Mayoral and council hopefuls have same objective, but different means on how to get there
By: Joseph Harvie
The candidates for mayor and council say they want to save taxpayers money, but have different ideas about how to do it.
While they all endorse cost-saving proposals, such as continuing the municipal hiring freeze and sharing local services with other government entities, their views diverge on what other cost-cutting steps may be necessary.
The candidates spoke to the South Brunswick Post this week about municipal budgeting as part of a five-part series leading up to the Nov. 7 election.
The candidates are: incumbent Democrat Frank Gambatese and Republican Lynda Woods Cleary for mayor and incumbent Democrat Chris Killmurray and Republican Nanette Craig for a four-year council seat.
Ms. Woods Cleary, of Princeton Walk, an investment adviser, said that her top priority is to cut spending on maintenance, heating and cooling of the Municipal Building. She also said that she would like to see increased spending in areas such as recycling and the Shade Tree Commission to foster a more environmentally friendly community.
Mayor Gambatese, of Kendall Park, a retired accountant, said sharing services is a key to cutting the budget. He said the township is looking into having the county take over the township Health Department and having the township police dispatchers take over communications for Monroe, Plainsboro and North Brunswick. The health move would save money, he said, while the dispatching contracts would bring in new revenue.
Ms. Craig, of Kendall Park, a retired nurse and nursing administrator, said the township should not have hired lobbyists for $100,000 in 2005 to help get federal money to study the widening of Route 1. She said elected officials should have lobbied themselves. In addition, she said the township should avoid gimmicks like refinancing its debt to save money.
Mr. Killmurray, a lawyer who lives in Dayton, said that freezing 11 vacant positions is an effective way to save money. However, he said the township has a responsibility to continue to fund programs and departments such as the library and the police that provide "quality services" to the residents.
Lynda Woods Cleary (R)
for mayor
Lynda Woods Cleary said that the first step in building a budget is to make sure there is enough revenue to cover the spending.
"First, I’d take a look at the expense side and then the revenue side and see if they are in sync," she said. "And, if not, take a look and see what is an absolute must and identify what is a frill, or something that can be left out until there is funding there."
In addition, Ms. Woods Cleary said that the township should have a surplus of at least 1 percent of its budget which would have been $437,000 this year, about $6,000 more than was actually kept in reserve.
"I really think that we need a surplus," Ms. Woods Cleary said. "There are so many uncertain things that occur throughout the United States and throughout the world. We need something there, just in case."
Ms. Woods Cleary said she wants to focus on cutting maintenance costs for the Municipal Building. And she said the township should consider alternate energy sources to help reduce heating and electric costs for the building.
"We should put ourselves on some sort of conservation program," Ms. Woods Cleary said. "I don’t know what the thermostat is set at during the winter, but I’m sure we could set it a couple of degrees lower and in the summer a couple of degrees warmer."
Ms. Woods Cleary said that the township should also look to reduce the cost of its road repair and maintenance program. The township set aside $1.6 million for road repairs in the township, including salaries and other expenses.
However, Ms. Woods Cleary said that more money should be spent on the township’s recycling program and other areas to make the township "greener."
"In the budget, under the maintenance of parks, there is the Shade Tree Commission that could be increased," Ms. Woods Cleary said. "The greener the better."
Working with the Board of Education also is important, Ms. Woods Cleary said. She said that if the board and council work together they could both save money and could ease both school and municipal taxes.
"Shared services should have been done from the beginning," Ms. Woods Cleary said. "What we do, it all comes out of the same pot."
Ms. Woods Cleary said she does not approve of the council seeking federal and state aid because of financial strains at higher government levels, though the township shouldn’t reject aid if it is offered.
"Democrats always look for help, Republicans rely on their own," Ms. Woods Cleary said. "If we don’t have enough money to have prime rib, we’re not getting it. However, the Democrats will buy prime rib although they have money for chicken parts and hope someone can make a generous donation. And we cannot build a budget with that kind of thinking."
Frank Gambatese (D)*
for mayor
Mayor Frank Gambatese said he wants to find ways to share services, such as having Middlesex County take over providing health department services from the township.
"The county Health Department takes care of 22 of the 25 municipalities in the county," Mayor Gambatese said.
This year the township budgeted $434,710 for the Health Department. The county could provide the same services, but the township would benefit because the costs would be spread across the entire county.
He said he understands that such a move would eliminate local control over services, but he would want to keep the Advisory Board of Health in place and work with area hospitals and other agencies to ensure that the township receives the health and educational programs it desires.
Mayor Gambatese said he also is in talks with the mayors of Monroe, North Brunswick and Plainsboro to have South Brunswick police take over dispatching for those communities.
"The police chief and the Police Department accept this and right now we are in negotiations with other towns," Mayor Gambatese said.
In addition, Mayor Gambatese said that he would not advocate having the township apply for state Extraordinary Aid again. He said the application process requires that the township spend too much of the township’s surplus and that the state rarely provides enough aid to make it worthwhile.
