October for the town of Secaucus, as he had promised Mayor Michael Gonnelli he would when he took the Secaucus job. However, he said last week that he continues to be on Prieto’s payroll assisting as needed especially with work related to the election.
He said he is no longer chief of staff, but is still on the payroll and can’t be taken off until December, due to the way the system works. He said Prieto is allowed to have legislative aides besides the chief of staff.
Prieto is running on the Democratic ticket for the 32nd District along with Sacco and Angelica M. Jimenez from West New York this Tuesday.
Sacco has repeatedly come under criticism in the media for also holding three public jobs and being one of the highest paid public officials, earning $278,280 combined. He earns $49,000 as state senator, $15,000 as North Bergen’s mayor, and $214,280 as the assistant superintendent of schools in the North Bergen school district.