Councilman John Curley tosses candy from a fire truck during the 2006 Halloween parade.
Citing a “major budget crisis,” Red Bank Councilman John Curley last night raised, and then backed away from, a suggestion that the borough hold off on the purchase of a new $90,000 fire police truck for six months.
“I know I’m going to lose votes over this, but it’s a conscience thing,” Curley said by way of introducing his request that the council impose a moratorium on any new spending until the final 2008-’09 budget is passed.
He was careful to praise volunteer members of the fire department and fire police, about a dozen of whom took up the back few rows of the council chambers.
“I realize you need the best equipment available, but right now we’re in a major budget crisis,” said Curley, a Republican now running for a seat on the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders.
Councilman Michael DuPont, Curley’s most frequent foil on the governing body, countered that funding for the truck was approved a year ago but not spent under a budget that Curley voted for. “At the time, you thought it was a good idea to approve it,” he said.
The Democrat also characterized the present truck, which is 19 years old, as “dilapidated” and “probably not safe for our firemen to use.”
“I know we’re in a crisis time, but there’s also a time when you have to make sure our firemen are safe,” DuPont said.
Curley replied that he was not aware of any safety issues related to the truck, which carries traffic cones, lighting, generators and other equipment used to secure fire and accident scenes.
“I realize these guys need a truck,” he said. “I’m asking for a little bit of leeway. I’ve had people call me and tell me they’re putting their houses on the market” because they can’t keep up with rising property taxes, he said.
“I’d be happy to vote for a truck,” he said. “Not tonight.”
But minutes later, he voted in favor of the expenditure, after borough administrator and fire marshal Stanley Sickels said that the box truck had already exceeded the 15-year usefulness expected out of the Ford chassis. It also has electrical problems and sometimes doesn’t start.
Sickels also noted that the time period in which to award the bid was winding down. When Curley asked how much time was left, one of the fire policemen present called out, “No time.”
“Then I will have to vote for it,” Curley said.
If anyone is really interested in why politics and sound fiscal policy are anathema, read through any number of recent posts about the world of Red Bank. Sound money policy can have no untouchables but politics is loaded with them. Question the need for a new vehicle for the fire dept. and you are branded "anti-fire department". Question the salary of the Superintendent of Schools and you are anti- good education. In fact, question any school spending or spending increase and you are labeled anti-kids. Question the need for a parking garage and you are anti-business. Every issue is personal to somebody. And when it's personal, reason goes out the window.
John, you know that you and I are friends and I support your political efforts. I know you understand what it takes to try to get SOME control over spending and I also know your holding out would have been purely symbolic. Still, I'm sorry to see you took the path of no resistance.
I'll agree with your concerns that voicing an opinion does sometimes put you onto a political bandwagon heading straight to bash an entire organization or end up branded "anti-" anything… But on the same token, people do use real issues to bark personal complaints which have nothing to do with the matter at hand. People want to question the need and want of equipment, that's the right thing to do, it's no $10 item. But if you want to cry because maybe you have some personal gripe with a volunteer firefighter… Go pay a shrink to listen
So at chestnut street we have three supervisors who have been with the Public works department for a combined 60 years give or take a year or two. Three supervisors that are well schooled in the running of Public works (certified)?, and who basically know the ins and outs of this town and their fellow employees like no man. They are obviously competent in there positions as they have been there so long. and all one would imagine are vested in the pension fund and are possibly topped out in regards to salary. My question to the Borough, Mr. Sickles, Mayor and council is this…Why can we not move one of these gentlemen into the running of the parking department and then have one of them run public works? The savings are quite considerable as we would saving over $80,000 from Mr. Watson's salary (and this is by no means a slap at him), but he only came back as an interim and is truly not needed down there.
Just a thought