Like many of you, we took some time off during the summer to catch up with family and relax. Now we’re back to bring you up to speed with some of the recent goings on in our sleepy little town…
Schools Running Out of Space
While this isn’t news to anyone who’s lived in Robbinsville for any length of time, the school population has topped 2700 students, up from 2550 last year. The board of education has agreed to spend over $20,000 to study the population trends and determine if this increase is a trend or bubble. Trailers abound at Sharon school where the faculty room has been converted into a classroom last year. Is a new school (and higher taxes) on the horizon?
Is the Robbinsville Government Set to Self Destruct?
Questionable hiring practices, taxpayer funded health care, disappearing surplus money…what’s going on??
Is Robbinsville’s government corrupt? Some think so, citing actions like firing and rehiring employees at higher salaries. For example, the Township Council recently opposed Mayor Fried’s plans to hire recently ousted Business Administrator Mary Caffrey as economic development coordinator at a salary of $70,000. Mayor Fried indicated that he plans to offer Ms. Caffrey the position as a part-time role for $17,000, not $70,000, which would allow him to avoid seeking the council’s consent. The $17,000 would be in addition to a newly revealed $24,000-plus severance package recently given Ms. Caffrey. Mayor Fried only needs seek council consent for contracts in excess of $17,500. There have been mixed signals as to the salary and how the position was to be filled however there appears to be agreement that in the current economic climate that a new $70,000 position is not acceptable.
Back in early June, Mayor Fried announced that he was hiring Tim McGough as business administrator and engineer at a salary of $155,000, ousting both Ms. Caffrey and Engineer Jack West, months after McGough resigned to spend more time with his family as cost-cutting and streamlining measures. Mayor Fried said the move would save taxpayers $70,000, but just one month later he announced he was spending that same amount to bring Ms. Caffrey back to fill the economic development coordinator position, which had been vacant for more than a year.
So if Tim McGough is acting as business administrator, can someone explain to me why we need Ms. Caffrey?
What Surplus?
Mayor Dave Fried is citing the state’s decision to reactivate the Route 33 realignment project as a reason for the township to hold onto more surplus money than he originally planned in his proposed budgets slated for a public hearing and possible adoption on September 10. The revised budget calls for a 4 cent municipal tax rate increase, which is 3 cents higher than what Mayor Fried presented to council in April.
Former Councilwoman and mayoral candidate Sonja Walter claimed that Mayor Fried’s initial budget was a “political stunt” made as he ran for mayor against her.
Robbinsville Residents – Your Taxes May Be Paying for the Health Care of Township Officials
Former Councilwoman and mayoral candidate Sonja Walter brought up the topic of health care at the July 9 council meeting and noted that three elected officials (the mayor, Rich Levesque, and Christine Ciaccio) this year apparently have opted to take health insurance plans through the township.
Both Ms. Ciaccio and Mr. Levesque confirmed their coverage while the Mayor refused comment. The exact cost to taxpayers is unknown but is expected to be upward of $22,500 according to minutes of the meeting.
“It’s an extraordinarily bad economic year for so many residents,” Ms. Walter said this week. “It’s difficult for me to understand why, this year, now is the time for residents to pay for their health insurance.”
KABOOM!?
“Where’s the Kaboom? There was supposed to be an Earth-shattering Kaboom!” — Marvin the Martian.
An inept pool installer or PSE&G crew nearly blew up part of town center on Monday when they ruptured a natural gas pipeline. Seven families were forced to evacuate their homes for several hours when a pool contractor, excavating a backyard on the corner of Newtown Boulevard and North Street struck the line with a back hoe. Three fire companies replied to a 911 call when gas was detected in the area. The pool contractor allegedly called for the lines to be marked and said that PSE&G failed to mark the main line but did mark other lines. Tim McGough, township engineer and business administrator, said the gas main did not appear to be on any maps provided by PSE&G.
Sources: http://www.nj.com and http://www.centraljersey.com