The township applied for but did not receive $700,000 in state aid this year, but had to use and used $4.3 of its $4.7 million surplus as revenue in its budget.
"Normally, 2 percent of the budget (as surplus) is sufficient," Mayor Gambatese said. "So that puts it at about $1.2 million, but I’d rather see it somewhere between $1.5 and $2 million."
He said he is expecting new ratables form ongoing development projects to generate about $7.7 million in new surplus for the 2007.
Mayor Gambatese said he also wants the township to take more advantage of the township’s hotel tax. Hotel guests are taxed at 3 percent of their room bill for the local portion of the state hotel occupancy tax and the township is anticipating about $1 million this year from the hotel tax.
"That’s almost two tax points," Mayor Gambatese said. "I hope to get it up to $2 million. And it’s possible. There are two new hotels coming to town, and you know these hotels are full. People are staying here."
Nanette Craig (R)
for council
Nanette Craig said she would cut back on hiring professional consultants, such as the lobbyists hired to work with the state and federal government on Route 1 or the health-insurance consultants hired in 2003 to review health contracts.
The township hired two lobbying firms in 2005 to push the state and federal government on the widening of Route 1, a move that council members say was directly responsible for the inclusion of $7 million in a federal bill to study widening the highway in South Brunswick. Ms. Craig said the lobbying money could have been saved and that the township should have done the work itself.
She also questioned the hiring of BGIA, of Woodbridge, in 2003 to broker the township’s change from self-insurance to state insurance.
"There is one person in charge of the health insurance in the township, but we already have health insurance with the state," Ms. Craig said. "I’m not sure why the person is still salaried there. I don’t like people losing their job, but spending $100,000 on a job that isn’t necessary I don’t think that’s valid."
Ms. Craig said, the township should also have more discussions with the school board, to see where both entities could save cash.
In addition, Ms. Craig said, the township needs to look at how it purchases items to make sure it is getting the best possible rate on items, such as police cars.
"At one point they were buying them through the county and we have to see if that’s the best arrangement for our town," Ms. Craig said. "We should also look at nearby towns and see if we could share equipment. We have to work together. I think it is good to have a dialogue with your neighbors."
Also, Ms. Craig said it was irresponsible for the township to refinance $4.2 million in retiring debt in 2004. (The debt was refinanced over a three-year period with the final payment set to be made in 2007.)
She said that the council only postponed paying off the debt, and ended up paying more, because the interest had to be paid out for three additional years.
"They took out a loan to pay for the day-to-day expenses," Ms. Craig said. "And they’re still paying that back with interest."
In addition, Ms. Craig said she would work to keep businesses from winning tax appeals cases field by township businesses, so the township does not lose out on anticipated tax revenues.
"Businesses have gone to court and challenged their tax rate," Ms. Craig said. "And there were pages of minutes stating people have gotten their money back. This has to be looked into."
Ms. Craig said she agreed with the township’s decision to freeze 11 municipal openings.
"There are some positions that we absolutely have to replace," Ms. Craig said. "It is a way to start by not hiring someone in a certain position, if we can have someone who can work in more than one department and share some of the work load."
Chris Killmurray (D)*
for council
Chris Killmurray said that freezing 11 positions of retiring workers in the township helped save some cash in the budget this year. He said the only additions to the township’s payroll were three police officers hired to fill in vacancies left by retirements.
"In our town, the people want to see the police," Mr. Killmurray said. "They want to see a presence."
However, Mr. Killmurray said the township is right to study whether the county can provide health department services more cheaply.
"We’re one of the only towns left in the county with its own Health Department," Mr. Killmurray said.
In addition, the township may look to consolidate other services with neighboring towns, Mr. Killmurray said. He said that sharing police services with other municipalities could help save money and bring in revenue, however, he’s not sure how well it would work.
"There is all this talk about shared services, but there is not a magic pill that can solve all of the problems," Mr. Killmurray said. "Home rule is alive and well in New Jersey."
Also, Mr. Killmurray said that the township’s use of $4.3 of its $4.7 million surplus in this year’s budget was acceptable.
"I don’t like just having money sitting there," Mr. Killmurray said. "Joe (Monzo, township chief financial officer) anticipates that we’ll have $5.1 million back in the surplus this year, which is a little better than last year." (Since Mr. Killmurray was interviewed, Mr. Monzo has told the council that he expects $7.7 million in new surplus to be generated for next year.)
One area Mr. Killmurray said he would never vote to cut is the library. He said the $4.27 million, 16,472-square-foot expansion project finished last year was worth the expense.
"Why would we cut something that appeals to people from 1 to 100," Mr. Killmurray said.
Mr. Killmurray said that revenues have decreased from Code Enforcement Department in the past few years, because of a decrease in development in town.
"We couldn’t continue to grow as we were and not spend more on the development parks, more for the library and more for the police," Mr. Killmurray said.

