It's Your Dime: SJTA Exec Salaries

In this week’s ‘It’s Your Dime” Fox 29 Investigative Reporter Jeff Cole takes a look at the salaries of top executives at the South Jersey Transportation Authority.

Much like the DRPA, the SJTA has a multi-million dollar budget, a board of commissioners and 6-figure salaries for its top executives.

Headquartered in Hammonton, New Jersey, the SJTA was established by the State Legislature in 1991. The authority is responsible for the operation of the Atlantic City Expressway, the Atlantic City Airport, and several parking facilities at the shore.

Operating revenues total nearly $110 million, with expenses running about $85 million, including more that $1 million in salaries for the top 10 executives. Fox 29 obtained this information using the Open Public Records Act.

Executive Director Bartholomew Mueller is #1 at $156,000 a year. He is followed by Deputy Director Dennis Culnan’s $134,000. Airport director Thomas Rafter makes nearly $123,000 per year along with 6 others at over $100,000.

All in all, the salaries for the top 10 executives we look at total $1,187,869.

A spokesperson for the SJTA tells Jeff the salaries were established though job descriptions and approved by the Board of Commissioners. They added that top executives have not received a raise in approximately 3 years and everything at the authority is reviewed and very transparent.

In comparison to the DRPA, the salaries at the top are lower. For example, the top executive at SJTA makes $156,000. Over at the DRPA, CEO Matheussen makes $219,000.

The DRPA does employ nearly 3 times the number of full-time employees and generates 3 times as much revenue as the SJTA.