County Sends out Layoff Notices to 280 in Bid to Close Budget Gap WF
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Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890 (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, March 29, 2012 OUR 122nd YEAR – ISSUE NO. 13-2012 Periodical – Postage Paid at Rahway, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] SEVENTY FIVE CENTS County Sends Out Layoff Notices To 280 In Bid to Close Budget Gap By PAUL J. PEYTON there is no alternative,” Mr. Sullivan Arts Festival concerts, approving a Specially Written for The Westfield Leader said in a prepared statement read at $59,600 contract to promoter This Is It! COUNTY — Union County sent Thursday’s freeholder meeting. Productions of Hoboken. layoff notices out to 236 employees The layoffs follow program cuts high- Mr. Sullivan said all department di- last week, on top of 44 notices deliv- lighted by the cancellation of rectors were told to cut their budgets by ered in February, as the county looks to MusicFest, Rhythm & Blues by The 5 percent from 2011 adopted budget trim its payroll by June 1 to close what Brook and Kids Kingdom. Mr. Sullivan levels. In addition, Mr. Sullivan said the Freeholder Fiscal Affairs Committee also said the county would end funding freeholders, county manager and de- Chairman Dan Sullivan described as a to the Rutgers Cooperative Extension partment directors “all agreed to take a “very significant budget deficit.” In of Union County and eliminate the three-day salary reduction equivalent addition to the layoffs, another 72 va- Union County Division of Consumer to what three unions already accepted.” cant positions are being eliminated. Affairs, as well as freeze spending at The county police, county police supe- “During the past few years, we have 2011 levels for the Freeholders Schol- rior officers and Local 68 Engineers exhausted our options in preventing ars, Senior Scholars and College for bargaining units accepted the reduc- layoffs, but unfortunately this year, Teens programs. The freeholders, how- tions. given the significant budget deficit, ever, have opted to keep the Summer He said all these measures combined have reduced the county’s 2012 budget deficit by $10 million. County Man- ager Al Faella is expected to release his executive budget on Thursday, April 5. Michael Bukosky, a Hackensack- based attorney representing Council 8, the largest county union, said he came before the freeholders in February to be able to work with the county to avoid layoffs. “Yesterday (March 21), I got the phone call from my union that said ‘we Paul Peyton for The Westfield Leader got a notice that 135 people are being SAVE OUR JOBS....One of the 280 Union County employees who have received layoff notices pleads with the Union County laid off.’ I said ‘what the heck hap- Board of Chosen Freeholders last Thursday to reconsider their decision. pened? What’s going on here?’” Mr. Bukosky said. He said the union was only given one meeting with county WF BOE Passes $95.4 M Budget; representatives the day the layoff no- tices went out. “Don’t just give us the notice that Votes to Go Out for Bond Ref. David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader dinner has been served and we’re on A JOB WELL DONE… Senator Tom Kean, Jr., center, presented retiring Cross- the plate. That’s not fair, that’s not By KIMBERLY A. BROADWELL the students and to support the ers Guide to Spending, Westfield County/Track Coach Jack Martin, right, and Assistant Coach Chris Tafelski Specially Written for The Westfield Leader with a resolution from the state Senate acknowledging the Cross-Country Team’s right,” Mr. Bukosky said. district’s strategic plan by main- spends approximately $1,800 less third consecutive Group IV State Championship, third consecutive State Sec- Council 8 President Ed Lozinski said WESTFIELD – The Westfield taining all academic, support and per pupil that the state average for tional Title, third consecutive County and Conference Title, second place in the 159 of his 800 members are being laid Board of Education unanimously extra-curricular programs.” She K-12 districts. This, she stated, was Meet of Champions, and their being in the National Cross-Country Champion- off. He said Council 8 members are the passed the 2012-2013 budget in added that the budget also supports “a stunning example of Westfield’s ships in Eugene, Ore. The Senator also presented the team and Mr. Martin with lowest paid of the county’s seven unions. addition to a resolution to seek a “increasing high school enrollment, prudent spending.” copies of the citation. He has heard the county intends to bond referendum to replace ap- professional development, counsel- Board member and Technology privatize some operations at Runnells proximately 80 percent of the ing services, maintenance of facili- Ad-Hoc Committee Chairman Specialized Hospital. district’s roofs at Tuesday evening’s ties, a pilot program to introduce Mitchell Slater noted that the