Politics & Government

Public Services Could Be Put to the Voters in 2011

Brick officials anticipate a tough budget season

Residents may get to vote for which township services they want to keep in special referendum ballots this spring.

Gearing up for a difficult budget season ahead, Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis said that if the unions representing municipal employees do not reopen their contracts for negotiation, questions will be put to residents as to which services should stay and which should go.

The challenge centers on preparing a budget that stays within the 2 percent cap on expenditures that goes into effect for the upcoming, 2011 budget cycle. As it stands right now, the mayor said, it would be virtually impossible to stay within the mandated spending limit.

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"The budget as it is right now, without layoffs … it's impossible to run next year's budget under the 2 percent cap," Acropolis said. "Obviously, if we get concessions or cooperation from the unions, and if we get the solar panels [at French's Landfill], that probably will get us close to where everyone will keep their job."

But if the public employee unions cannot come to an agreement on givebacks of some sort with the township, the voters may get to decide whether to exceed the cap to pay to keep certain municipal services. On the ballot could be public trash pickup and recycling services.

Find out what's happening in Brickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"We would ask the voters, 'what services do you want to pay for, and what services do you want to cut?'" said Acropolis. "If they say 'we want recreation or public works,' they'll vote to increase the cap and go over 2 percent."

Voters already had their say on trash pickup. Last month they voted overwhelmingly – about 93 to 7 percent – in favor of retaining public trash pickup in a nonbinding ballot question. If the question comes up again, most likely in April or May, voters will be asked to approve an exemption which would allow the township to exceed the 2 percent tax cap in order to keep public sanitation service. An exemption would pass only if 60 percent of voters come out in favor of exceeding the cap.

"If taxes go up, it's because people voted for them," said Acropolis. "If things get cut – not as many police officers or recreation programs – it's because people voted not to have those things. It's going to be like the Wild West for a couple years as people realize that their votes really count."

Ballot referendums only come into play, however, if employee raises, healthcare plans and other benefits packages aren't renegotiated down to stay under the cap. If a ballot referendum fails to gain voter support, jobs would have to be eliminated. With so much at stake, some township council members indicated they were not comfortable with putting so much responsibility on the voters.

Councilman Dan Toth said under no circumstances would he support a switch to private trash collection.

"Personally, that is not even an option for me ," said Toth. "The township can collect garbage and recycling cheaper that any service can."

Councilman Brian DeLuca placed the responsibility on the unions, whose members may face layoffs if negotiations fail and the voters do not support exceeding the cap.

"We're doing everything to reach out to you [the unions], and if you don't want to help yourself, it makes my job a little easier," said DeLuca.

Scott Pezarras, the township business administrator, said Brick officials are currently looking at a $2 million to $2.5 million shortfall next year. The municipal budget is separate from the school budget, which will also be covered under the cap law.


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