To the Residents of Brick Township:
My name is Michael Bevacqua and I am the president of PBA Local 230 here in Brick Township. The PBA would like to take a moment to share our thoughts over the proposed resolution to hire more police in Brick. As the Township of Brick continues to grow, so do the needs of our more than 90,000 residents. The poor economy and increasing budget cuts mean the Police Department will need to do more for the public with less.
On August 10, 2010 the Brick Township Town Council introduced, and adopted, a resolution directing the Ocean County Clerk to place a non-binding referendum question on the ballot of the November 2010 General Election. http://02d4cb6.netsolhost.com/images/Twp_Resolution_2010.pdf
“Should the Township of Brick increase the current levels of police protection by fifteen police officers if such an increase will also increase the portion of local property taxes attributable to the Township of Brick?”
This Resolution has been written to fail.
The Township of Brick has estimated the average compensation of a police officer as $159,783.65, and the total cost to hire these fifteen police officers as $2,396,760. This figure is based on the “average” of 96 active patrolman, plus 30 superior officers including Sergeants, Lieutenants, Captains, the Deputy Chief, and the Chief.
The referendum question is both inaccurate and misleading.
We want the voters to be accurately informed and receive an honest assessment of the actual costs. A newly hired police officer earns much less than what the Township has stated. The hiring of 15 new police officers at the current negotiated salary, which includes health benefits, worker’s compensation, liability insurance, social security benefits, Medicare benefits, and pension payments is approximately $69,541, not $159,784.
The total cost for 15 newly appointed officers will be approximately $1,049,069, not $2,396,780. The additional tax related costs to taxpayers will only be approximately $31.47 a year, with an increase of $2.86 the following year. The PBA does understand, and appreciates, that some of the members of the Town Council do not support the way this referendum question was written and the Township’s use of these inflated numbers.
In 2007, the Brick Township Police Department had 133 sworn officers. We were ranked as one of the safest cities in America that year. This was accomplished through proactive law enforcement methods and a properly staffed and experienced Police Department. In 2010, we are currently operating with 125 officers (8 officers less than 2007). The fifteen additional police officers mentioned in the referendum are essential in our efforts to maintain this high level of safety.
In 2010, Brick Township has seen an increase of gang activity, drug related offenses and violent crime, including 3 shootings and 1 homicide. We need an adequately staffed Police Department. From the day an Officer is hired, it takes approximately one year to effectively train that Officer. Currently there are at least 17 officers that are eligible for retirement in 2011. If a small portion of them decide to retire, it will significantly impact the quality of service our Police Department will be able to provide to the residents of Brick Township.
The membership of PBA Local 230 is aware of the current economic climate. We want the taxpayers of Brick Township to be aware that we are committed to continuing the exemplary service we provide for the residents of Brick. If our current staffing levels should continue to decline, the unfortunate result would be a negative effect on the services we would be able to provide to our residents.
All Brick Township residents have recently received their 2011 tax bill. We encourage you to look closely at where your tax money is spent:
· Out of every $1.00 collected, .73 cents goes to schools, the County, local Fire Districts, and Open Space tax.
· The remaining .27 cents goes to the local municipal government.
· Only 22.25%, or .06 cents, of the .27 cents goes to public safety.
· The average tax bill for a resident of Brick Township is approximately $5,820.
· The portion for Police services is approximately $350.00 per year.
The men and women of Brick Township PBA Local 230 would like to thank the residents of Brick Township for their continued support. I encourage you to look for updates on this matter, as well as the truth about why the public pension system is in trouble and other public safety related issues on our website www.brickpba.com. If you have any questions, please email me at brickpba230@gmail.com or call 732-503-9722. Also, a representative of the PBA would be willing to come to any meeting of a local community association to answer any questions you may have.
Respectfully,
Michael Bevacqua
President, PBA Local 230
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