The township council sued the land use board, saying the board overstepped its authority with a multi-year contract.
The courts have settled a legal dispute between two government bodies in the same Warren County township.
The Pohatcong Township Council in June filed a lawsuit against the township's land use board, alleging the board overstepped its authority when it signed a secretary to a multi-year contract.
According to the lawsuit, the council in 2014 considered reducing the $29,205 salary of the land use board secretary, Wendy Acevedo, who also serves as the township's senior clerk. The land use board then drafted a contract that set Acevedo's salary through 2018.
MORE: Pohatcong Township sues itself over employee contract
The council argued that the board's multi-year agreement usurped the council's budgeting authority.
In a summary judgement this month, a judge found that while the township can set the land use board's budget for the year, it is the board's prerogative to make hires as they deem appropriate so long as it falls within that budget.
However, the judgement also found that the board's long-term contract locked future boards into an agreement they may not necessarily want.
Acevedo's contract was allowed to stand until the end of this year, and must be approved annually at the board's discretion.
Township attorney Kevin Benbrook said the nullification of the long-term contract was the desired result in the lawsuit.
"We've always said that they can set her salary, but they have to do it in the budget that we set for them," Benbrook said.
The land use board's attorney, Anthony Sposaro, did not return calls for comment.
Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
