Candidate Profile: Ruthanne Scaturro (R)

Editor's Note: Each of the eight candidates running for a seat on the township council responded to a questionnaire sent by Brick Patch. Their answers to our questions will be published on our site verbatim. Two candidate profiles per day – one Republican and one Democrat – in alphabetical order according to last name, will appear this week until all have been published. We have disabled comments on profile articles to ensure the candidates' statements speak for themselves and readers can decide, without additional, potentially anonymous commentary, their view on those running for office.

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Full Name: Ruthanne Scaturro

Current Age: 60

Highest level of education achieved (feel free to list your high school, college, and the nature of any degrees you have earned):

Cabrini College, B.A. Psychology

Occupation:

Manager of Showrooms for 13 stores throughout the state, Ferguson Enterprises, since 1987.

Do you currently receive any public salary compensation? If so, from what public agency?

Currently receive compensation as a Brick Township Councilwoman of $8,000.

Have you ever previously held an elected office in Brick or elsewhere?

Current Councilwoman (Since 2003).

If elected or re-elected to council, will you choose to receive taxpayer-funded health benefits from your elected position? Why or why not?

I waive my benefits from the Township and decline the pension.

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Question 1:

 Like those in most New Jersey communities, property taxes are, perhaps, the primary concern of most township residents in this election cycle. Regardless of the impact of state policies on our property tax bills, summarize some specific ideas you have to stabilize or reduce the property tax burden for Brick residents.

Different from private industry, municipalities have one main source of revenue, which is property taxes.  However no different from private industry when times are tough you must look to either reduce expenses or increase revenue.  The oversight of our expenses needs to be an ongoing process.  Our shared services initiative is only in its infancy so we need to develop additional areas where we can implement shared services.  Shared services reduces expenses and also brings in revenue.

As we have done in the past, when contract negotiations begin we need to be mindful of the costs.  Our unions and employees have been very receptive to working with us on accomplishing this end, as evidenced by the their freezing of salaries and contributing towards their benefits. 

Lastly the need for more renewable forms of revenue is the only way we will stay ahead of the curve in stabilizing taxes. It is imperative that we proceed with the Solar Field at the former French’s Landfill, that will not only bring in revenue but eliminate the almost $400,000 expense the town pays each year.  Trader’s Cove will also be a revenue source which should be completed by the 3rd quarter of 2012.  So focusing on revenue sources is a priority.

Question 2:

Though it held relatively stable in the recent FBI Uniform Crime Report, crime in Brick has been trending upward in recent years. Compounding matters, our police department, due to budgetary constraints, also recently had to disband its Selective Enforcement Team (SET Team), a specialized anti-crime unit. Please describe your plan, including specifics, to maintain and promote public safety in Brick.

Our police department recently had a independent police audit which identify, based on statistics and comprehensive interviews, Brick Township should have a police force of 125 police officers.  The intent is to maintain that level of officers.  We just hired 10 new officers due to recent or expected retirements.  While, for the moment, the SET team has been disbanded there are officers still performing those duties every day.  Unfortunately when economic conditions trend downward crime rates usually trend upward.  The fact that the crime rate of Brick Township is better or flat from 2009 to 2010 is a tribute to the hard work of our police force and its leadership.  Adjustments have been made to accommodate the changing climate.

Proactive actions and programs are the best offense in the fight against crime.  Therefore maintaining the Police force at its current levels is a priority to insure the public safety.  Our CERT volunteers will continue to augment the efforts of the police force with their presence in our neighborhoods, being the eyes on the street.  Citizen education is another initiative I like to see expanded which teaches our resident areas where they are vulnerable as a target for crime.

Question 3:

Please describe your vision for the former Foodtown site on Route 70, and how you would favor executing that vision and bringing it to fruition.

Since 1999 when I was Chamber of Commerce President the dream of having a hotel and catering facility in Brick Township has always been a priority for me. I had set up an AD HOC committee do research the potential at that time.  Unfortunately there was no interest due to a lack of available property.  When we, as a council designated the former Foodtown site as an area in need of redevelopment, immediately it came to mind that this site would be perfect for that use.  It is in the center of town, due to when customers arrive and leave a hotel and catering facility, traffic impact would be minimal, it would be a good ratable, and provide a service that has not existed in Brick, so it seems ideal for this site, a win for all.  

Question 4:

Brick has more frontage on Barnegat Bay that any other community in Ocean County. In all, it boasts 53 miles of waterfront. Keeping in mind that many of these waterfront lands are privately owned, what is your plan to promote public access to natural areas and maintain other recreational facilities for Brick residents?

We have the good fortune of having many areas of waterfront within the Township accessible to our residents.  In addition to the three ocean beaches, we have Bayfront Park, Windward Beach, with Traders Cove on the horizon.  All of these locations are maintained and accessible for our residents to enjoy, whether they are having a private picnic at Windward beach, enjoying a concert at Bayfront Park or spending a lazy Sunday at Ocean Beach 1, they have access. 

The updating of our parks has been a priority for several years now.  We developed a list of the parks, very similar to our “worst is first” street list, so that we could decide which facilities needed the most attention.  Once the priority list was complete, as we prepared the plans for the renovation we had neighborhood meeting, the residents gave their suggestions as to what was important to them.  These are their parks so we wanted them to be comfortable with the final configuration.

Our waterfront, our parks, and our other recreational facilities are part of the quality of life that residents enjoy in Brick Township.  We try to promote them at every opportunity by having events at all the facilities.