Council lodges objection to state Assembly bill

BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer

JACKSON — Township Council members have gone on record in opposition to New Jersey Assembly bill 3686.

A-3686 was introduced in the Assembly on Jan. 15 and proposes the transfer of the functions, powers and duties of the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse to the New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS).

According to the bill, all appropriations and money for the Governor’s Council on Alcoholismand DrugAbuse would be transferred to the DHS.

The Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse is currently allocated to the Department of the Treasury.

Jackson Police Officer John Pejoski, who chairs the Jackson Municipal Alliance, addressed the council members and residents on the issue during the May 26 meeting of the governing body.

“We asked for this [council] resolution because recently there has been a push in Trenton to move the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse from its own entity [to the] Department of Human Services” he said.

Pejoski said funding for local programs to prevent alcoholism, drug addiction and violence will be moved.

“The problem here is that we have a bunch of programs which we have established through the municipal alliance over the past five or more years,” he said. “We have over 10,000 children from kindergarten through high school seniors. We do a lot of alcohol, drug prevention and violence prevention programs with them.”

The officer said there are times when parents do not understand what is happening with their child and said the local programs help the children and the parent to focus on the matter at hand.

Pejoski said Jackson has a large municipal alliance and receives $26,000 from the state. The alliance also receives a matching amount from the township for a total of about $53,000, which is used for the programs on an annual basis.

The programs focus on teaching children the skills they need to make safe, smart choices, he said, adding that the programs have been recognized by Ocean County and also on the state level.

The officer noted the Operation Crash program that was held on May 26 at Jackson Liberty High School. The program heightens the awareness of students who drive and the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol and narcotics, particularly on prom days.

On May 28 the Operation Crash program was held at Jackson Memorial High School.

“We have been fortunate,” Pejoski said. “Since we started the program we haven’t had any prom-related fatalities or any of our kids being arrested for driving while intoxicated. Fewer kids are being arrested for drug possession, not only in school but also outside of school.”

Pejoski said the directors of the alliance’s programs believe the programs are working. He said it is unclear how the proposed changes at the state level could impact what happens in Jackson.

Councilman Scott Martin said the best way to treat a problem is to prevent it from happening.

“That’s why I support this resolution,” he said. “The state should know how we feel about drug use, drug prevention and counseling. You don’t penalize towns that are doing a great job.”

Councilman Howard Tilis said uncertainty about what will happen to the grants that Jackson receives means “it would be prudent on our part to try to protect the programs of the alliance at this point. The middle-school kids have the bullying [prevention] program that we have to try to protect.”

Jackson Business Administrator Phil Del Turco praised Pejoski for his efforts to obtain grants for the alliance programs that are offered in town.

Pejoski said officials in several New Jersey municipalities have forwarded resolutions to legislators in Trenton that state their opposition to the change that is proposed in A-3686.