Kelly-Acropolis debate got off to shaky start Mayor, council president vying for remainder of Scarpelli's term BY PATRICIA A. MILLER Staff Writer Ask Brick Township Mayor Daniel J. Kelly to rate his performance in the recent debate against council President Stephen C. Acropolis, and he winces. JEFF GRANIT staff Democratic Mayor Daniel J. Kelly (l) and Republican Township Council President Stephen C. Acropolis prepare to face off at an Oct. 17 debate at Brick Township High School. The two men are vying for the remaining two years of former Mayor Joseph C. Scarpelli's term. "Awful," Kelly said without hesitation. "One of the worst performances I could have given. There was a reason, but I don't want to make excuses." What the audience at Brick Township High School didn't know at the Oct. 17 debate was that Kelly had been ill for several days. His blood pressure had spiked to a dangerous level and his doctor had changed his medication and told him to rest. "He won the debate," Kelly said. "I thought I was ready, but obviously I wasn't." The debate was sponsored by the high school's Foundation of American Law class and was moderated by teacher Michael Fletcher. The students had 10 questions prepared for the candidates, who were given a general idea of the topics before the debate, Fletcher told the audience. "Debate has always been at the heart of exchange in the political marketplace," he said. There were roughly 80 people in the auditorium seats that night. But the event was broadcast live on WJRZ FM and was replayed numerous times the following days on BTV20. Kelly, 66, who was appointed by the GOP-dominated Township Council on Jan. 4, replaced former longtime Mayor Joseph C. Scarpelli. Scarpelli resigned in December 2006, then pleaded guilty in federal court on Jan. 8 to accepting bribes from an unnamed developer. Acropolis, 50, has served on the Township Council for 12 years. Kelly and Acropolis are vying for the two remaining years of Scarpelli's unexpired term. Each man was given three minutes for opening remarks and two minutes for closing remarks. Students in Fletcher's class asked 10 questions, followed by six questions from the audience. Acropolis and Kelly were also given time to rebut their opponent's answers. "This is what democracy is all about," Kelly said during his opening remarks. "Ten months ago, I was a private citizen. I thought I needed a challenge in my life, so I raised my hand and put my name in. I have come to enjoy the job." Kelly said that unlike Scarpelli, he is at his desk in town hall every day. "There was not a full-time mayor," he said. "That day, I became a full-time mayor." Where Scarpelli was "unresponsive" to citizens, he is not, Kelly said. "My door is open at 8:15 a.m. and it stays open," he said. "Anybody can walk in." One of the first things he did when he was sworn in was to encourage township employees to treat residents more like "customers," he said. "Treat it [the township] as a business," Kelly said. "We are getting compliments where we didn't before." Acropolis led off his opening remarks by noting that he had lost to Scarpelli by just 184 votes back in 2005. "I felt very bad," he said. "I knew the dark days we would have to endure." Brick needs a "proven, experienced leader" as mayor, Acropolis said. "The mayor has to be able to hit the ground running," he said. "We have to rid our township of corrupt officials." "When we raise taxes, we hurt everyone," he said. "We must run it more like a business - consolidate and share services, reduce spending in town hall." But shortly after student Randall Batzel asked Kelly how he would handle rising taxes, the mayor ran into trouble. "We just have to cut taxes," Kelly said. "Get the cost down so people are able to live in this town. We have to work with different entities." He was silent for about 30 seconds and appeared to have difficulty speaking. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm just choking." He reached for a bottle of water, took a sip and said again, "I'm choking." The buzzer signaling the end of the mayor's time rang, and Acropolis began his rebuttal. The Township Council refused to go along with Kelly's proposed 12.9-cent increase in the municipal purposes tax rate when the budget was first presented this year, Acropolis said. The council cut the proposed increase to 4.9 cents by deferring school taxes and using more surplus, he said. Acropolis advocates using zero-based budgeting right from the beginning of the budget process, he said. "For me, it comes down to taxes. We are taxing people out of their homes." The township could make up to $640 an hour with a therapy pool if the Ocean Ice Palace is purchased, Acropolis said. "It's about running the township like a business," he said. "Vote for somebody that is going to shake things up a bit." Kelly said he proposed the 12.9-cent increase to "wake up the town." "When anyone wants to get elected, we do it by saying 'zero tax increase,' but that comes back to haunt us," he said. Kelly said he had an open mind about purchasing the Ocean Ice Palace as a community recreation center. But he said the proposal should have been put to a referendum so the residents could have a say. "It doesn't seem like there is a plan," he said. "As long as it pays for itself, I'm for it. It could have been on a referendum, and for that I'm sorry." Kelly, who served as chairman of the Planning Board for more than 10 years during the Scarpelli era, told the audience he was an honest man. "Look at my record," he said. "We had a problem here. It's unfortunate. When you ask enough people that have known me for 39 years, they will come back and say that's a guy who can be trusted." But Acropolis was blunt in his rebuttal. "Anyone in the past administration needs to go," he said. "We are at a fork in the road in our township's history. We have a mayor going to jail in December." Both men were asked what they thought their greatest achievements were while in office. Kelly noted that Acropolis had 12 years compared to his 10 months. "I hope I accomplished something in 10 months," he said. "Trust was gone. People were disappointed. I think I did the small things that had to be done. Being there for the public, coming to work every day, making the people in town hall more responsive to the community. Small things." Acropolis said that televising Township Council meetings was the most important thing he has done while in office. "I don't think there is really a greater thing you can do than to open up government," he said. Residents need to consider the "experience factor" when selecting a new mayor, Acropolis said. "Brick Township has to have a mayor with experience," he said. "There is no on-the-job training in Brick Township. I understand the process a little more. I fought corruption in this town since 2003. For a while, a lot of people didn't listen. Obviously the U.S. Attorney's Office was listening. You know what you are getting with Steve Acropolis."