Matthews calls offer to work for free 'ridiculous'

Brick Township Council members have mixed reactions to Councilwoman Kathy Russell's suggestion that they work for free and give back their health benefits.

"I think Kathy is just really grandstanding a little bit," council President Ruthanne Scaturro said. "She's up for re-election next year. She's been taking benefits for 11 years."

"I totally respect Councilwoman Russell," Councilman Daniel Toth said. "I'm not going to challenge her or even question her reasons. That's a personal choice."

Russell, the lone Democrat on the council, said earlier this week she was giving up her health benefits on Jan. 1. She offered to work for free if the rest of the council members did, in order to save some of the jobs on the layoff list.

Scaturro has also opted out of the township health benefits plan as of Jan. 1.

But she said some council members may want to stay in the township health plan in order to keep physicians they are comfortable with.

Toth said he would be willing to contribute toward the cost of health care premiums, but would not give his "b" benefits up.

"I have a 2-year-old daughter and another on the way," he said. "The specialists we see my wife is comfortable with. They happen not to be included with her employer. That's why we opted to go with the township plan. The decision to go with them was based on a level of comfort."

Councilman Anthony Matthews and Michael Thulen also said they would be willing to contribute to health benefits.

But Scaturro, Mattthews, Thulen and Toth all said they didn't think council members should work for free.

Russell's suggestion that council members give back their entire salaries is "a little ridiculous," Matthews said.

"In 11 years, she hasn't wanted to give up a single thing," he said. "Now she wants to give up benefits and salaries to boot?

"We put in a lot of hours on the council," Matthews added. "If anything, we've taken a pay cut."

The Township Council up until the end of 2004 held meetings twice a month from June through December. When Scaturro, Thulen, Matthews and now Mayor, then-Councilman Stephen C. Acropolis took office, they increased the number of meetings to four times a month in September through December.

"We came in and said you can't operate a municipality the size of Brick Township that way," Matthews said. "If anything, we expanded it to eight extra meetings a year."

Thulen considers his council position a fulltime job.

"I'm available all hours, day and night. It's a job," he said. "Don't get me wrong. I love my job. But it is a job."

Thulen was first elected to the council in 1994, when the salary was $8,000 a year. It is still $8,000 a year.

"We haven't seen a raise in 14 years," he said. "How many people are willing to work for that? Nobody that works for the town. Even the mayor got a raise."

Township Council members also use part of their salaries to help pay their way to attend numerous civic events around town, Scaturro said.

"We don't get to go to everything for free," she said. "If we attend a Chamber of Commerce dinner, I have to buy my own ticket. It's just something to help offset expenses while we are serving on the council."

"If you want to tally up the tickets and all the events, it probably adds up to a couple of thousand yearly," Toth said. We don't make much and we don't question it."

Acropolis, Matthews and Thulen have the most expensive traditional family health care packages at $20,757 apiece. Russell and Councilman Joseph Sangiovanni both have direct-access coverage for two adults at $15,134.

Toth has a direct access family plan, which costs $17,495.

Scaturro has a traditional plan for two adults at a cost of $17,875. Councilman Brian DeLuca is the only elected official who did not take a full benefits package this year. DeLuca has family vision and dental coverage at a cost of $1,398.

The township administration has been struggling to find ways to deal with a nearly $4 million projected shortfall in the 2009 municipal budget.

The state Department of Personnel recently approved the township's restructuring plan that calls for layoffs of 53 employees.