Anticipating years of budget uncertainty as Brick Township recovers from the aftermath of the super storm, a member of the Township Council proposes an ordinance that would turn the governing body in to public servants in the truest sense.

Brick Township Councilman Domenick Brando
Brick Township Councilman Domenick Brando (Brick Townshp web page)
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Republican Domenick Brando's measure would eliminate financial compensation, health benefits and pensions for its seven Township Council members, a move that is estimated to save taxpayers just over $171,000 yearly. He plans to introduce it at Tuesday's Council meeting.

Mayor Steve Acropolis has sought the governing body's cooperation on pay and benefit reductions on several previous occasions since he took office, but no concrete action was ever taken.

"In light of what's gone on since Sandy in the township," he explains, "and as many families have been driven out of their homes, and a long road to recovery, I feel it's the least the Council could do at this point."

Council positions pay about $8,000 per year in wages. Benefits and pensions add to the total. Brando says that the accrued savings over time would eventually scale millions of dollars off the property tax bite.

"Multiply that number times four years," he says, "and what's the number? You'll be saving residents quite a bit of money."

Brando admits that it's a challenge to the four Democrats who swept to victories in the last municipal elections.

"They ran on this platform, that they were going to reduce spending," he points out, noting that they engineered an end to benefits packages for any new appointees to the township Municipal Utilities Authority. "It's put-up-or-shut-up time."

Brando will need someone to second the introduction before it can reach an initial vote and enter the agenda for a public comment period and final vote.

The meeting starts at 7 PM in the Municipal Building on Chambers Bridge Road.

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