Dem council candidates blast GOP for fiscal practices, layoffs

The Democratic candidates for the three three-year terms on the Brick Township Council say the current Republican council and administration have not served the public well.

Joseph Lamb Incumbent Kathy Russell, who is seeking her fourth term on the Township Council, Democratic Club President Harvey Langer and newcomer Joseph Lamb are challenging Republican incumbents Joseph Sangiovanni, Daniel Toth and resident Domenick Brando for the three terms that are up this year.

Russell, 62, has been the director of enrollment operations at Georgian Court University in Lakewood for the past 15 years. She is currently the only Democrat on the Township Council.

"I believe this is public service and you give back to your community," Russell said. "And that's the whole basis on which I serve the public. I actually have been the eyes and ears of the public, to look out for their best interests.

"I hate to call myself the watchdog, but that is exactly the role you have when you are the only person of one party. I think I've shouldered it well. I have conducted myself in a professional manner at all times."

Harvey Langer Lamb, 62, Wisteria Drive, is a certified public account. He has worked for Trebor Inc., Matawan, for the past 14 years. He has a bachelor's degree in accounting from Rutgers University.

He is a frequent critic of the current Republican administration and can usually be found at the microphone during the public portion of Township Council meetings.

Langer, 60, worked for Verizon for 31 years. After that, he worked as a deputy zoning officer in Toms River for several years. He is a high school graduate and attended many technical programs during his time at Verizon. He previously served on the township Board of Adjustment and Shade Tree Commission.

All three say that the way the current Republican administration dealt with the layoffs of 42 employees on Dec. 31 and the municipal budget are the primary issues in the campaign.

Lamb criticized Republican Mayor Stephen Acropolis for lowering the reserve for uncollected taxes in the 2009 municipal budget.

Kathy Russell "In a year of high unemployment … it helped him to say he reduced the budget, when this is something we will have to pay for next year," Lamb said. "It's a gimmick."

It's not a gimmick, says Township Administrator Scott M. Pezarras.

"If you didn't lower the reserve, you would have to cut another area in the budget," Pezarras said. "And that would have affected services or jobs. You come to some point where you can't cut anything else. The appropriation we chose to take away is a non-spending appropriation in the reserve for uncollected taxes."

All three Democratic candidates faulted the administration for using most of the surplus account in the 2009 municipal budget.

"Those things are going to haunt the taxpayer next year," Lamb said. "If you have the surplus, it's good to use it to keep taxes down. But the mayor is keeping it at a ridiculously low level. Hopefully, he has a fall-back position."

Lamb said he would leave a "couple of million dollars" in the surplus account if elected.

"He's [Acropolis] got it down to $94,000," Lamb said. "That won't take care of any emergencies."

Russell, who cast the lone no vote on the municipal budget earlier this year, said she was concerned about using so much surplus.

"I know it's keeping down the taxes," Russell said. "I know that. But we are in a tough financial situation all over this country. I just have concerns. What happens in an emergency?"

Pezarras said Monday that he expects the township will have between $6 million and $6.5 million in the surplus account by the end of year.

Russell and the other candidates also faulted the administration for failing to funnel the $12 million from the sale of the property behind the post office on Chambers Bridge Road several years ago into a tax stabilization fund.

"It went into surplus and it was used in one year," she said.

The township instead should have increased the municipal purpose tax rate steadily, but minimally, over the years, Russell said.

"This was supposed to be money for the future, for the next few years, so we don't have tax increases," Langer said. "Whatever happened to that money? Where did it go?

But Pezarras said there was "no such thing" as a tax stabilization fund.

"The state Department of Community Affairs does not permit that," he said. "You can keep it in surplus. It's a policy decision of whether you use it to offset taxes. You can't set up a trust fund for the stabilization of taxes. It's just not a permitted use."

All three candidates criticized the administration for the way the December 2008 layoffs were handled and the hiring of Toms River resident Juan Bellu as an assistant business administrator and David Francese as parks and recreation director.

The township was facing a nearly $4 million shortfall in the 2009 municipal budget.

"When times are tough, you don't hire management on top of management and then say to employees, 'You have to go,' " Langer said. "You do it in the proper fashion. Last in, first out. I'm not saying when you are in a financial crisis, you don't lay people off, but do it in a proper fashion."

"One position on the books was never used and should not have been filled during tough economic times," Russell said, referring to Bellu's employment. "The other added another management layer to people that already had the capability for those positions."

The township could have reduced the building inspectors' hours and let them keep their jobs until the economic situation improved, Langer said.

Langer also said there was no savings from the shared services agreement with Toms River.

But Pezarras said Monday that based on the latest numbers, which run through Sept. 30, Brick has saved $312,820 with the shared services program with Toms River. The township would have paid $736,965 without the agreement, he said.

Russell said she would like another term to see the redevelopment of the Foodtown site through.

"I have the background and skills to help implement what is right at that site," she said. "I'd like to make sure that happens correctly. That's the center of the township."

Russell said one of her greatest accomplishments as a council person was working on the recodification committee to redo the township code several years ago.

But she thinks that as the lone Democrat on the council, she has been excluded from serving on the major council committees over the years. She currently serves on the information technology and cable T.V. committees.

"I think it would be safe to say my expertise has not been utilized in the very best way for the residents of Brick," she said.