tech- WF Sets Town Cleanup, “What is the savings on the BOE meeting. According to the Mandarin Chinese and technology.” nology equipment line of the bud- privatization? I still haven’t seen a piece Board’s Interim Business Admin- Board member Ginny Leiz noted get has increased by $840,292. In Hears Concerns of Break-Ins of paperwork on any savings on a istrator. Vincent Yaniro, the that according to the New Jersey past meetings it was noted that most privatization plan,” Mr. Lozinski said. district’s budget of $95,360,622 Department of Education Taxpay- CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 By LAUREN S. BARR visibility of the police force to ensure Mr. Lozinski said his members could includes a tax levy of $87,194,608. Specially Written for The Westfield Leader the safety of the town. Mayor Andy not afford the concessions sought by This, Mr. Yaniro reports, represents WESTFIELD – Mayor Andrew Skibitsky encouraged all residents to the county. “I think you should cut a 1.9 percent increase over last GW Resident Questions Skitbitsky announced at Tuesday night’s report any suspicious behavior to the more of the fat and leave the working year’s budget of which, he stated, Town Council meeting that the council police department and said he would guy alone,” he stated. “Is within the 2 percent state cap.” and the town’s Green Team will be be happy to attend a neighborhood Renne Wilder, president of the Com- Superintendent of Schools Mar- Petruzzelli’s $22,000 Benefits holding a “town clean up” on Saturday, watch meeting. munication Workers of America (CWA) garet Dolan stated, “The budget is By CHRISTINA M. HINKE Petruzzelli is the sole council mem- April 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Maria Carluccio spoke to the mayor CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 constructed to meet the needs of Specially Written for The Westfield Leader ber to receive benefits. He is the long- selected areas, including Brightwood and council regarding the seventh acci- GARWOOD – Borough resident est serving councilperson and is in Park, the Tamaques Park picnic area, dent in the vicinity of the controversial Angelo Alimonte asked the borough his second term. Though amendments Clark Park, Benson Place and several light, where a car “barreled right GOP Picks Kyrillos, Lance; council Tuesday night why Council- to state law prohibit the practice, he others. The town is looking for volun- through my neighbor’s backyard man Louis Petruzzelli is receiving has been grandfathered to receive teers to assist in the cleanup efforts, and fence.” She said despite the fact that the $22,000 in healthcare benefits. Mr. medical benefits from the borough. more information on the event will be council had listed Central and Clover Names Freeholder Candidates Alimonte stated his opposition to His $22,000-per-year benefits include available on the town’s website. Street as a traffic “hot spot” they had By PAUL J. PEYTON maintained a payroll, balanced a bud- paying benefits to council members medical, eyeglasses and dental insur- Several members of the public spoke made it a “hotter spot,” adding, “its not Specially Written for The Westfield Leader get and created jobs. Mr. Larsen said and the mayor. ance. Should he run for mayor, or at the meeting on a number of issues the light per-say, but its the entire con- CRANFORD — Union County the Affordability Care Act, dubbed The borough needs to “prevent this otherwise have his council tenure including the longstanding Central figuration.” Republicans on Saturday gave the Obamacare, would “crush families from happening again” by creating interrupted, he would lose those ben- Avenue pedestrian crossing signal de- “I don’t know how you sleep at party line in the Tuesday, June 5, when businesses they work for shut an ordinance, Mr. Alimonte said. “Our efits, the mayor said. bate and on recent thefts and home night,” Mrs. Carluccio told the govern- Primary Election to two-term Con- down because of the costs of regula- community is too small to pay medi- After hearing rumors that they break-ins. ing body. gressman Leonard Lance from the tions.” cal bills for the council and mayor,” could lose their unemployment ben- John Allen said he feels the town has Adina Enculescu said, “It is not a Seventh District by a 139-16 vote “My opponent voted for funding he said. efits, the borough’s crossing guards issues that it needs to deal with besides matter of if a tragic accident will over businessman David Larsen. of Obamacare,” Mr. Larsen said, re- Mayor Patricia Quattrocchi told The also appeared before the council at the pedestrian crossing signal. “Homes happen...but when.” She also said she Delegates also gave the Republi- ferring to Mr. Lance. Mr. Larsen said Westfield Leader that Councilman CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 are being broken into and cars are wants to see Councilman Mark can Party organizational line to former he would use his business experience being broken into,” Mr.