Could Public Works, Police be on the Chopping Block Again?

It's a subject few people want to talk about.

A year after a was passed by Brick voters that hiked taxes in exchange for keeping public works in-house and police officers on the job, the thought of engaging in another budget battle elicits little more than awkward silence and cautionary glances from elected officials at public meetings when residents ask if those services will be threatened again in 2012.

But given Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis' promise to approved in the April 27, 2011 referendum when he proposes his 2012 budget, it's an unavoidable topic of conversation.

"The mayor has indicated that the budget he will submit to the council this spring will propose to roll back the tax increase that was approved by referendum," said Councilman Dan Toth, in an e-mail to Brick Patch. "By extension, this action will require mass layoffs of public works employees as well as police officers."

Toth pledged not to support any plan that would eliminate public works or police employees.

"While last year’s referendum may not have been an ideal forum for the expression of public sentiment, the voters of Brick Township did vote yes to maintain public garbage collection and police," Toth said. "I will support this vote and not attempt to second guess our residents."

Council President John Ducey said he has not seen a copy of the budget the mayor plans on proposing, but expected it would be presented soon.

"I think public works is an important aspect of our town," Ducey said.

For his part, Acropolis said he plans on proposing a budget that "rolls back the effects of the referendum."

"I guess when the time comes, the council will have to make the decision as to what services they want to fund and what they don't want to fund," Acropolis said, specifically singling out the four newest members of the governing body, all Democrats, who criticized recent tax hikes in their campaign last fall.

"They ran on rolling back, or not having a 24 percent tax increase," Acropolis said. "I want them to show me how they can provide all these services to the citizens of Brick without having had that referendum."

Acropolis said he is planning on introducing his budget, which the council will need to either approve or modify, at an upcoming council meeting. At that time, he said, there will be a definitive answer on which services are funded in the spending plan.

Toth said a proposal to eliminate departments would be unfair to township employees.

"It is also wrong to make political pawns out of dedicated, career civil servants," Toth said. "All of our employees deserve our support and respect. I want our council to provide them with the security and assurance that will allow them to proudly work for Brick Township and to perform at the highest level every day for our residents."

Toth also said laying off employees comes with "hidden costs," including payouts for unused vacation, sick and personal time, as well as fixed costs such as vehicles, trucks, equipment, repair facilities, recycling containers, buildings and maintenance yards that will be left behind even if employees disappear.

Despite rumors to the contrary floating around town, officials at the state Civil Service Commission confirmed to Brick Patch that no layoff plan has been filed with that agency.

For the mayor, rolling back last year's tax hike is a response to the voter anger that lifted Democrats to a in the November elections.

"Even though they [Brick voters] may have voted for the referendum in April, they did not like the numbers that came in their tax bills," Acropolis said.