NAME: Kevin M. Settembrino, (Republican)
AGE: 40
OCCUPATION: Architect, AIA, LEED AP
LENGTH OF RESIDENCE IN TOWN: 3 Years
General Questions:
1. What do you see as the top three issues in town? Property Taxes, Property Taxes, Property Taxes
2. What specifically are you planning to do to address those issues? Reduce the size of local goverment to a “Needs Based Government” and eliminate all non-essential local government services. Increase employee heath care contributions to match the private sector.
3. What will be the challenges in getting these goals accomplished? The Mayor’s Toolkit needs to be passed by the State Legislature to allow municipalities to opt out of the civil service stranglehold and to reduce the burden of binding arbitration.
4. What expenditures, if any, do you see as ripe for trimming in order to keep the budget growth under the mandated two-percent cap? Partial departmental privatization and the state mandated public library budget.
5. Do you see any potential sources of revenue that need to be tapped? The third party installation of a Solar Array through a Power Purchase Agreement can generate about $8 million in additional revenue for the school and the town over the next fifteen (15) years.
6.What, if any, municipal services should be consolidated among towns? As many services are ripe for consolidation, only those which demonstrate a net cost benefit to the town should be implemented.
7. What is one thing voters need to know about you, but may not? I was elected as a Councilman in the Borough of East Rutherford at 26 and served for ten (10) years.
Middletown Questions:
1. Considering that this year’s budget wasn’t finalized until September, does the process by which the budget is develop need improving? Explain. The budget needs to be continually reviewed starting from the day after the current budget was passed. It is the single most important responsibility of all five members of the Township Committee and should not be delegated to any committee.
2. After this year’s municipal tax increase, which exceeded the state-mandated cap, what needs to be done to avoid a repeat? Next year’s tax rate will comply with the state mandated 2% cap. I will not support any public referendums that ask taxpayers to bear any more.
3. What do you think the township should do with its swim club? As I currently do not serve as a Township Committee member, this question would require much research to provide a clear and accurate response.
