People in Hammonton are upset about the Town Council's decision to stop municipal workers from paying it forward.
Patrolmen Peter Hagerty, is facing lengthy sick leave, as he prepares to undergo chemotherapy for stage-two testicular cancer. He was diagnosed in early March.
Municipal workers want to donate their sick leave to Hagerty, but the Town Council won't allow it.
Police Chief Frank Ingemi personally lobbied the Town Council according to hammontonnews.com.
"The employees feel that they have earned their sick time. There should be provisions. I am asking we take a shot with this. I know it's a hard decision," Ingemi said. "The employees want to give a little bit of what they have."
Hagerty has asked for at least three-months sick-leave but may need more if he has to have surgery.
The 36 year-old officer has been with the department since January 2005. He used much of his sick leave about 15-months ago to be with his wife and son who was born three months premature according to Ingemi.
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Hammonton use to have an ordinance that allowed municipal employees to donate sick time but town officials removed it from the books last year following concerns of abuse.
Jimmy Bertino, the only Republican on the council, made the motion to allow the transfer, but could not get a second from any of the other 5 council people or Mayor John DiDonato.
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” explained DiDonato. He also added that passing such an ordinance would make way for the resurfacing of the kinds of abuses, peer pressure, intimidation and financial issues that caused the practice to be banned in the first place according to hamontonnews.com
Mayor John DiDonato proposes having a community fundraiser to help Hagerty’s family with the approximate $5,600 they could lose during his leave.
"It would be a great morale booster for the entire department to see how much the community would respond to something like this," DiDonato said.
A Facebook group has been created to help support and raise money for Officer Hagerty. Almost 1,000 people have already joined.
