Mayor says tough times drive difficult choices

BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — The uncertainty of one’s job security continues to be a concern for many individuals, including people who work for Freehold Township.

For the second straight year the municipality will be laying off employees as a result of the strained economy.

For the first time in the history of the Freehold Township Police Department, the municipal layoffs will include police officers.

Two weeks ago township officials announced plans to eliminate 20 positions; nine of those positions are either vacant now or will become vacant due to pending retirements, and 11 of those jobs are currently held by employees and will be eliminated.

The 20 positions to be eliminated include three police officers, five positions in the Department of Public Works and Recycling Center, two positions in Parks and Recreation and 10 positions in various office, administrative and technical positions.

State aid, or the lack of it, may force township officials to expand that layoff plan.

Freehold Township Mayor Raymond Kershaw said that in the face of the current economic situation, officials did not have much choice other than proceeding with the elimination of the 20 positions.

According to Kershaw and Assistant Township Administrator Peter Valesi, this action marks the first time the police department has ever been subjected to layoffs. The police department is about 40 years old.

“Everyone’s in trouble,” Kershaw said this week, noting that in recent conversations he has had with the mayors of neighboring towns, he has heard the same tough decisions being discussed all around. “This is long-term. I don’t see it improving in the next few years on the national or state level.”

Kershaw said Freehold Township received less state funding in 2008 than it did in 2001.

“If we don’t get at least that much (2008 level) funding this year, we may have to eliminate even more jobs,” he said. “That’s something to hope for isn’t it? That we get what we got last year.”

Kershaw said items such as medical insurance, wages, and oil and gas prices are higher. In addition to those concerns, “The state keeps mandating programs they are supposed to fund but do not,” he said.

“Our main source of revenue is property taxes and state funding,” the mayor said.

Beyond those two sources of funding is revenue from the municipal court, interest on investments, permits and fees — and those sources of revenue are taking a hit in the present recession.

“Building permits are down drastically. We’re losing a lot of money there and we do not want to keep passing these costs on to our taxpayers,” the mayor said.

Kershaw said until the state aid figures come in, he really does not know “where the township will end up.”

“We are combining departments to reduce costs,” he said, referring to the township’s counseling services and food pantry that were cut last year in a layoff that took 10 jobs.

“The county provides these services so our residents can be taken care of somewhere else,” he said.