Craig Guy's office payroll budget is up 54.6% since the year before he took office, nearly triple the county tax levy's rise

JERSEY CITY — The salary budget for Hudson County Executive Craig Guy’s office has grown 54.6% since the year before he took office, nearly three times as fast as the county tax levy, according to the county’s adopted budgets.

The County Executive Salaries & Wages appropriation, budget line 20-112-01, was $1,241,628 in 2023. Guy took office on Jan. 1, 2024. His first budget raised the line to $1,716,716, an increase of 38.3% in one year. It was $1,859,843 in 2025 and is $1,919,727 in the 2026 budget.

Over the same three years, the amount the county raises through its county purpose tax rose 19.6%, from $414,180,876.11 in 2023 to $495,180,876.11 in 2026.

Actual spending followed the same path. The office’s salary spending was $1,158,468.49 in 2023 and $1,733,715.94 in 2025, an increase of 49.7%, according to the “paid or charged” columns in the 2024 and 2026 budgets.

The office’s Other Expenses line also grew. It went from $53,000 in 2023 to $106,000 in 2024 and $130,115 in both 2025 and 2026.

How it compares

Salary lines for the county’s other top offices grew too, but more slowly. From 2023 to 2026, the Board of County Commissioners’ salaries and wages appropriation rose 44.5%, from $859,692 to $1,242,537. The County Administrator’s rose 35.6%, from $968,211 to $1,312,527.

Sick days on the “County Executive” line

Each budget includes an accumulated absence liability schedule, which lists non-union employees by individual title. In the 2026 budget, the line for the title “County Executive” shows 92.5 days of accumulated sick time valued at $82,798.88, plus 3.5 vacation days valued at $3,132.93. The 2025 budget listed 82.5 sick days valued at $69,458.65 and 10 vacation days valued at $8,419.23 on that line.

The schedule does not name the employee. Hudson TV asked Guy’s office whether the line refers to the County Executive personally or to office staff, and whether those balances can be paid out to an elected official under county policy.

Two salary ordinances in 2025

Commissioners took up two ordinances in 2025 “to establish and authorize salary increases for certain County Offices/Positions including the Staff of the Commissioners.” The first was introduced March 13 and listed for adoption March 27. The second was introduced July 17 and listed for adoption Aug. 14. The board’s Oct. 20, 2026 caucus agenda refers to the August measure as Ordinance 489-8-2025. The agendas list the ordinances by title only, without salary amounts.

Commissioner Bill O’Dea said at a June 2026 budget hearing that he voted against the 2025 raises “because it wasn’t for one year, it was for multiple years,” Hudson County View reported.

At another budget hearing that month, Commissioner Albert Cifelli questioned a $199,000 department director salary. Guy defended the pay of his directors. “We have great professionals that work for us,” he said, according to Hudson County View.

The agenda for the commissioners’ Oct. 20 caucus lists another ordinance for introduction at Thursday’s meeting, amending Ordinance 489-8-2025 “to establish and authorize salary increases for certain County Offices/Positions.”

What Hudson TV asked

Hudson TV emailed the County Executive’s office and its press contact on Tuesday, Oct. 20, with these figures and five questions: what accounts for the growth since 2023, how many positions the office has now compared with 2023, Guy’s current salary, what the August 2025 ordinance provided for the office, and whether the accumulated leave on the County Executive line can be paid out. The office did not respond by the noon Wednesday deadline. Hudson TV will add any response it receives.

Hudson TV also filed an Open Public Records Act request on Oct. 20 (R007731-102026) for the 2025 salary ordinance and its schedules, the names, titles and salaries of everyone paid from the County Executive salary line since 2023, Guy’s salary history, and the county’s policy on paying out leave to elected officials. The county’s response is due by about Oct. 29.

What’s next

• Thursday, Oct. 22: the Board of County Commissioners meets. The ordinance amending the 2025 salary ordinance is listed for introduction.
• About Oct. 29: the county’s OPRA response on the County Executive’s office payroll is due. Hudson TV will report what the records show.

Hudson TV asks: Should Hudson County post the salaries of the County Executive’s office staff online with each budget, or is the budget’s office-wide total enough? Share your take in the comments.

Got a tip? Email info@hudsontv.com or text 862-417-6695.

Photo of County Executive Craig Guy in the graphic: Hudson County. Graphic by Hudson TV.