By Audrey Levine
The five candidates for Borough Council don’t agree on everything. But one thing they do agree on is that stabilizing property taxes should be the council’s top priority.
Kathy Quick and Steve Szabo, both Republicans, are running for re-election to second three-year terms and face Democratic challengers Lou Fischer and Ron Skirkanish, and independent Rich Onderko.
Elections will be held Nov. 4.
As many borough residents have reported facing a municipal property tax increase of between $300 and $600, the candidates said the Borough Council will have to look closely at next year’s municipal budget after the 2008 budget of about $13.4 million was approved in August and see where cuts can be made to lessen the burden on taxpayers.
Mr. Skirkanish said there needs to be a way to ensure that taxes do not continue to rise.
”I’m not going to make promises to lower taxes,” he said. “But we have to ensure taxes stay stabilized.”
Mr. Fischer expressed a similar opinion.
”We have faced the biggest tax increase maybe of all time,” Mr. Fischer said. “Stabilizing taxes has to be our first priority.”
Mr. Fischer said the borough needs increased state aid, after losing $191,911 when the state government cut aid to municipalities in its 2008 budget.
In addition, he said, the borough is seeing less revenue through a loss of ratables with foreclosed homes in Lost Valley after Hurricane Floyd and the April 2007 nor’easter, in addition to the loss of commercial businesses at the Rustic Mall.
”We have a lot less money coming in,” he said.
Ms. Quick shared a similar view about the loss of incoming funds for the borough.
”For all the money that is not collected, we have to put the burden on the taxpayers,” she said.
For the 2008 budget, Ms. Quick said, the council requested that all department heads take closer looks at their own budgets to determine where they could reduce spending. She said that most of the decreases should come from the individual departments, which are working closely with the town on their own projects.
”We have very little to cut in the operating budget,” she said. “But the best suggestions come from the departments.”
According to Ms. Quick, though, the borough still needs to ensure that residents continue to be offered the services they have come to expect in the town.
”If people don’t want something cut, it shouldn’t be,” she said. “People have just been saying that (money overall) should be cut. But we are past negotiations.”
Mr. Szabo said he is pleased with the shared services Manville participates in with other municipalities and the county. One such agreement that was approved in July allows the borough to share Public Works equipment, personnel and services with Somerset County.
”Right now, Manville is doing well with shared services,” he said. “But we have to still maintain the services we have in town.”
For several of the other candidates, keeping services in the town and opting out of future shared services agreements is preferable for the borough, despite the possibility of increased costs. Mr. Skirkanish said he would be willing to look into shared services if there were no other options, but that he would rather work to bring more aid to the borough.
”Shared services is not a direction I would want to go unless we had to,” he said. “I would rather go to Trenton to see about applying for additional aid.”
Mr. Fischer said he would be against approving additional shared services as well.
”We don’t want more privatizing,” he said. “We need to work with the departments to have high levels of service.”
For Mr. Onderko, utilizing borough workers is a better use of taxpayers’ money, rather than hiring outside contractors.
”Why are we using outside services when borough workers could do these jobs?” he said. He said he recently saw a private landscaper cutting grass on Manville property instead of borough workers. “They’re spending money we don’t have.”
At Monday’s Manville Business and Professional Association meeting, Mr. Szabo said he has been told by borough officials that it’s cheaper for outside contractors to take over certain jobs, rather than employing town workers.
In addition to services, several of the candidates responded in interviews this week to recent claims by borough resident and former Mayor Rudy Nowak that borough officials receive too high a salary for what the borough can afford. Council members receive an annual salary of $6,000, while the mayor receives an annual salary of $8,000, following the approval of a resolution last December that raised salaries by $1,000.
”We have to deal with the high cost of the Manville government,” Mr. Onderko said. “Officials are overcompensated. If I am elected, I will not take a salary. I will donate the money to the Manville Youth Athletic League, the Manville Fire Department and the Manville Rescue Squad. I don’t think anyone else will do that.”
Ms. Quick, however, said that council members put a great deal of work into their positions and can take some kind of compensation.
”I take my job very seriously, so why not take some kind of compensation?” she said. “Because I am well-paid, I feel I have to (work harder).”
Mr. Szabo said he does not see where eliminating the salaries would really decrease the budget, saying that between the six council members and mayor, the costs don’t even equal $50,000.
”As far as I know, the increase in salaries for the council was the first time it happened in years,” he said. “I don’t see where taking away the salaries would be beneficial.”
Still, Mr. Szabo said, it might be necessary in the future to freeze salaries or hiring in the borough to eliminate the amount of money paid out to personnel.
No matter the steps taken in the future, all five candidates said the most important step now is to try and lessen the burdens on taxpayers with each year’s budget.
”Right now, Manville is the third lowest in taxes in the county,” Mr. Szabo said. “We have to see what we can do to maintain that.”

