Acropolis Talks Brick Politics Following GOP Defeat

Brick Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis congratulated the four Democrats who beat four GOP incumbents to , and is looking forward to working with them. He also thinks he knows why they won: a tax revolt.

"Ronald Reagan could have been on the ballot, and he probably wouldn't have been elected because taxes went up so much," Acropolis said. "When I look at the vote, the vote was a vote against the tax increase," Acropolis said, referring to a municipal tax increase that was .

Though voters approved the measure to exceed the state's 2 percent cap on municipal expenditures, some residents accused the all-Republican council of forcing the issue by if it did not pass. Others said the ballot was confusing, and some residents who meant to vote in favor of approving the school tax levy voted in favor of approving the municipal question instead. Acropolis said he has his suspicions, too.

"I think if you had the referendum question on the ballot in November, it would have gone down in flames," the mayor said.

"This was about taxes, and people are just fed up with paying more in taxes," he added, referring back to the election.

Acropolis said on election night, after returning home from watching the vote tallies come in with fellow Republicans, he thought about how excited he was when he first won a township council seat years ago, and that the newly elected Democrats must feel the same way.

"Partisan politics shouldn't take away that excitement," Acropolis said. "They should be very proud, and I hope that they always represent themselves and their township with the utmost respect for the position, and I'm sure they will."

As for working with the new Democratic majority when they take their seats in January: "I've worked with Democratic council members and Republican council members. I've gotten along, and not gotten along, with both."

But despite the Democrats' majority on the council, they will not have complete control of Brick's political process. The mayor can veto certain council measures, including ordinances, and five council votes are needed to override a mayoral veto. Also, in Brick's form of government, the mayor is responsible for proposing a budget, though the council can vote it down. Acropolis said he is already working on next year's operating budget.

"Everything we do will be geared to reducing the tax burden for the people of Brick Township," he said.

As for the Democrats, Councilman-elect took a diplomatic tone when asked on election night about how he plans on working with the Republican mayor: "We plan on working with the mayor and seeing what, exactly, needs to be done in town," Ducey said.