As part of its preparation for tomorrow evening’s lieutenant governor debate, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill’s campaign is considering an attack on Republican James Gannon for taking his law enforcement pension while serving as Morris County Sheriff.
That’s not sitting well with eight Democratic sheriffs in New Jersey who do the same thing: accept their law enforcement pensions earned before they became candidates for public office.
“I don’t see it as a problem,” one Democratic sheriff told the New Jersey Globe. “If you come in with 25 years of service, you’re entitled to it. It’s like someone from the private sector getting their 401k.”
Another Democratic sheriff expressed frustration with the idea that Dale Caldwell, who is running on a ticket with Sherrill, could be part of an attack on Gannon’s law enforcement pension.
“It’s not right. They need to consider how that attack will affect Sherrill’s own supporters,” the sheriff stated. “If they want to present themselves as pro-law enforcement, they won’t win many friends by attacking our pensions. Frankly, it’s disrespectful. I’m disappointed.”
Gannon receives a $6,513 per month pension. It’s common for retired law enforcement officers to launch second careers as county sheriffs, and all 21 had prior law enforcement experience. If Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis wins his bid for Hudson County Sheriff – he’d be the first Democrat to lose since 1905 – he’ll be able to take his sheriff’s salary, along with $3,593-per-month in a pension earned as a Bayonne police captain.
Republican sheriffs also receive a law enforcement pension in addition to their county salary.
The son of a decorated NYPD detective, Gannon was a beat cop in Boonton before becoming an investigator for the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office. He eventually became the deputy chief of investigations and handled over 120 homicide cases before retiring.
After his first election in 2016, Gannon paused his pension and collected only his sheriff’s salary. He began collecting his pension again when he started his second term.
Ciattarelli has opposed double-dipping, so it’s not clear how he’ll approach Gannon’s pension if they win.
“Taxpayer-funded pensions should be suspended when a person takes another taxpayer-funded job,” Ciattarelli has said. “That’s how it will work when I’m Governor.”
He made the comment after former Camden County Prosecutor Jill Mayer sought to receive a $127,000 annual pension while serving as a Superior Court Judge. Mayer wound up winning a years-long legal battle, only to reject the judgeship she’d held hostage.
Sherrill has not said if she would limit appointees to a single pension if she becomes governor.
The lieutenant governor’s debate is set for Tuesday, September 30 at 7 PM. It will air on PIX11, PIX11.com, and the PIX11+ smartTV app available on Roku, Amazon FireTV, Apple TV, and Samsung Smart TV.
