BY KAREN E. BOWES
Staff Writer
Two managerial positions will be eliminated within the Keyport Police Department this year, according to a borough financial document.
Signed on March 29 by Mayor John Merla and Councilman Robert Bergen, the document was circulated late last week.
The information comes in stark contrast to what was discussed at the May 2 Borough Council meeting. At that time, both men publicly dismissed the notion of cutting police jobs, with Merla calling the idea “a rumor.”
But according to an application for extraordinary state aid prepared by Chief Financial Officer Thomas Fallon, “the borough plans to eliminate two managerial positions this year through attrition within the police department. Those job duties would then be performed by existing personnel within the borough’s general administration.”
On Friday, the mayor said he did not realize what the document stated because he did not read it before signing it.
“To be honest with you, I hadn’t even looked at it,” Merla said. “I signed the cover sheet. I’m not going to lie to you. I get a lot of documents on my desk, some thicker than a phone book.”
Merla said he read the application only that day, after hearing news it was being circulated throughout town.
“I wasn’t that disappointed to see what I seen,” Merla said. “It’s nothing more than we did last year. The state of New Jersey is not going to give you aid without a plan to make cuts. It’s not binding. You have to demonstrate to the state of New Jersey that you’ve at least looked at areas to cut – looked.”
Bergen agreed with the mayor’s explanation, describing the written statement as a possibility rather than an absolute.
“In terms of personnel decisions, the council has not made a final decision on who it might or might not hire,” Bergen said Monday. “We’re seeking extraordinary state aid that’s over and above what we normally get. This is what we plan to do if we don’t get that aid in the future.”
But what, exactly, is meant by eliminating “managerial” positions? And who would be the “existing personnel” named to take over the remaining duties?
According to police Detective Lt. Thomas Mitchell, police management is defined by rank.
“The way it looks to me, you have three positions you could consider managerial: chief, captain and lieutenant,” Mitchell said Friday.
Mitchell’s explanation fits the bill. Chief Theodore Gajewski plans to retire within a year or so, he said, and Capt. John Dayback retired in April. In terms of the statement listed in the application, it’s a plausible scenario.
And it’s the scenario that police officers fear the most.
At the May 2 council meeting, officers filled the room beyond capacity to protest the idea. Without a chief or even a captain, a civilian police director would have top jurisdiction over the department. The officers sounded off on the topic, saying a civilian had no business in the role, that such a notion would leave little room for promotions to actual police officers.
Mitchell, as the only lieutenant on the force, stands next in line for the captain slot. Theoretically, he could even become chief after Gajewski retires.
Merla has made no secret of his personal dislike for Mitchell. He made it known in an April letter to the editor that he supports hiring a civilian police director.
“We need a strong new leader,” Merla wrote, “not fake muscle. We need a police director now more than ever.”
On Monday, Bergen emphasized that there has been “no discussion about eliminating the number of police officers on the street.”
The question remains, who would be the “existing personnel” tapped for the role of civilian police director?
Merla said he did not know.
When asked if the existing personnel officer would be Borough Administrator Thomas Antonucci, Bergen would not specify.
“It could be existing police personnel,” Bergen said. “It could be anybody. It’s not intended to designate any particular individual.”
Both Merla and Bergen plan to run for mayor in November. But Bergen must first face off in a Democratic primary, scheduled for June 5.
Running against Bergen in the primary is Terry Musson, who took the opportunity to discredit his opponents.
“They were either lying to the citizens the other night, or they’re lying to the state,” Musson said. “Which is it?”
Bergen said he never lied to the citizens of Keyport.
“I’ve not lied, ever, to the taxpayers of Keyport, ever, and I’m certainly not lying to state officials,” Bergen said. “Certainly, it shows his naivet as to how government operates. … If he’s got a better way to get state aid, then let him try it.”