Aletter writer (“Merchant of political chaos needs swift kick,” March 12, Brick Bulletin) provided some of his opinions about me, but no facts.
I find it interesting that the writer continues to equate this current Brick administration with the Jersey City administration that was indicted and convicted and were known as the Hudson Eight in the early ’70s. That’s not a comparison law abiding citizens would want their current city government favorably compared to.
The writer for the second time in separate letters injects physical threats. Of course it’s all talk. Then the letter writer talks about politics and questions my objectivity.
It took an OPRA (Open Public Records Act) request to get a copy of the transition report. Mayor Acropolis said it wasn’t available previously. After another local paper and the Government Records Council (GRC) got in the act, Mayor Acropolis made it available and placed it on the township website.
The mayor told the people that the members of the transition team were professionals. But the information the mayor provided me due to a separate OPRA request contained only names of people who are active in the Republican Party and don’t have the background to assess whether or not a department is functioning properly.
The backgrounds of the members included a real estate agent, policeman, fireman, lawyer, accountant, broadcaster and others without a professional operational background to perform operational audits. I’m sure these individuals are competent in their own fields, but that won’t get them hired to perform an operational audit in a town for an organization that performs operational audits.
The mayor’s response to the OPRA request for copies of the members’ resumes and meetings was that Mayor Acropolis didn’t have copies of resumes nor did he have information on their meetings.
I also have filed OPRA requests with the township and because the township either doesn’t want to provide the information or is trying to hide it, I have filed Denial of Access Complaints with the GRC regarding attorney fees for the ethics complaint drummed up on Councilwoman Russell, attorney fees for the investigation on whether Dan Newman should have to pay interest charges on the late sewerage billing and the profit and loss for each year that the town owned Traders Cove.
There is a severe lack of transparency in this administration. The fact that the mayor wants people to come to his office to discuss issues there rather than out in the open at council meetings just reinforces the lack of transparency.
I don’t know of one situation I addressed with the mayor that hasn’t resulted in several different variations from him. There must have been 30 different variations on the redevelopment of the Ocean Ice Palace between the mayor, council, business administrator and the dog and pony shows put on by a retired history teacher and so-called entrepreneurs. It would have been Brick’s answer to the money pit.
The mayor is now in the fifth year of putting off the property revaluations. Property revaluations only address fairness in the town to reflect current values. Some properties appreciate in value more than others due to location and other factors. As a result, the senior communities and other developments have been paying higher property taxes than they would have if the revaluation were done four years ago. If they file a tax appeal by April 1, they will win their appeals and get refunds for the fifth year.
To complicate matters, eligible seniors won’t be able to participate in the New Jersey “senior freeze” program that freezes property taxes and provides a payment for the difference between their current property taxes and what they would have paid two years ago.
The Brick taxpayers deserve a break.
Joseph Lamb Sr.
Brick