It pays to be a friend and neighbor of Chris Christie
Brian Zychowski, the North Brunswick schools superintendent, is considered a leading candidate to replace state Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf who is leaving at the end of the month. Gov. Chris Christie has appointed Zychowski to a number of important state commissions. The governor and Zychowski are Mendham neighbors and friends and Zychowski coached Christie’s daughter, a member of a local basketball team. And, finally, Christie apparently has overlooked Zychowski’s salary which goes far beyond the state caps imposed with both anger and some fanfare by the governor.
It’s apparently good to have a good friend and neighbor who is governor.
Zychowski makes $206,237 a year. According to the caps imposed by the governor in February, 2011, he should only be making $165,000 a year. If he is offered and takes the education commissioner’s job, he will be making only $141,000 a year.
What is also curious about Zychowski’s salary contract is its timing. It appeared to be timed to avoid the pay cut hundreds of other superintendents faced because of Christie’s insistence on cutting what he called “lavish” spending on the salaries of local school chiefs.
According to Zychowski, he began negotiations with the North Brunswick school