Red Bank Court Clerk Fran Pastoriza at last night’s budget Q&A at borough hall.
A dog-and-pony show last night on the proposed 2008-’09 Red Bank budget included a plea for higher municipal court penalties for violations such as drinking in public and letting a dog bark continuously.
Municipal court clerk Fran Pastoriza said heftier fines are needed for second and subsequent offenses to put teeth into quality-of-life ordinances.
Increases would also bring Red Bank’s schedule of penalties more in line with nearby towns, some of which take a bigger bite out of the wallets of first offenders than Red Bank does to repeat violators, she said. [Click on comparative data, above, prepared by Pastoriza.]
She recommended minimum fines of $50 for unlicensed dogs, dogs at large and dog barking, up from the minimum $25. She also called for minimum fines of $250 for convictions in cases of public drinking or public urination, up from the present $203.
“It’s very frustrating if you have someone with a fourth violation,” she said.
In 2007, the court collected $1.34 million in fees and penalties, of which $833,449 was retained by the borough. That was up 7.2 percent from the $777,116 steered into borough coffers in 2006.
Pastoriza did not call for an increase in the overtime parking fine, now at $38.
Are her recommendations on the table for possible action by the council?
“Absolutely,” said borough Administrator Stanley Sickels. “All our department heads were told to come up with comparisons to other towns and the state to see if we want to adjust our fees.”
Pastoriza’s survey of select Monmouth County towns found a wide range of penalties, though few were lower than Red Bank’s. At the top end, Deal imposes $500 mandatory fines on all violations; Marlboro’s start at $88 and go up to $500. Sea Bright hits public pissers for $524.
Red Bank’s top possible fine is currently $253 for drinking in public.
I hope this lead story to come out of last evening's meeting does not indicate the lack of substance of the balance of the session. I was hoping to read: "All department heads ordered to cut personnel by 10% and remaining payroll by 20%. Red Bank contributions to benefits are also being slashed. Stanley and others going on foot in future."
Now there's a real headline.
I'm pouring the remaining vodka down the drain as I type.
Padrone is right. Cut the budget across the board. Roll back the salary increases for this year. Why should we pay more to them while we earn less and they waste our funds.
I was there for the budget review and have to say I left feeling helpless. They all for the most part said the same thing, postage, copying secretarial services. Two mentioned that they were self sustained thru fees and fines so why they needed an increase was lost on the few that were there. There was one thing that i didn't hear from any department heads, Stanly or the CFO. What was our income in fines fees permits and state aid?
It reminded me of my car selling days, increase the bottom line by several grand, and then come down a couple of hundred, the public says WOW, but they get hammered in the end. There seems to be no hope in sight unless someone gets behind every department head and DEMANDS cuts.
Oh and Garysworstnightmare, its 2.35pm, go print some signs you worthless P.O.S.
Gary I didn't know you sold cars. I thought you only sold tables to the Parks and Rec. and then had to take them back.
dont know what ur talking about moron
Are u all completely brain dead? Here's what we need to do - double the top fines of neighboring towns, then act like we don't know what's going on when nobody comes to Red Bank to shop! We already shut down almost half the damn town, let's shut down the other half. YEAH!!