Harinxma withdraws, citing time constraints.
By: Vic Monaco
HIGHTSTOWN Talks between borough and township officials over the potential consolidation of borough police services could be delayed as Borough Councilwoman Constance Harinxma has withdrawn from the discussions.
"It’s annoying to me," Mayor Bob Patten said this week during an interview regarding his upcoming re-election campaign. "You ask for council members to sit on a committee and they can’t do it. I have a problem with that."
Ms. Harinxma, sworn into her first term of office in January, said last week that she was looking forward to taking part. This week she said she just doesn’t have the time that would be needed for such a critical issue.
"I work and have children, 4 and 6 years old. I am the liaison to the Fire Department and Parks and Recreation and I take those things seriously. I don’t have a 9-to-5 schedule," she said. "This is a significant issue and it will take some time."
Last month Borough Council approved a resolution requiring Mayor Patten and one council member to investigate regionalization of police operations with neighboring communities. The council did so on the same night it introduced a budget with a 28-cent tax rate hike. Of the total $5.28 million budget, about $1.5 million is earmarked for police-related expenditures.
Just prior to the vote on the resolution, Mayor Patten, a Republican, said he would choose which member of the all-Democratic council he would work with. He said he chose Ms. Harinxma because she was neutral on the issue of police consolidation.
"I don’t want to come in with a stacked committee," he said this week while adding he hasn’t decided on a council replacement.
Councilman Walt Sikorski, who has since filed for the Democratic nomination for mayor in the June 6 primary, moved the resolution for the police talks. He and Gene Sarafin, a borough government critic who also has filed for the Democratic mayoral nod, say they don’t believe Mr. Patten when he says he has been talking about police consolidation with neighboring communities for some time. They base their statements on a recent comment from East Windsor Mayor Janice Mironov, who said she hasn’t been asked to discuss the matter in about two years.
"Patten lied," said Mr. Sarafin. "He said he was already meeting with Janice."
Mayor Patten characterized the positions of Mr. Sarafin and Mr. Sikorski as "erroneous."
"I have always been working on that, whether it be with the county or the state," he said. "There are things you just can’t talk about publicly."
Ms. Harinxma said her withdrawal had nothing to do with the political debate.
"Not at all. I was flattered when he told me he picked me," she said. "There has to be dialogue and a lot of dialogue. This has nothing to do with politics. This has to do strictly with me looking at my daily planner."
Mayor Mironov has agreed to meeting and plans to bring a member of the Township Council. Mayor Patten said last week that that meeting would likely happen sometime this month. He said this week that he had a date set up before Ms. Harinxma said she didn’t have the time.
"I could go by myself," Mayor Patten said. "What if someone got sick?
Reminded of the council resolution, the mayor said he has very intention of picking another council member.

