HILLSDALE, N.J.—The Borough Council approved a three-year employment agreement for Clerk Denise Kohan on Sept. 8, with supporters citing her performance and the value of retaining an experienced employee, while the lone dissenter questioned the size of the raises and the agreement’s unavailability to the public before the vote.
The 5–1 decision followed praise for Kohan from both supporters and Councilor John Ruocco, who voted against the agreement. The contract runs from Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2029.
Kohan also serves as the borough’s qualified purchasing agent and Board of Health secretary, positions that carry separate compensation.
Her annual base salary as clerk will rise from $102,000 to $120,174 in 2027, remain at $120,174 in 2028 and reach $129,174 in 2029. That represents a 17.8% increase in the first year and a cumulative 26.6% increase over the current base by the final year.
Compensation for her purchasing-agent duties will be $13,000 in 2027, $13,390 in 2028 and $13,791 in 2029. She also receives $22,600 annually as Board of Health secretary.
With the health secretary’s pay held at its current amount, combined compensation for the three positions totals $155,774 in 2027, $156,164 in 2028 and $165,565 in 2029. Those totals include pay for all three roles, rather than the clerk’s position alone.
During the council’s discussion, Ruocco said Kohan should receive “a robust and above average salary increase” for her clerk and purchasing-agent duties, describing her as “highly proficient in those roles.”
But he called the proposed increases “excessive in comparison to increases afforded to other borough employees.” As Finance Committee chair, he said they were not “fiscally responsible” given the borough’s budget challenges and what he described as “above-average” tax increases recently levied on residents.
Ruocco also warned that the agreement was “likely to spike expectations for similar increases among our staff in the future whether unionized or non-unionized.”
He said he might have supported the agreement if “the size of the increases were reduced somewhat,” but did not specify an amount.
Supporters cite retention, replacement costs
Mayor Michael Sheinfield said the borough needed to remain competitive to retain an experienced clerk. He said salary information for Pascack Valley clerks was “all over the map,” but compensation needed to reflect the current market.
Sheinfield noted that Kohan is a resident who knows the borough and its operations. He said the administrator views her as “a right-hand person,” adding that her experience has considerable value.
“We are fortunate to have this person,” the mayor said. He supported the agreement but did not vote; the mayor votes only to break a tie.
Councilor Melissa Mazza-Chiong agreed, saying, “This clerk goes above and beyond. She has proven that she can do her job plus many others.”
Councilor Chris Camp called the clerk’s position “arguably the most important role in the borough” and said the agreement needed to be considered in light of previous years’ increases.
Councilor Robert Colletti Jr. said he shared Ruocco’s cost concerns but also weighed the alternatives: employee turnover, potentially adding positions, and the accompanying salaries and medical benefits.
“Weighing all this it’s still a difficult decision,” Colletti said. He described Kohan as “outstanding” and said that, in her case, it was “warranted to move forward with this.”
Questions over public access
Ruocco also objected that the agreement was not available to the public when the council considered and approved it.
Pascack Press submitted a public records request following the meeting and received the contract Sept. 20. Sheinfield confirmed details before the newspaper received the agreement from Kohan.
During the meeting, Sheinfield asked Borough Attorney Mark Madaio when an employment agreement becomes a public document. Madaio said it becomes public upon signature, rather than upon council consideration.
The discussion did not clarify whose signature would make the agreement public. The resolution authorizing it included signature spaces for the mayor and borough clerk.
Asked about the vote afterward, Ruocco reiterated that his objections concerned compensation and disclosure, rather than Kohan’s performance.
“I think our clerk is highly proficient in her various roles. If the proposed employment contract had been a bit less fiscally exuberant with the size of the salary increases, I would have supported it.”